Apart from the romantic side of it, sourcing for old furniture is actually an educative experience that allows us a better knowledge of what we actually sell. In China, antique furniture is strictly linked with architecture, both for its construction methods and its use within the environment:

it is extremely important to read and understand each piece as part of a specific space in order to understand its functions and aesthetic values. A piece of furniture analyzed within its context will give precious information about Chinese cultural and artistic aspects.

Another important side of the sourcing trip is the range of human relationships we build up every time we move around and interact with so many different people. We find old furniture among the peasants of Shanxi villages as well as the heirs of noble families in glittering Shanghai.

The history of each piece of furniture is the history of its owner, a family or a peculiar individual; sometimes it can be traced back to its origins, more often is a complex net made even more thick by the events of the Cultural Revolution.

Every time we leave our warehouse for a sourcing trip, we know we are going to discover something new and unexpected. The thrill of the discovery makes the most of our excitement but, as a matter of fact, what really counts is the knowledge that we are going to deliver a novel fashion, a new style to our Chinese furniture antique dealers all around the world.

Our customers are always looking forward for new items, searching for the new best selling style, for something “different”. In our sourcing trips we always keep in mind this side of our business; we keep our eyes open for the different, the unusual, trying to spot and purchase old furniture that are not in the market yet.

In one of our most recent exits, we discovered several cupboards made in the same style, all located within a narrow area of the Dongbei region, in the northeast of China. The size of these cupboards was just perfect, exactly the kind of measures more suitable for western houses; the rustic flavor as well as the division of the inner space was great as well. We did purchase all the cupboards we could, sent them back to Beijing, restored and, in a matter of a couple of months, we sold them all.

Unfortunately, we were not able to source more but we did actually set a trend among our customers: from then on, we began to realize reproductions in that style and modify old cupboards from other areas in order to look similar to the sourced ones. It was a success!

The sourcing trip then it is not only a purchasing venture but something more complex and useful for us, an essential part of our business.it gives us ideas for new styles we can implement in our range of furniture: again, we can always offer our customers new models and keep the Chinese furniture antique market fresh and competitive.

Among Chinese furniture wholesale dealers, Ke Chinese Furniture has been always distinguished itself for its tight management and quality control system, for its range of side services and its unbeatable customers service.