The Red Sandalwood Hall at Guanfu Museum holds a pair of red sandalwood towers, the most valuable antiques in the museum.

Right place, right time

Normally, to be a collector, one either has precious family heirlooms handed down from the older generations or has a lot of money. Ma has neither, which is why some people call him a "grassroots" collector.

"I am just lucky to be born at the right time for antique collection," Ma said, when asked about his achievements.

When he started his collection in the 1980s, there were few people interested in antiques and they were sold at very low prices. "At that time, my salary was just 30 ($4.38) or 40 yuan ($5.84) per month, and an old plate from the Qing Dynasty was worth only 5 yuan ($0.73). Even when I was cheated, it was not a big deal." A similar plate would fetch at least 500,000 yuan ($73,000) today. "Now, people cannot be so lucky to find bargains as there is wider knowledge of antiques and their value," said Ma.

In the 1990s, after almost 10 years of experience in antique collecting, Ma had become an expert in the field. His friends who couldn't understand him in the very beginning came to realize what this "crazy" man had already achieved. After dropping out of literature circles for more than 10 years, Ma showed up again as a figure in a different field.

In early 2008, the TV program Lecture Room invited Ma to give lectures on antique collecting. His vivid lectures quickly attracted large audiences and proved very popular. Then he published a series of books called Ma Weidu Talks About Antique Collecting and these books have been on the list of top 10 bestsellers in almost every bookstore till now.

Collecting needs research

In recent years, antique collecting has become very fashionable in China. The most famous antique market in Beijing-Panjiayuan Market, which opens at daybreak-is always packed with people, and has become a "must-see" for many tourists in Beijing. There are also quite a few TV programs teaching people how to judge the authenticity of antiques.

"It shows that people now enjoy a higher living standard. After meeting their basic needs, people are paying more attention to cultural consumption," Ma said.

Ma sets aside at least one day every month to verify the authenticity of their antiques, free of charge. People can make appointments in advance. On September 4, Ma examined more than 200 antiques, finding 80 percent of them to be fake.

"It is always sad to tell the owners that their antiques are actually fake. Those who really want to start antique collecting, I suggest they read as many books as possible before the collecting and don't be greedy," he said.

When Ma started his collection, there were no fake antiques in the market since the genuine antiques were all really cheap. He said that the antique collectors of his time focused more on the culture carried by the antiques rather than how much profit they could get from them. Now, many people buy antiques as an investment. Regarding it as a very natural phenomenon, Ma strongly believes eventually people will pay more attention to the culture and history behind antiques, than the financial gain to be made.

(Beijing Review September 23, 2008)