Yixing Pots How To?

[Zacherywolf7]

I am interested in buying some yixing pots. It's a long term expense, so I am willing to pay top dollar. Any tips I should know? How can I tell if the clay is good or not? If any one could run me through these vendors pots?:

Song Tea
Tea Urchin
Essence of Tea?

Your own recommendations.

Also is it smart to separate into young sheng (0-10 years) and old sheng, young shu (0-10), old sheng, aged oolong (any oolong older than ten), taiwanese, wuyi, phoenix (for this I am looking at tea habitats chao zhou clay), anxi, and black? I've heard certain teas work best with purple clay, and maybe other clays for other teas?

(sorry if most of this has been answered before, please redirect me)

[the_economist]

You could probably add Origintea to that list (this set of four might be a nice beginning http://www.origintea.net/teaware/older- ... g-set-85ml), as well as Sampletea.

FWIW, I use separate pots for aged oolongs, yancha, old sheng, and young sheng.

[chrl42]

I don't know much about those webs.

But if you are willing to pay top money, some of English-based webs might not be enough.

I suggest you contact your friends in Taiwan and HK, or other routinely visitors on this forum (like Teaism and others)

Best.

[jschergen]

You could probably add Origintea to that list (this set of four might be a nice beginning http://www.origintea.net/teaware/older- ... g-set-85ml), as well as Sampletea.

+1. Until Origin Tea runs out of stock/raises their prices, I think they're probably the best place to go online, assuming you're OK with spending $100-200/pot.

If you are US-based, Life in a Teacup is also worth adding to your list, although I would still goto Origin first.

[mcrdotcom]

You could probably add Origintea to that list (this set of four might be a nice beginning http://www.origintea.net/teaware/older- ... g-set-85ml), as well as Sampletea.

+1. Until Origin Tea runs out of stock/raises their prices, I think they're probably the best place to go online, assuming you're OK with spending $100-200/pot.

If you are US-based, Life in a Teacup is also worth adding to your list, although I would still goto Origin first.

Origin Tea have closed down their tea shop, and all pots will be shipping from the US until stocks run out from now on I believe (check out the bulletins on the top of the home page)

[JBaymore]

I am interested in buying some yixing pots. It's a long term expense, so I am willing to pay top dollar.

Just so you know....... having recently been IN Yixing........ "Top Dollar" would be in the $20,000.00 range.

best,

...............john

[Fuut]

I am interested in buying some yixing pots. It's a long term expense, so I am willing to pay top dollar.

Just so you know....... having recently been IN Yixing........ "Top Dollar" would be in the $20,000.00 range.

best,

...............john

For which you might as well book a flight there, and learn it yourself over the course of a year orso!

[AdamMY]

I am interested in buying some yixing pots. It's a long term expense, so I am willing to pay top dollar.

Just so you know....... having recently been IN Yixing........ "Top Dollar" would be in the $20,000.00 range.

best,

...............john

For which you might as well book a flight there, and learn it yourself over the course of a year orso!

You'd have to be very skilled/ fast learner to learn how to make pots that well in just a year or so. But yes, the day I win the lottery is the day I even consider buying a yixing pot for that amount. Or really any piece of teaware to be honest.

[PotterZ]

[MarshalN]

I am interested in buying some yixing pots. It's a long term expense, so I am willing to pay top dollar.

Just so you know....... having recently been IN Yixing........ "Top Dollar" would be in the $20,000.00 range.

best,

...............john

And if you're buying in Yixing as a tourist, the $20k will get you a fake.

[bonescwa]

I am interested in buying some yixing pots. It's a long term expense, so I am willing to pay top dollar.

Just so you know....... having recently been IN Yixing........ "Top Dollar" would be in the $20,000.00 range.

best,

...............john

And if you're buying in Yixing as a tourist, the $20k will get you a fake.

LOL If you're willing to screw over someone with the income to even consider buying a 20k clay pot, you've got some balls. They almost deserve it at that point.

[tingjunkie]

...and when that same buyer flips the pot for $30-40K in 3-4 years? Still a sucker? I know it's a weird culture to those outside of it, but if you know what you're doing with Yixing, you've probably done very well over the past 5 years.

[JBaymore]

...and when that same buyer flips the pot for $30-40K in 3-4 years? Still a sucker? I know it's a weird culture to those outside of it, but if you know what you're doing with Yixing, you've probably done very well over the past 5 years.

Absolutely true.

Those $20K pots are a combination of stunning artistic and technical execution plus the reputation (market position) of the artist who makes them. And the fact that they are in limited supply ..... one guy...one lifetime.

Art as an investment I believe has always been one of the highest return investments you can make if you've got the disposable income. But the key to using art as an investment is "knowing what you are doing".

best,

...................john

[bagua7]

Also is it smart to separate into young sheng (0-10 years) and old sheng, young shu (0-10), old sheng, aged oolong (any oolong older than ten), taiwanese, wuyi, phoenix (for this I am looking at tea habitats chao zhou clay), anxi, and black?

I wouldn't separate anything, really, but that's me...some will disagree with this view. If you pot brews a certain tea better than others then you can dedicate it to that tea.

Pots don't improve the quality of the brew substantially, just marginally. What it matters is the quality of the tea and the water.

[MarshalN]

...and when that same buyer flips the pot for $30-40K in 3-4 years? Still a sucker? I know it's a weird culture to those outside of it, but if you know what you're doing with Yixing, you've probably done very well over the past 5 years.

Absolutely true.

Those $20K pots are a combination of stunning artistic and technical execution plus the reputation (market position) of the artist who makes them. And the fact that they are in limited supply ..... one guy...one lifetime.

Art as an investment I believe has always been one of the highest return investments you can make if you've got the disposable income. But the key to using art as an investment is "knowing what you are doing".

best,

...................john

Unfortunately the secondary market for yixing is all about who made the pot and whether it's really made by that person, and nothing, or next to nothing, to do with actual artistic quality. A pot made by a famous maker who will own up to it will be worth a lot, even if it looks like crap, and a pot that he disavows as his will be worth very little, even if it looks amazing.