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favorite places to buy?
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matt
 
Postings: 5
Joined: 20.03.2009
Where are your favorite places to buy weights?

I will be back in south east asia for work for most of the summer and have lots of free time to travel and explore. Where should I go? What cites, shops, etc. would be on your list of best places to interesting authentic pieces?

Thanks.
Matt
21.03.2009 18:42
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Administrator
white elefant
 

Postings: 96
Joined: 22.09.2007
Dear Matt,

if you are in Bangkok you should visit the Morakot-Gallery in River City Shopping Complex (room 103-104, ground floor).
The very friendly owner, Patcharee Silpawanich, has some nice original weights in his gallery and knows a lot about it.
It's a place, where some international collectors buy the weights. Certainly, it's more expensive than in Burma.

If you are in Rangoon, you should saunter across Scott Market (Bogyoke Market).
Not to buy weights, but rather to make contact and to get to know the sellers.
Often they have another shop outside the market. There you could find some good weights.
But be careful, there are a lot of imitation and fakes, partly in good quality too.
A good way to find interesting shops, is to ask the taxi drivers for antique shops.
But mostly they don't understand where you want to go, when you ask for "opium weights" or "antique shops".
That's why, it's advantageous to show an example (e.g. a photo on your digi cam).
During my last stay in Ragoon and Mandalay I visited about 20 shops but found almost everywhere common pieces, the very special 1 or 2.5 Viss phantasy weights with a lot of decorations and funny fakes.
The right one was the last shop in Mandalay. I was really surprised.
I won't advice special shops in Burma. You will find the right places.
Good luck!

Michael
22.03.2009 14:01
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matt
 
Postings: 5
Joined: 20.03.2009
Thanks. In the river city complex, I spent some time with Mr Kim. on the third floor. He is also the owner of the shop in 103/104. I also met with a guy that had a shop about 10 years ago, but he is basically out of the business these days. So on my last trip I picked up a reasonable group of interesting pieces.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39894146@N07/show/

At the JJ Market, I found a 5 viss, and several 2.5 viss pieces. Are they supposed to rattle when you shake them. LOL. I did find a lot more obvious fakes in the JJ market, but some interesting nice pieces at very high prices.

Burma is on the next trip agenda, plus Chang Mai / Chang Rai.

Matt
24.03.2009 01:25
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Kim Woo
 
Postings: 10
Joined: 09.02.2009
Hi Mr.Matt,

I'm Kim Woo the owner of MrakotGallery shop which you already mentioned our shop in River City, Bangkok Thailand.
Unfortunately, I've just be amemeber in the forum. SO if you come to Thaialnd, I would like to invite you to see opium weights in my shop. Here is my gallery that I post opiumweight on it. I wilkl always post it up to date.

Sincerely yours,

Kim Woo.
www.morakotgallery.com
17.07.2009 17:42
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