Comments on: The China effect http://www.newfreebooters.com/the-china-effect boats, events, people & equipment - through the eyes of Mike K-H Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:18:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: Kay http://www.newfreebooters.com/the-china-effect/comment-page-1#comment-106 Kay Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:12:27 +0000 http://www.newfreebooters.com/?p=29#comment-106 I'm not sure about the quality of materials but imagine they're absolutely fine for the standard needed to supply the average consumer (rather than producing museum quality). I guess it's the cheap labour which is the crucial factor, and the speed at which these artists can churn out the paintings. I’m not sure about the quality of materials but imagine they’re absolutely fine for the standard needed to supply the average consumer (rather than producing museum quality). I guess it’s the cheap labour which is the crucial factor, and the speed at which these artists can churn out the paintings.

]]> By: admin http://www.newfreebooters.com/the-china-effect/comment-page-1#comment-105 admin Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:12:45 +0000 http://www.newfreebooters.com/?p=29#comment-105 I believe the better ones are quite good - but what about the quality of the materials? For a painting, I should imagine there wouldn't be much difference, but even in the western world there are amateur and professional quality paints. Would the colours fade after a few years? I believe the better ones are quite good – but what about the quality of the materials? For a painting, I should imagine there wouldn’t be much difference, but even in the western world there are amateur and professional quality paints. Would the colours fade after a few years?

]]> By: Kay http://www.newfreebooters.com/the-china-effect/comment-page-1#comment-104 Kay Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:56:04 +0000 http://www.newfreebooters.com/?p=29#comment-104 I was exploring the market for art reproductions - hand painted copies of famous paintings etc. Such things retail at about £50 - £75 here in Thailand where we're currently based - and they retail at a heck of a lot more in Europe and the USA. I thought there might be a business opportunity in buying cheap in the East and exporting/selling to the West. It turned out that China was THE place to buy this kind of stuff wholesale. They have whole villages churning out these reproductions at incredibly low prices per unit. Actually obscenely low prices - it seemed like slave labour to me and I decided I didn't want to be part of that business at all. But yes, as you say, don't underestimate the China effect. I was exploring the market for art reproductions – hand painted copies of famous paintings etc. Such things retail at about £50 – £75 here in Thailand where we’re currently based – and they retail at a heck of a lot more in Europe and the USA. I thought there might be a business opportunity in buying cheap in the East and exporting/selling to the West.

It turned out that China was THE place to buy this kind of stuff wholesale. They have whole villages churning out these reproductions at incredibly low prices per unit. Actually obscenely low prices – it seemed like slave labour to me and I decided I didn’t want to be part of that business at all.

But yes, as you say, don’t underestimate the China effect.

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