The Official Longacre Travel Report-- the Silk Market in Beijing, China: a day in pictures...
Longacre
Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
As I write these words gentle reader, I am a happy camper. After nearly a week of eating Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, and last night a first for me--bullfrog, I happily ditched my Chinese colleagues and ate dinner alone at the Hard Rock Cafe. After a plate of buffalo chicken wings, a BBQ bacon cheddar burger, and a beer, I am satisfied and ready to recount my day in Beijing for the boards.
The day started at approximately 10 AM, as I left the hotel and ventured to the Silk Market in Beijing. I have been there before, but today I felt energized and ready to negotiate hard with the locals. For those of you who don't know the Silk Market, it is a seven floor department store size building, but it is set up with little stalls where people sell their wares. By many accounts, nearly every single thing in the entire market is counterfeit, or a "copy" as the locals put it.
Here are pictures of the exterior of the building:
Here is a picture of what is looks like inside.
Before we get to the coins, here are the things that I bought (for a song, mind you):
Some Polo shirts for Mrs. L, and the three kids:
Here is a close up of the tags (if they have tags, they have to be legit
)
Another gift for Mrs. Longacre-- a scarf made out of excessively rare Chinese wool (the lady said it is better than cashmire):
Some Wii games and a DS game for the kids. I bought more at this stall because some cute little cupcake was selling the items. I asked what her tee shirt said (it was hard to read it for some reason. The shirt read "Chanel", come to find out), and she replied, "I bought it here. It's a copy."
And, of course, Longacre had to pick up a thing or two for himself. Here are some Ray-Ban sunglasses:
And a very expensive Patek Phillipe watch, which cost the princely sum of $10:
I could not tear myself away from the Breitling display, and drove a hard bargain for this one:
Finally, I made my way to the booths which sell numismatic properties, and bought these four coins for $1.50 (close up pictures to follow). I did not find any slabs, although there were a lot of coins in vinyl albums.
Here is the 1843 seated obverse:
Reverse:
Edge:
Here is the other seated dollar:
The Trade dollar:
Finally, the Peace dollar, which I intend to submit to PCGS upon my return. This is at least an AU58, with the typical weak strike for the date:
Located across the street from the Silk Market was this store; I was going to flip the coins for an Obscene Profit, but I thought I would try my luck selling them to RYK first
The command center where I wrote this thread:
The day started at approximately 10 AM, as I left the hotel and ventured to the Silk Market in Beijing. I have been there before, but today I felt energized and ready to negotiate hard with the locals. For those of you who don't know the Silk Market, it is a seven floor department store size building, but it is set up with little stalls where people sell their wares. By many accounts, nearly every single thing in the entire market is counterfeit, or a "copy" as the locals put it.
Here are pictures of the exterior of the building:
Here is a picture of what is looks like inside.
Before we get to the coins, here are the things that I bought (for a song, mind you):
Some Polo shirts for Mrs. L, and the three kids:
Here is a close up of the tags (if they have tags, they have to be legit
)Another gift for Mrs. Longacre-- a scarf made out of excessively rare Chinese wool (the lady said it is better than cashmire):
Some Wii games and a DS game for the kids. I bought more at this stall because some cute little cupcake was selling the items. I asked what her tee shirt said (it was hard to read it for some reason. The shirt read "Chanel", come to find out), and she replied, "I bought it here. It's a copy."
And, of course, Longacre had to pick up a thing or two for himself. Here are some Ray-Ban sunglasses:
And a very expensive Patek Phillipe watch, which cost the princely sum of $10:
I could not tear myself away from the Breitling display, and drove a hard bargain for this one:
Finally, I made my way to the booths which sell numismatic properties, and bought these four coins for $1.50 (close up pictures to follow). I did not find any slabs, although there were a lot of coins in vinyl albums.
