Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-03
SELL "RARE OLD GOODS" MADE
FOR THE TRADE
Japanese and Chinese Find Americans
Easy Marks-Pslm of Cheap
Vases, Screens and Dishes
on the Public

/ -
M here's a rare old ming vahse.
' It's 600 years. old. 1t is worth
its weight in gold. We shall sacrihce
| IT. We must close them out How
much am l offered" :,
A woman from Kalamazoo or Lower
timidly bids $40. The auctioneer LOOKS
at her plying and in subdued, chas-
| tened voice he mournfully starts at MS
work. His enthusiasm returns as the
bids on the vase run up to $llO. Inc
piece o. modern ware, Imitation or an
tique, valued in China about $S-worth
here. duty paid, not over $lb, goes TO
the bankers wife from Cincinnati for
paltry $50.
The smooth, dapper little japanese
proprietor with well pomaded hair
smiles blandly and washes his hands III
the genial air of the auction room.
"1f the ratio holds out-I believe you
Americans have a saying that there is
a-er-ah sucker, Is that 1t? Yes, a
sucker is born every minute-f the
saying holds good there Is million
in 1t for the smooth little yellow men.
Thus spoke Captain Harold II. West
moore, formerly of the British-Chinese
office in Hongkong. Captain West
moore watched the sale of screen
with highly polished lacquered frame,
gray silk with a Wisteria pattern. III
went to a woman with diamond ear
rings and she paid $155 for it.
The Briton gasped for breath.
II say, I've appraised a thousand OF
those screens. We used to appraise
them at about 500 silver. The duty on
it here Is about 60 per cent. It's worth
at the utmost about $40 gold That
covers import duty, freight and all ex-
pense. And it sells at $155. That beau
tiful polished wood is pine, the polish
is lacquer. It's a shameful swindle.
Il see by the papers the Los Angeles
authorities have stopped the fake jew
elry auctions. How is 1t they allow
this robbery to continue? This lot OF
Junk here was manufactured for this
market and some one Is rolling UP a
fortune at it.
There are scores of these places
springing up here, This must be ike
what l heard called in New York
honest graft This is probably hon
est swindling.' It's too easy. The town
is full of the junk"
Shades of Satsuma!
And the Satsuma!
what am I bid for this beautiful
royal Satsuma tea set2 Made especially
for the emperor of Japan. Notice the
great amount of gold on it. Give me
bid. o. don't care what you start 1t
at. These goods belong to you and you
get them at your own price.
start it at $25 If you want to, and
perhaps you can get up some competi-
ton on it. The lady over there offers
$40. Why, that wouldn't pay for the
gold leaf on one saucer. This set was
made especially for the mikado OF
Japan. Imagine how he would feel II
he knew that the American people
whom he admires, were trying to buy
his tea set for $20 But. Of course.
All, thank you, $50 I'm bid. Thirty dol
, lars. Will you make 1t forty? Thirty
will you make it forty? Thirty-flve. II
have to sell 1t now. Two bids and i
must go. Going at thirty-five. Going
Thank you, madame. Forty dollars
I'm offered. Forty dollars; will yol
make it fifty? Forty-one. Forty-one
Forty-two. Forty-five. And it is sold
to the lady with the ostrich feather boa
for $45. That is one of the best bar
gains / have given this afternoon"
Understand American Weakness
Satsuma. Royal Satsuma! Made for
the emperor Of Japan!
All Satsuma is royal, and all of it is
made for the emperor of Japan, and
there are mighty few pieces that ever
get away from the emperor of Japan
There are some samples of genuine
Satsuma in Los Angeles, but they can
be counted on the fingers of both hands
and they are not for sale at auctions.
The Japanese made the Satsuma
ware, taking years for the completion
of one piece and often old men who
have begun very young die before they
have accomplished their task. When
they have made creditable piece they
take it to their emperor and, kissing
the dust at his feet offer it to him as a
token of their devotion. Generally the
emperor rewards them well for their
years OF toll and devotion and keeps II
in his private collection.
But the Japanese are clever and
progressive race and have not been in
touch with modern civilization so long
without learning how to make counter
feits.
The Satsuma that is sold at auction
in Los Angeles is made for the purpose
Of being sold at auction in Los Angeles
and a complete set would be expensive
at $40. In some of the Japanese auc-
tions, of which there are a dozen or
more being conducted at present,
Japanese cleverness Is seen at its
height in some pieces of Satsuma that
it is next to impossible to detect from
the genuine. 1T has all the appearance
of being extremely old, the inside finish
of the ware showing tiny cracks and
hairlines, as though corroding time had
scared the surface. Corroding time did
its work in mighty short order in these
instances as the little cracks were made
at the same time the ware was model
ed. The Japanese have a trick of do
ing this that few others have been able
to master.
Carved Chair Fake
The beautifullv carved chairs nj