should a novice start at the bottom?

[dizzo]

Hey folks.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on my first yixing. Ive done the lurking around here and have checked out the usual suggested vendors like EoT and Jing, ect. I have no problem spending $200+ one of these. I have a motto that my wife hates. "Never buy something when you can get one thats twice as nice for 3 times the price".
My question is in regard to what I see people getting suggested to buy for a first pot. Most of the suggestions I see are in the $70-$80 range. Is this the suggestion because first time buyers want to get away as inexpensively as possible while still feeling they got an "authentic" pot. Or, is it because someone at a novice level would not be able to appreciate a higher quality pot?

[victoria3]

Hey folks.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on my first yixing. Ive done the lurking around here and have checked out the usual suggested vendors like EoT and Jing, ect. I have no problem spending $200+ one of these. I have a motto that my wife hates. "Never buy something when you can get one thats twice as nice for 3 times the price".
My question is in regard to what I see people getting suggested to buy for a first pot. Most of the suggestions I see are in the $70-$80 range. Is this the suggestion because first time buyers want to get away as inexpensively as possible while still feeling they got an "authentic" pot. Or, is it because someone at a novice level would not be able to appreciate a higher quality pot?

I started at the top years ago with no issues although it took me several years later to learn they were factory 1... I love using them

[ethan]

This response may not be helpful but is meant to be, of course. To me the purpose of spending a significant amount of $ on a new pot is to meet a purpose. If there is no chance or very little chance of a new pot meeting that purpose, buying it is foolhardy. $70 or $80 spent for a pot that is unpredictable in its effect, is a bet that if lost a few times amounts to enough $ to buy a pot made of clay that you "know" is very likely to brew well a tea or teas that you like.

The ? for me is whether one can really know a pot will work well w/ some of the tea I like & if the pot makes the tea significantly better than teaware I already own.

You need not fret much because it seems that when one buys quality yixing from reputable vendors, one can sell the pot here (if unlike me he takes and posts photographs).

[ricegeek]

Hey folks.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on my first yixing. Ive done the lurking around here and have checked out the usual suggested vendors like EoT and Jing, ect. I have no problem spending $200+ one of these. I have a motto that my wife hates. "Never buy something when you can get one thats twice as nice for 3 times the price".
My question is in regard to what I see people getting suggested to buy for a first pot. Most of the suggestions I see are in the $70-$80 range. Is this the suggestion because first time buyers want to get away as inexpensively as possible while still feeling they got an "authentic" pot. Or, is it because someone at a novice level would not be able to appreciate a higher quality pot?

I started a couple of years ago, and have gained some experience through research and buying pots. The challenge with learning about yixing pots, as I have been told and sort of come to agree through my own learning, is that to learn about yixing pots, you need to handle, touch and see them. Both real and fake pots can teach valuable lessons, assuming you know what they are (i.e. you don't mistaken fakes for real yixing and vice versa). The experience can inform you on what you like (shape, size, clay type, aesthetics, etc), and what you don't like. If you don't have those kind of experiences, and started buying blind, you can end up with a lot of expensive pots that you don't like in the end, even if they are real legitimate yixing pots from sellers.

For example, my first yixing pot was an 150ml xishi that had perfect lid seal. which I thought was important. Later, I bought a pot with loose lid, but clay was better, and decided that clay material was more important than lid seal. That conclusion came after multiple uses of these pots, and getting to understand what's important to me as a tea drinker.

In the west, where is very few knowledgeable shops that allow you to touch and handle yixing pots, and explain what they are, that's a challenge. I think that's the reason you see a lot of suggestion on starting modest, try out the pots that are legit, but not crazy expensive, so you can make those decisions for yourself.

That's a lot longer than I originally set out to write, hopefully I haven't ramble on too long.

[dizzo]

Very insightful comments here. Thanks,

[tingjunkie]

I think starting with a really nice pot (keep in mind neither Jing or EOT offer "top" quality but they do have great quality stuff) is a good idea. It will better help you establish what good clay can do for teas.