Here is the 1843 seated obverse:
Reverse:
Edge:
Here is the other seated dollar:
The Trade dollar:
Finally, the Peace dollar, which I intend to submit to PCGS upon my return. This is at least an AU58, with the typical weak strike for the date:
Located across the street from the Silk Market was this store; I was going to flip the coins for an Obscene Profit, but I thought I would try my luck selling them to RYK first
The command center where I wrote this thread:
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
0
Comments
Sounds like you had a fun trip! Thanks for sharing the photos and notes!
K
mbogoman
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/classic-issues-colonials-through-1964/zambezi-collection-trade-dollars/7345Asesabi Lutho
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Thanks for the photos and the narrative-- No pic of the cupcake who sold you the DVD's?
If I were in your exalted position I would be more than ready to fly home. Great pics. Great reporting. Thanks for the post
Thanks for the pics!
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
'dude
Are you sure them buffalo wings came from a chicken and not a buffalo ?
Who is John Galt?
The name is LEE!
Capital investment depends on confidence. - Martin Armstrong
Hey Kaz. If you ever get the chance to eat frog legs give it a try.They are just delicious.
Like chicken but better.
Fly-In Club
My PCGS Registry Sets
<< <i>Great post.
Hey Kaz. If you ever get the chance to eat frog legs give it a try.They are just delicious.
Like chicken but better. >>
LOL, I was envisioning Longacre with an entire frog on a plate. How else do you know it's a bullfrog?
(I bet the hamburger was horse!:Funny
K
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
<< <i>Great report, but where's the two girls you mentioned the other day
Back in Costa Rica
Longacre - wonder how much you paid for the shirts? Similar ones are available on Canal St in NYC for $10-15, however, the only thing you have to be careful about is the sizes marked on the labels are often wrong.
Will you be listing those coins on Ebay?
<< <i>Longacre - wonder how much you paid for the shirts? Similar ones are available on Canal St in NYC for $10-15, however, the only thing you have to be careful about is the sizes marked on the labels are often wrong. >>
You also have to worry that they won't fall apart the first time you wash them.
Also, please let us know if the Patek Phillippe watch lasts longer than 3 months before breaking.
Beware re-entering US. customs -- if they decide to do a random search of your stuff and find all those bootlegs you may be in a heap o' trouble, boy!
60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
can buy GENUINE FORGERIES CHEAP!
Camelot
World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
P.S. Having eaten frogs legs once myself, I would go for bullfrog over "... a BBQ bacon cheddar burger...."
So do the Chinese invent anything? It seems if they produced their own extraordinarily beautiful coins the world would recognize the intrinsic value of their original art work. If that happened would they seem inclined to protect intellectual property by upholding global patents and copyrights? I think so.
I must admit those watches are nice looking copies.
I do appreciate the photos and the time you took to keep in touch!
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
<< <i>...So do the Chinese invent anything? ... >>
I ate lunch at Panda Express today. I like Chinese food. I'll bet they invented that.
They really should start slabbing counterfeits with big bold counterfeit lettering, it would be could to build a few sets.
I bought a beautiful large tapestry while there in 1991 and had it framed.
Mike, rather than sending the Peace $ to PCGS, I'd send in the Trade $. That 1872 S is a very scarce date
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
<< <i>I could not tear myself away from the Breitling display, and drove a hard bargain for this one: >>
Oh my, if your still there I'll take one of these, or on your next trip if it's not a knock-off. No kidding!!! Send me a PM
is in serious need of a nose job.
Camelot
<< <i>
<< <i>Great post.
Hey Kaz. If you ever get the chance to eat frog legs give it a try.They are just delicious.
Like chicken but better. >>
LOL, I was envisioning Longacre with an entire frog on a plate. How else do you know it's a bullfrog?
(I bet the hamburger was horse!:Funny
Best cheeseburger I've ever had was in Hong Kong. Great prime beef, excellent cheese, fried onions, with a fried egg on top. ( Yolk still a little runny ) Yum!
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870