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Now the New Yorkers have long been driven out of these buildings, replaced by various brand stores, expensive perfume shops, furniture stores, antique shops, galleries, thrift stores, new and old bookstores, restaurants and cafes opened by immigrants from Europe.

The citybarn antique shop introduced by Fang Bo to Jin Muchen is located on the corner of 53rd Street, near the southern end of SOHO District.

The owner Rick is an old man of the same age as Fang Bo. He is in his fifties and has a low figure, but he is very thick. His face is covered with traces of the wind and frost of time, his gray hair and beard look like an artist's literary style.

The size of his store is not very large, with only one floor and a business area of ​​more than 150 square meters.

When Jin Muchen arrived here, Rick was dealing with a black young man.

The black young man was holding a stone-carved Buddha head in his hand and was introducing Old Rick.

"This is what my father brought back from Vietnam. My father was in the B Company of the 101st Division. When they attacked Ho Chi Minh City, he found this thing in a temple and brought it back from Vietnam..."

The black young man introduced him very seriously. Jin Muchen did not interrupt him, but looked at the Buddha head in his hand from the side. To be honest, it was really interesting to see such a stone-carved Buddha head here.

However, after only a few glances, Jin Muchen denied the black man's statement because he focused on the Buddha's head for a long time, and no jewel energy appeared on the Buddha's head.

According to his previous experience, this Buddha head must be fake, and this guy obviously should be making up stories.

There is a story behind each antique, but some stories are real, while others are fake, and most of the fake stories are accompanied by fake antiques.

However, Jin Muchen did not expose him because he felt that old players in the antique world like Rick would definitely be able to determine the authenticity of this thing.

However, when I looked at the old man with gray hair and beard opposite, I was so focused that I could hear it, and my eyes kept circling on the Buddha's head.

After the black youth finished speaking, Rick actually nodded.

"Well, young man, how much do you plan to buy!"

The black young man immediately seemed very excited when he heard this: "Sir, you are such a good person. I have gone to several antique shops before, but they all said that this is fake. But I don't believe that my father will never tell me lies."

"Okay, young man, I understand, please tell me the price!"

Rick interrupted the young man and said.

"Well...eight hundred...no, five hundred dollars..."

"Okay, I'll give you three hundred dollars!"

Rick actually wanted to buy fakes? Jin Muchen's expression was a little surprised. Considering that this guy is Fang Bo's friend and may not be very proficient in Asian antiques, Jin Muchen wanted to remind him.

But as soon as the words came to his mouth, he saw the strange look of Old Rick sweeping over, and then Jin Muchen chose to close his mouth.

"make a deal!"

A bright smile appeared on the face of the black young man, while Old Rick counted three bills from the drawer with expressionless face and photographed the black man's hand. The black young man came out of the antique shop with a happy expression.

"Are you Lao Fang's nephew?"

"Yes, Hello Mr. Rick, I'm very happy to know you, my name is Jin Muchen."

"Hello, Mu Chen, I'm very happy to know you too."

Rick reached out and grabbed Jin Muchen hard. The guy's palms were covered with calluses, especially the area where his index fingertips and tiger's mouth.

Jin Muchen felt a stern, this was a hand that often held a gun.

Rick did not rush to talk to Jin Muchen, but looked at the stone Buddha head placed on the counter, reached out and touched the Buddha head. Finally, he placed the Buddha head in the door window.

Jin Muchen was stunned when he saw it. He knew the rules of these antique shops. Generally, things that are not valuable are placed outside to attract customers. The real good things are placed in the safe behind.

It is obvious that Rick knows that this thing is a fake, but why does he still want to sell it?

"This thing is in a duty-free shop near the Thai airport, which is only ten dollars a day."

Rick stood up and muttered without looking at Jin Muchen. Jin Muchen couldn't help asking.

"Then you know it's fake, why do you still have to buy it?"

"Hehe, boy, because I also served in the 101st Division back then, because I also went to Vietnam, and most importantly, because I am also a father."

After Rick said this, Jin Muchen felt relieved. It seemed that he could not bear to destroy the image of the black young man's father in his heart.

Perhaps the young black man's father did not receive any trophy in Vietnam, but before returning home, he bought such a Buddha head near an airport, which was a gift to his son, and it must have been accompanied by a beautiful story.

Thinking of this, Jin Muchen has confirmed that this Rick is definitely a good person.

