China has very strict, though very reasonable rules when it comes to the trafficking of antiques out of the country. China has the longest continuous legacy of civilization, with many antiques dating back a hundred to six thousand years. Many of these antiques are very, very valuable, and you may find someone who is anxious to help you buy such an item, but resist your moment of greed, it will not serve you.
The first reason to avoid such a purchase is that it will be, at best, illegal. Any antiques that leave the country must have a red stamp issued by proper authorities verifying that it is does not predate the Cultural Revolution. If you are caught with such an antique, even if the merchant assures you that the stamp you’ve got is legitimate, will be met with severe penalties including steep fines, forfeiture of the items, and the possibility that you will not be allowed to return to China. Beyond that, depending on the item, you may even be jailed and there’s nothing the embassy can do to help you.
But I wouldn’t worry about any of that, those things don’t equate to a scam, just a strong warning. The scam comes because you can’t know the difference between a Chinese antique and a clever forgery made just last month in a nearby factory.
I’ve only seen this scam once, and it happened while I was being shown around by an unrequested, unauthorized and unwelcome tour guide who attached himself to me near the ancient Tea House. These guys had a small, old, ugly piece of garbage they insisted was worth thousands of dollars on the international black market, but they’d let me have it for a mere $200. I wasn’t hip to the scam back then, though I’ve read all about it from multiple sources since then, but I have no interest in antiques and wasn’t looking for a black market investment.
It turns out my disinterest (and lack of funds as well) paid off for me. Statistically speaking, any antique you will ever be offered that is too old to legally export is a fake, often not even a very good fake. It’s easy to make something out of brass, dip it twenty minutes in sulfuric acid and claim with reasonable believability that it’s in fact many hundreds of years old… But that doesn’t make it valuable.
Save yourself the headache and only buy goods that you know are undeniably legal. Don’t try to capitalize on these regulations through the black market, it will only bring the sort of attention to you that you do not want, and even if you aren’t scammed, you could just as easily end up in jail. Ask yourself if you’re willing to throw away hundreds of dollars and/or be imprisoned in China over what little potential gain you may reap. I’ll help you out in advance, it isn’t worth it.
