Antique hotel

Antique market are where traders and collectors put their psychological strength and their antique knowledge to test the annual big antique fair in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province. [Photo by Xiang Mingchao/China Daily]

This time, Meng is a seller, having brought with him items ranging from gilt silver jewelry to jade and embroidery, all from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and earlier.

Many buyers rise early in the day and run from room to room with a magnifying glass quickly scanning everything on display before zooming in on any items of real interest. Bargaining is the hard part, a game that puts one's psychological strength and knowledge of antiques to the test.

"More often than not, you are fighting against your own desire to own the item," says Wang Ming, who has visited the fair for the past five years. "But if you cannot control yourself, remember, never blame the stall holder for selling expensive. One rule in our world is: no one sets price for an antique. In other words, an antique seller is free to charge whatever they want and should feel no guilt. It's your own judgment as to whether it's worth the amount asked or not."

Another rule, according to the 54-year-old, is "never return a fake". "The most exciting aspect about antique trading is that the seller does not always know the real value of his stuff, resulting in both overestimation and underestimation. A buyer who has a real eye for treasure and is able to persuade the seller that it is worth much less than it actually is stands the chance of making an instant fortune. Do you call that cheating? Of course not!" said Wang. "To be fair to both, if there's any compensation for a misguided purchase, I'm afraid it would have to come in the form of a lesson learned."