70's factory 1 yixing teapots

[TuoChaTea]

Hi everyone. A local merchant offered batch of teapots he claims are Factory 1 teapots from 70's. I do not think they are that old (I saw only pictures). Here is my question: 70's standartized Factory 1 teapots have single hole only spouts, or could they have 7 hole spouts?

Here are some photos:





What do you think of these pots?

[the_economist]

These look like they come from an Wu Xing set (roubian and taijian shapes). I wouldn't be able to tell you with any certainty whether they are 70s or 80s or 90s pots. Price would be an important piece of information.

[TuoChaTea]

Price was approx. 50 USD per piece, the merchant obtained a lot of maybe 40-50 pots.

[chrl42]

Price was approx. 50 USD per piece, the merchant obtained a lot of maybe 40-50 pots.

you need +0 to be 70s. they are called 'Ding Zhi' Yixing...came out mostly since 90s, none state-Factory stuff.

[Teaism]

Yixing teapot is a flattering business. The 90s pot are produced like 70s pot to flatter them. The 50s pot are produced to flatter 30s pot.

I might be wrong and it is hard to tell from photos, but my guess is that this is a recent pot done to flatter the 80s pot.

It is fine if we don't pay very much and aware of it. Recently there are a lot of flattering pots floating in the market and some of them flatter really very well....it is getting harder and harder to tell.

Hmmm... flatter sounds better than imitate.

Cheers!

[MarshalN]

Whatever these are (easier to say what they're not than what they are) they're definitely not 70s.

[honza]

Milion friends on eBay had the same sets and description - 70´s used F1, sizes and stamps look the same too. There was a lot sets for "buy now" pretty cheap, but now only can find this http://www.ebay.com/itm/5000friend-Rare ... 7675.l2557

[ABx]

Seems to me that the bigger question is whether they're worth the price (Marshall?).

I see a lot of pots labeled as being much older than they are, but are otherwise fine pots that are still a decent deal. Fifty dollars is pretty good if they're decent at all.

[Tead Off]

Seems to me that the bigger question is whether they're worth the price (Marshall?).

I see a lot of pots labeled as being much older than they are, but are otherwise fine pots that are still a decent deal. Fifty dollars is pretty good if they're decent at all.

+1
Definitely true. But it looks bad for the dealer when they exaggerate and many people focus on that rather than the goods.

[wert]

Seems to me that the bigger question is whether they're worth the price (Marshall?).

I see a lot of pots labeled as being much older than they are, but are otherwise fine pots that are still a decent deal. Fifty dollars is pretty good if they're decent at all.

+1
Definitely true. But it looks bad for the dealer when they exaggerate and many people focus on that rather than the goods.

Actually, it is more than that. It is downright cheating, spreading misinformation and confusing consumers.

I think as consumers, we have to play our part and take some responsibility. Is it OK to cheat just because the price is relatively low?

Ultimately, we are just playing into our own greed and lining the pockets of dishonest or clueless merchants. It is a vicious cycle on multiple fronts. One, it encourages such merchants and more of them. Second, consumers who bought them would be fooled to buying more fakes in the future or unwilling to admit their mistakes.

[William]

Ultimately, we are just playing into our own greed and lining the pockets of dishonest or clueless merchants. It is a vicious cycle on multiple fronts. One, it encourages such merchants and more of them. Second, consumers who bought them would be fooled to buying more fakes in the future or unwilling to admit their mistakes.

+1.

I completely agree.
Teapots wrongly described can be good, but we have to understand what behaviors are encouraged, by purchasing from these sellers.

[bagua7]

...but now only can find this http://www.ebay.com/itm/5000friend-Rare ... 7675.l2557

Huh!? I've never seen that clay/colour before? What is it? Anyone?

The first pot showing in the OP's message is saying: "drink me wuyi rock tea, please!" I quite like it.

[the_economist]

It looks like non-Yixing clay to me (the ebay one)

[ABx]

Actually, it is more than that. It is downright cheating, spreading misinformation and confusing consumers.

I think as consumers, we have to play our part and take some responsibility. Is it OK to cheat just because the price is relatively low?

Ultimately, we are just playing into our own greed and lining the pockets of dishonest or clueless merchants. It is a vicious cycle on multiple fronts. One, it encourages such merchants and more of them. Second, consumers who bought them would be fooled to buying more fakes in the future or unwilling to admit their mistakes.

If they were *that* dishonest, they'd be selling for the price of a 70s pot.

He mentioned that it's a local seller. If that vendor is otherwise good, then it's probably more likely that he was duped himself. With that, it's better to have a conversation with him/her, than to go making presumptuous accusations. Voting with your dollars may be the thing to do on a large scale (although the likes of 5000friends still sells his obviously shoe polished teapots), but it doesn't scale down to a single item. Chances are that the only thing that will happen is that someone else will get it thinking that it's the real thing, and they'll be a lot more upset if/when they find out the truth.

I also wouldn't expect the vendor to take your word for it that it's not what he thinks, unless you can establish more credibility than whoever told him it was that old. However, you might be able to get him/her to seek out more info.

If the guy is claiming to authenticate it himself then that might be a different story.

The ones that I see on eBay tend to be ones sold by those people that sell estate lots. They're not trying to rip anyone off -- and they're not; they just aren't experts in yixing teapots, and someone gave them bad information. Even knowledgeable vendors will probably get duped once in a while, though.

When it comes to yixing, it's heavily caveat emptor. You should doubt every teapot and vendor until you can establish their level of reliability, because I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority have been duped on at least one teapot. The same thing applies to old tea.

When you find a vendor that actively sells fraudulent stuff, then by all means you should avoid them and dissuade those that might be fooled. If you're talking about one item at an otherwise trustworthy store, then give them the benefit of the doubt and talk to them.

[wert]

Frankly, I don't quite follow the logic.
A dishonest vendor is OK if he only cheats you a little?
But wait, if he is also incompetent and ignorant of his own goods, then he should be given a pass?

Let say, you go to a jewellery store and buy a "real" diamond cheaply, after sometime, you discover it is a fake. You go back to the jeweller, he claim that he didn't know it is a fake or deny that it is fake. Would you just shrug and say it is OK since he only cheats me a little and incompetent?

Personally, it bothers me more if the merchant is incompetent than dishonest.