Each type of furniture also has several distinct styles. Other stores in Taipei have followed Chen's footsteps, adjusting their stock from Zitan and Huanghuali pieces to more affordable softwood pieces, though few can report growing sales. Expensive hardwood pieces currently may wait in his shop for a month before being bought. Ang added that hardwood pieces have become difficult to source, another reason for diversifying into cheaper softwood products. The stock at Ang's store is more tailored to average consumers looking for home decoration than to dedicated collectors.
Some designs are ingenious, like a stool that can be turned into a ladder and a laundry bucket.
There is no concrete pricing system for antiques and authenticity is often difficult to determine, so without being an expert in the field, consumers are forced to trust the dealer's credibility and settle for a measure of uncertainty and their emotional attachment to the items they choose. This story has been viewed 529 times. The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.