THINGS USED TO BE DIFFERENT BEFORE HONG KONG PASSED BACK INTO CHINESE HANDS BUT I ASSUME THE SAME LAWS NOW APPLY AS IT IS ONE COUNTRY. WHEN CHINA FIRST STARTED TO OPEN HER DOORS THERE WERE WHAT THEY CALLED (FRIENDSHIP STORES, IF I REMEMBER CORECTLY) THEY ACTUALLY SOLD SOME NICE AUTHENTIC ANTIQUES. THEY WERE THE ONLY PLACES WHERE A FORIGNER COULD BUY ANYTHING AS THEY DIDN'T ALLOW FORIGNERS TO HAVE CHINESE MONEY OR SPEND THEIR CURRENCY. I WISH I HAD BOUGHT SOME OF THE SWORDS THEN AS I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING OF THAT QUALITY OFFERED SINCE.
I HAVE SEVERAL OF THE BRONZE REPLICA WEAPONS WITH THE RED WAX SEAL FOR EXPORT BUT THAT DOSEN'T PREFORM THE MIRICLE OF MAKING THEM AN AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE BRONZE AGE SWORD. I THINK MOST OF THE GOOD PATINATED EXAMPLES WERE MADE PRE WW2 AND THEN SET IN SHOPS ALL OVER CHINA AFTER THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION AND THEN HAD A MARKET AGAIN WHEN CHINA FINNALY OPENED HER DOORS AGAIN.
IT IS INTERESTING THAT PRE COMMUNIST CHINA HONORED ITS PAST AND COMMUNIST CHINA SAID THE PAST AND ALL OLD THINGS WERE DEAD AND NOT IMPORTANT AND THE OLD WAYS SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN. THERE NOW SEEMS TO BE A CHANGE TO ALLOW THEM TO BE PROUD SELECTIVLY OF THEIR HISTORY AND TO PASS LAWS TO KEEP ANYTHING OLD FROM BEING SOLD OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE PEOPLE MANY ITEMS ARE COMMON AND OF NO VALUE LOCALLY AND COULD BE SOLD OUTSIDE CHINA IF IT WERE LEGAL. THESE ARE JUST MY OBSERVATIONS AND IT IS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN THESE THOUGHTS.
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