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Antique Questions Forum / Re: 42" Bronze Urn - time period? style? origin?

« on: May 01, 2011, 05:53:13 pm »

Thanks for that. As posted earlier I will re-search the urn for a makers mark.  I have reference books on pottery and porcelain maker marks and know how obscure they can be, More often than not looking like a scratch than a signature.  My listing of the item on Ebay is a resource for clues and exposure while I follow up on others resources including local Auctioneers and Auction Houses.  The cost to post the item for months is minor compared to the return it could give.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: 42" Bronze Urn - time period? style? origin?

« on: May 01, 2011, 05:08:10 pm »

Your suggestion of posting a reasonable price / OBO (that could go up?  what site is that possible?) would require knowing what would be reasonable for this peice.....   What you consider reasonable ( or a steal ) could be well below Ebay Surfers willingness.  In collectables Ebay is the convenience store for those that don't want to/or can't go to Auction houses.  Additionally any serious buyer would want it verified by their own source (available by appt.) if they were paying even $10G.  (reasonable?)  would you consider buying it at $10g without your own source verification?

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: 42" Bronze Urn - time period? style? origin?

« on: May 01, 2011, 10:09:22 am »

I understand the annoyance of my price (30 days, to get collectors to notice) but finding a needle in a haystack of millions of reference web pages could take years of reading/posting to come across something close. From experience in the my personal Fav. Motorcycle forum, No forum has all the enthusiasts for a given subject and each member has a specialty. If there are 20 forum web pages how often do the Bronze enthusiast look at Ebay or any Antique site?  Once a month...twice a year?  Hold up a shiny gold "looking" coin and see how many know gold from brass, I've had other items on Ebay that I have taken the same pose and had friendly advice on an items origin,  Holding up an object in front of a group of collectors/buyers/speculators (ebay) that each have there area of special interest, ie: Chinese,Japanese,Russian....  Bronze,Cast iron,Gold....will result in faster norrowing of the Age/Style/Country and could result in a buyer that knows exactly what/where/when it came from scooping it up with an offer of $100,000 on a million dollar peice.  Other sellers might put it up for Auction (7 days) starting at $1000 or $10,000 and take what they get....would you give it away like that? Your relying that the people who would pay a reasonable/fair price for it will be on Ebay in that 7 days.....  I can start at 1 mil and cut the price 30% every 30 days until it sells and in the mean time get closer to its origin.    I'm not looking for members here to make an offer , I'm just looking to be pointed in the right direction for research .  1700-1800's / China  etc.

Thanks to all that have and will give a clue.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: 42" Bronze Urn - time period? style? origin?

« on: May 01, 2011, 08:40:37 am »

 Ive had this listed on Ebay (with more pictures) for a couple of weeks now at $999,999 (or make offer) in hopes that a collector would give a clue to origin.  Lots of lookers but no clues.  My friend would be floored at $100,000 but I think that would still be giving it away.  Since Marks are sometimes very obscure, Where could I find images (link) to the more famous marks to bronze metalists?

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: 42" Bronze Urn - time period? style? origin?

« on: May 01, 2011, 06:25:20 am »

This piece is nearly 60 lbs.   It was an estate find by a friend and no history was included.   I did not find any maker marks without a magnifier, I will recheck later this week.

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Antique Questions Forum / 42" Bronze Urn - time period? style? origin?

« on: April 30, 2011, 10:53:58 pm »

  This bronze Urn has what looks like a Vine around half of it's center with 2 (removeable) solid Bronze "angry" birds perched on it.