I'm not sure whether to post this here or in the swap section, but I just saw an auction of 180 teapots posted on Reddit. Most of them haven't been authenticated and shipping is only in the U.S. It's possible that someone who knows what they're doing can find a fancy pot at a reasonable price. Bidding starts at $100 and you can pay $350 to buy a pot immediately. The auction ends on Jan. 1.
Here's the link with more information:
I'll take this post down if the consensus is that these pots aren't worth fighting over. I'm hoping someone can get a break on something nice for the holidays.
Big Yixing teapot auction
Good to know. I thought there might have been some dodgy/damaged pots in there, but I was hoping there might have been some hidden gems as well. I actually didn't look at everything since I wasn't going to bid on pots I'd have to pay someone in the U.S. to ship to me.
I actually have a nice little teapot collection, most of which I use for gaoshan. I've been halfheartedly looking for a nice 100-120 ml pre-1977 Hongni for black tea, but from everyone's comments, that's not likely to be found in this auction and it'll cost more than $350. With shipping, even an Inge Nielsen porcelain pot will be close to $200. I've been using a $5 porcelain pot that works great, so it's possible I don't really need a fancy hongcha pot after all. This is one of those things that might stay on the back burner for a long time.
That’s a very specific category of pot
$350 would be difficult to land one at that size. Maybe a green label hongni would be easier to fit that price range and size.
Yes, it's very specific.
From my many, many posts seeking good gaoshan and hongcha pots a few years ago, my understanding is that old Zhuni > pre-1977 Hongni > modern Zhuni > Hongni after 1977. Based on my limited experience, I've enjoyed gaoshan in my 150 ml 1990s Zhuni-Hongni blend pot more than in porcelain, but gaoshan in my 85 ml ROC Zhuni isn't much different. (Other factors, such as a slower pour speed for the 150 ml clay pot and a slightly larger capacity, might also contribute.) Whether I want to pay for a superior pot is a question it's difficult to answer. I'd buy another slightly smaller pot like my 150 ml Zhuni-Hongni blend pot in a heartbeat.@GaoShan I haven't looked at all the listed pots, only those that loaded: maybe 1/2, but based on those I've seen there is little hope for a hidden gem.
70's pre-77 hongni shuipings aren't as rare as one might think based on their price. They do pop up on Ebay once in a while for a reasonable price. The problem is they can be hard to verify based on limited and blurry photos, and it's easy to get burnt. But that's why they can slip under the radar sometimes and what keeps bidders more conservative.
70's pre-77 hongni shuipings aren't as rare as one might think based on their price. They do pop up on Ebay once in a while for a reasonable price. The problem is they can be hard to verify based on limited and blurry photos, and it's easy to get burnt. But that's why they can slip under the radar sometimes and what keeps bidders more conservative.
Thanks for letting me know about that. I'm not great at authenticating pots, so I'd either have to guess or get someone more knowledgeable to help..m. wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 4:29 amGaoShan I haven't looked at all the listed pots, only those that loaded: maybe 1/2, but based on those I've seen there is little hope for a hidden gem.
70's pre-77 hongni shuipings aren't as rare as one might think based on their price. They do pop up on Ebay once in a while for a reasonable price. The problem is they can be hard to verify based on limited and blurry photos, and it's easy to get burnt. But that's why they can slip under the radar sometimes and what keeps bidders more conservative.