Tunxi Shopping

This advice is for experts and daring amateurs. I am about to share with you my secrets for antique shopping in China based on centuries of experience.
#1. Timing is critical. The best time to shop is during meal hours; lunch and dinner. This is when knowledgeable owners often leave their shop in the incapable hands of country bumpkin relatives who are good at math but don't know the difference between Qing and Ming dynasties.
#2. Look for the most unorganized stores. I am most encouraged when shop displays are a jumbled mess that look like an Ali Baba flea market. Avoid stores that look too tidy.
#3. Ask where the cultural relics came from. Try to assess how long they have been in the shop. Your goal is to see what just arrived from the other provinces so that you can take advantage of items that have not been on display very long. This is how bargains are uncovered. I once had a fair young lass confess, "These just arrived from Shaanxi last week but I don't know much about them."
I had to turn my head quickly so she wouldn't see my evil smile.
#4. Look for things you've never seen before. There are so many fakes out there. The key to finding authentic relics is to search for those objects that don't fit the mold. For example, Tang San Cai horses and Xian terra cotta warriors are a dime a dozen. Look for relics that appear most unusual and those are usually the ones that could be most valuable. This takes some practice and a lot of experience but once you're an expert then it's loads of fun to prey on unsuspecting shopkeeping assistants.
#5. Make them dig around for you. This is related to tip 3. The more that comes out from behind counters and back rooms, the better your chances at finding those genuine valuables. Keep in mind that other experts have gone through this shop already so what you see on display is mostly "leftovers"

What to buy: #6. Musical instruments, funerary objects and other ceramic sculptures, and anything else that catches your eye. Avoid jade, ivory, and wood carvings.
#7. There is now a market in China for Cultural Revolution memorabilia. A lot of this stuff is junk so you should never pay more than 50 RMB for anything from the 1960s.

What to pay: #8. You should never pay the first price you are given at any antique market. Always bargain using whatever tactics work best for you. There is nothing in Tunxi's antique markets that you should pay 1000 RMB for.
There are too many things that should not be 100 RMB but shopkeepers like trying that number on tourists just to see if they'll pay it.
#9. If you do find a cultural relic you are certain is a priceless museum piece then don't haggle too much. Your goal is to get it out of the store as quickly as possible and terminate all other shopping. Don't tell anybody where you are staying! Go straight back to your hotel room and gloat to yourself then prepare to get out of town first thing the next day, preferably by long distance bus.