"Okay, boy, I heard from Lao Fang that you collected some things, but you still can't get it, so you want me to help you see?"

"Yes, these are the three tea sets I collected, but I'm not sure about the specific origin of these tea sets, so I want you to help me see."

Jin Muchen had no trace of ink, and took out the three tea sets from his backpack behind him and placed them in front of Rick.

After three tea sets or two, Rick's eyes lit up immediately. He took out a pair of eyes from under the counter and then took out a magnifying glass and a tape measure.

He first took these three pots into his hands and put them on the pads, then opened the mouth of the pot and looked inside carefully for a long time, finally reached out and started to tap the pot substitute, and then listened to the echo of the pot body.

The sound was crisp and distant, and Rick nodded.

"Well, I used 950 silver, which is of good purity. Now we need to do a physical examination for him."

As he said that, he pulled an electronic scale from the side and placed the three tea sets on them to weigh them one by one.

"Teapot 789 grams, coffeepot 885 grams, sugarpot 561 grams, total weight 2235 grams. The weight is also good, the materials are very solid, so now you can measure the size of them."

After Rick said that, he picked up the tape measure and began to conduct precise measurements on the three tea sets.

"The teapot is 210 mm high, the pot flows to the handle 240 mm, the body diameter is 160 mm, the coffee pot is 280 mm high, the pot flows to the handle 235 mm, the body diameter is 140 mm, the sugar jar is 160 mm, the spacing between the ears is 190 mm, and the body diameter is 140 mm. The shape is unique, the square-handed teapot is exquisite in patterns, exquisite workmanship, thick materials, and intact quality! The sugar jar is gilded. Good things, good things!"

The old man muttered while doing a physical examination for these teapots and sugar jars.

Jin Muchen next to him was happy while listening. It seemed that he would never run away after picking up the bargain this time.

"Well, the rest are here to look at the silver stamp, mark."

While the old man said, he turned over the pots and began to look around. The lid of the pot was carefully inspected. He lit the bottom of the pot and then carefully identified the French signature of the flower body of the pot with a magnifying glass.

Finally, he put down the pots with a serious face, turned his head and said to Jin Muchen.

"Young man, these things you have are really good. I heard from Lao Fang that you collected them from 39th Street?"

"That's right, yesterday, I thought these pots were very beautiful, so I took them off. But I don't know exactly what these pots are, so I'll ask you today."

Jin Muchen's humble attitude made Rick very useful. After all, there are not many young people like Jin Muchen who are low-key and even a little simple in this year, especially at this age, they have such eyesight and like to specialize in antiques.

"Haha, okay, boy, I have to say that your luck is really good. This should be a French exquisite 950 sterling silver tea set from 1882, and the author is a very famous French silversmith, Fleuret, Fran?ois, you look at the bottom of the pot and his signature. Fleuret, Fran?ois is one of the most famous silversmiths in France in which era? At that time, he mainly served the royal family and nobles in Paris. Now there are many works of history, and they are also placed in the Palace of Fontainebleau. Your set should be a work he created for a nobleman back then. Unfortunately, he did not have the title of that nobleman, otherwise you would know the inheritance of this set of tea set, which would be more valuable."

Rick's words made Jin Muchen feel happy. He didn't care about Fleuret, Fran?ois. Anyway, as long as the tea set in front of him is valuable, the better.

"But although you don't know the inheritance, it doesn't matter. After all, this set of tea set can be regarded as the pinnacle of Fleuret and Fran?ois. There are five most important crafts for making silverware: hammering, engraving, picking, filament, and burning blue. In addition to filament, your tea set can be said to be complete with all four crafts. Many crafts make this set of tea sets show a very rich sense of light and shadow. This is the charm of this set of tea set."

Rick was still talking nonstop to Jin Muchen about the origin and value of this tea set, but Jin Muchen finally couldn't help it and fell into clichés.

"Mr. Narek, how much do you think this tea set should be worth?"

"Um..."

Old Rick touched the white beard on his chin and did not rush to answer. After a while, he said.

"But after all, this is not a Victorian-style silverware. Mu Chen, you know that the mainstream choice for silverware collections is British-style, especially from the Victorian era. So although your silverware is very exquisite, the price is quite convenient than that of the British tea sets in that era. If I had collected it, I could give you 30,000 US dollars!"
Chapter completed!