Wall Street Legend

Mr. Robin Beckenbauer just stood there. Ye Dongqing was not familiar with him and didn't even know who he was, so he didn't mean to be polite.

He looked at the business card and asked, "Garage sale? Since there are so many antiques hidden away, how could it go bankrupt? How much does the earl you mentioned owe?"

I think it's interesting, otherwise I wouldn't ask so many questions.

"About that. They are all in the basement of his house. He said he is bankrupt, but in fact it is only temporary. This time he plans to sell two hundred pieces of various antiques, mainly Chinese porcelain."

Mr. Beckenbauer leaned forward and whispered: "Recently, some people are planning to join forces to promote Chinese antiques. Sellers and auction houses have joined forces to speculate, and more and more publicity funds have been invested. I have also served as a consultant. These items It has great potential for appreciation and is definitely worth the attention of a big shot like you.”

The hype about Chinese antiques is no longer news in European and American circles. In fact, the hype has already begun. Compared with a few years ago, the auction prices of exquisite collections are getting higher and higher.

In 2002, someone spent nearly 30 million yuan to buy back "Inscription on Mountain" by Mi Fu from the Song Dynasty. Last year, the Forbidden City purchased "Ode to the Master" for 22 million yuan. Ye Dongqing just used the computer to check the relevant news some time ago. , originally he wanted to spend a sum of money to buy some old things for decoration, because the private collection room in the manor is still empty, and now there are only a few items in it, and they were all given to him as gifts by others, and they are not counted. Precious, this does not reflect his background as a super rich man. The Rockefeller family is very cool. Many of their collections have been donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In 2004, the value of Chinese antiques had not yet become apparent. In the UK, France, Austria and other countries, many families that participated in the looting of China had thousands or even tens of thousands of Chinese antiques hidden away. , the collection is quite rich.

Although it seems a bit unethical to spend money to buy them back after they were snatched away, the things have become someone else's. Whether it is the Louvre or the British Museum, these things are displayed openly, except for buying them back. Is there any way to get it again?

What's more, Ye Dongqing is a Chinese-American. He just hopes to buy something to enrich his private collection. If he can buy a batch at a low price, it is more in line with his personal interests. "History" and other banners, these have no influence on Ye Dongqing.

The Chinese people are really aggrieved when they spend a lot of money to buy these things. They were looted once a hundred years ago, and now they are looted again, so that the descendants of the robbers can continue to live a good life. Ye Dongqing's idea is more direct. What he values ​​​​is the collection. Its own properties of appreciation and value preservation have little to do with personal hobbies. It is purely based on benefits to measure whether it is worth it.

"When does it start? Where is the location?"

I didn’t say that I must buy it, but it doesn’t matter if I go and take a look first. If I don’t like it by then, it’s time to go on a trip.

"We will start looking at things tomorrow. Since there are a lot of them, we will leave two days for customers to visit and choose. On Sunday, it will be held in the form of a garage sale. As long as the owner of the castle thinks it can be sold, he can sign a contract on the spot. There are There are so many valuable items, it’s simply shocking!

It's just outside London, it takes about twenty minutes by car. If you are interested, call me anytime tomorrow and I will send you the address. "

Mr. Beckenbauer is very excited. The owner of the collection has already released the news. As long as the transaction is completed, they, the antique middlemen, can get 2% of the transaction price. Depending on the total transaction amount, some items can cost millions of pounds each. , for a super rich man like Ye Dongqing, there are not many opportunities for him to buy a good car just by buying something.

Secretly looking at Ye Dongqing's expression, who in their line of work wouldn't be quick-thinking? Seeing that he seemed quite interested, he immediately secretly rejoiced, only to hear Ye Dongqing say: "Okay, I will call you before I go, wait for me When you have free time.”

"Then I'll wait for your news! My phone will be on at any time!"

Knowing that any further interruption would only offend him, Mr. Beckenbauer immediately said goodbye. He felt that it was necessary to talk to the owner of the antiques about the commission. After all, bringing an ordinary young rich man there was different from bringing a super rich man there. But two concepts...

After the antique dealer left, Ye Dongqing said to Laura with a smile on his face: "Are you free tomorrow morning? Let's go play together then. If you meet the right one, you can buy it, but I don't know him." Do you know an expert in appraising antiques?”

"I don't know, but those auction houses should have it, right? If the price of the antique is very high, it is worth spending some money to ask someone to help identify it. Otherwise, if you buy a fake one, you will still have to go to the door and bring a lawyer with you."

Laura was not very interested in those collections. There were a lot of good things in the museum. She had been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the British Museum. It was boring to look at them. But the British side had already taken Ye Dongqing around, and there happened to be an activity that he was interested in, so she didn't have to ask her half-host to find another activity, so she had no reason to refuse.

When buying things in these European and American countries, there are no unspoken rules such as making a final decision and paying the tuition immediately. Speaking of which, these old rules are definitely more beneficial to the sellers, allowing them to blatantly use some "modern art" to cheat money, regardless of Whether in the United States or the United Kingdom, the exact production date and corresponding price of the product will be indicated on the antique label. The buyer will not tell if he has made a mistake, but if he buys a fake, he can bring the item to the seller and ask for compensation.

A similar fair and transparent trading system has allowed more people to get in touch with the collecting circle. Ordinary people can also buy gadgets worth thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, instead of mid- to low-end antiques that are priceless and unmarketable. Those who like them are afraid Fake, those who know the truth and look down on it directly lead to a deformed market with reduced liquidity.

From the perspective of the long tail effect, the value of tens of millions of ordinary antiques in the world is much larger than the total value of the high-end market. The clearly marked prices and after-sales guarantee services in the UK make the business of antique dealers booming and they will not be left to chance. , people often buy hundreds or thousands of gadgets to give away, which is both face and dignity.

If the market size wasn't a bit small and he really couldn't stand it, Ye Dongqing thought that a chain of low-price antique stores might be able to make some money. The idea flashed through his mind and was immediately killed. He said : "Let's eat first, and I'll call someone later to help me ask. I should know a lot of people at Richard's house. His grandfather also likes these things, and they can definitely help me find a suitable appraiser.

As for the auction house, I didn’t even go to the invitations they sent me. I don’t know if they will give me this face..."