That being said, one of the most common mistakes beginners make has nothing to do with clay quality, but pot size. Most people buy too big on their first pot! Since I brew tea alone, or for my wife and I, the pots I use the most are between 40-90 ml. Even my 120ml pots don't get used as often, unless I'm brewing greener TGY or gao shan.

So in short, I vote go for the good stuff, but stay small.

[dizzo]

Thanks for the advise.
So those vendors are on the lower end of good?
What vendors would be considered to be the next level up from there?

[theredbaron]

Thanks for the advise.
So those vendors are on the lower end of good?
What vendors would be considered to be the next level up from there?

There aren't any i would call reliable vendors.

There isn't that much difference between a good pot in the 80 US$ category and the 200 US$ category - both are at the lower end of good. There is no real limit towards "the top" in Yixing pots in financial terms - you can get posts for thousands, or tens of thousands, or a lot more.

As to appreciation, it depends what you want the pot for. Do you need it primarily as a user, then the question indeed is how experienced are you to know the difference. Do you think about getting into serious collecting, but then, you need to invest a whole lot more money, and need to learn a lot, and best be based in tea drinking Asia and need contacts to be able to get access to the real thing. At such top level pots demand by far outstrips supply.

[tingjunkie]

Thanks for the advise.
So those vendors are on the lower end of good?
What vendors would be considered to be the next level up from there?

No, for tea drinkers in the Western world, I'd say those vendors are among the best currently. Also, I'd add that I have cheap pots (cost $25 back in 2008) that brew tea quite wonderfully. And to add one more thing, as far as brewing tea goes, I think the difference between a good $150 pot and a good $600-800 pot is quite minimal, and may not even be noticed by a high percentage of tea drinkers.

Above $200-$250 or so in today's market, I think you're just paying for collector value or the artist's name, rather than great leaps and bounds in the pot's ability to brew tea. But that's just my 2c.

[kyarazen]

Hey folks.

Getting ready to pull the trigger on my first yixing. Ive done the lurking around here and have checked out the usual suggested vendors like EoT and Jing, ect. I have no problem spending $200+ one of these. I have a motto that my wife hates. "Never buy something when you can get one thats twice as nice for 3 times the price".
My question is in regard to what I see people getting suggested to buy for a first pot. Most of the suggestions I see are in the $70-$80 range. Is this the suggestion because first time buyers want to get away as inexpensively as possible while still feeling they got an "authentic" pot. Or, is it because someone at a novice level would not be able to appreciate a higher quality pot?

if within affordability, its always good to start at the middle or higher end than the lower end. it is like a ladder. if you foresee the climb.. then start higher if within affordability

[William]

if within affordability, its always good to start at the middle or higher end than the lower end. it is like a ladder. if you foresee the climb.. then start higher if within affordability

Hehe couldn't agree more!

[pedant]

also, this isn't advice i've followed myself, but i really think it's better to have a few really good pots than a bunch of ok pots.

[chrl42]

My first yixing was a slip-cast teapot..a horrible one...clueless green-colored...I don't even remember how I disposed it..

Second yixing was made by Assistant-Master level, a real yixing..no one told me which was real which was not bcos I didn't even need to ask after having used the second one

the prices were similar...meaning the first seller was a fraud (or maybe he was cheated in the first place)

my meaning is in yixing, price isn't always equivalent to quality..during 2010~2012...I saw many talented young potters' teapot increased in price by 5 times..it was like Beijing real-estate..crazy!

important thing is to know what tea to pair with, to know how to get it 'right'....good teapot isn't always expensive...(not too cheap either) see how the Taiwanese sold those authentic Factory-1 teapot on street bargain back in 80s..

for me I'd rather trust Teaswap than those clueless ebay online sellers

[dizzo]

Thanks for all the great advise folks!
My first pot should be here soon...I didnt start at the bottom:)

http://imgur.com/a/eNygX