Exercise caution while buying collectibles

Popular TV shows like Xun Bao drive home the importance of appraising antiques before buying. Provided to China Daily

A huge crowd of ordinary people stood in a central square in Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi province. Some enthusiastically waved toward the camera. All held things they had inherited, collected or found at a street market, and they waited in a stew for experts to evaluate their items.

It was a typical opening scene for Xun Bao, a treasure search and appraisal TV show akin to Antiques Roadshow programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. No matter where such a show is produced, people in the crowd have the same question: Is my item a real antique, a valuable piece that will make me rich?

These people would find appraisers, usually three of them, on the set of the television show. Each has spent years as an apprentice to experienced evaluators and has both general knowledge of antiques and a particular focus, such as porcelain, ancient Chinese paintings or brass items.

Collectors who don't make it to the show will have to look elsewhere. To help them, experts interviewed by China Daily offered these tips:

Learn as much as you can and expect a long process of both successes and failures in choosing items for your collection.

Don't try to collect a bit of everything that strikes your fancy. Narrow your focus to a particular theme or type of item, such as jade or classic furniture. Many collectors then focus more tightly.

Be cautious if you invite an appraiser to evaluate an item or a collection. Three independent professionals are more reliable than one. If any of them questions whether an item is genuine, pay attention. Seek an appraiser who charges a set rate for service, or a narrow range, to reduce the chance that the item will be overvalued to provide a better payday for the appraiser.

Do your homework before you buy something as an investment. Learn the origin of the item, the cultural background it represents and the status of similar items in the market.