Aged Golden Fish Maw Tube Buyback
A client in Tsuen Wan has 5 deep golden tubular fish maw pieces that were acquired many years ago through an acquaintance. This time, there's no rush to sell; the client just wants an expert to authenticate them first. We would not do it the other way around.
For aged goods, dryness and storage aroma are particularly important; the age is only one reference point.
the appraiser usually asks: To clearly sell aged fish maw, first specify the weight, gender (male/female), texture, and storage condition. If there are cracks, wormholes, or signs of dampness, disclosing them early helps with accurate valuation.
A preliminary review can begin with clear photographs, first take clear photos of the fish maw
Whether this fish maw is genuine or fake can only be accurately determined by touch and detailed inspection; photos alone are not enough. On the day of the on-site inspection, we will follow three steps:
- First, verify authenticity: Check if the direction of the "natural fibre lines," air holes, and texture match the characteristics of the species, and feel the weight to see if it's natural.
- Second, check for artificial weight: Look for signs of unusual added weight, impurities, or artificial filling in the fish maw body, carefully checking the cross-section and edges.
When valuing fish maw, we follow a set order, without skipping steps. Species comes first – tubular fish maw, which retains its complete tubular shape, has better expansion and texture than flat fish maw, already adding value. Next, we consider the aging period, dryness, thickness, and meat quality, followed by completeness and color. These 5 deep golden, aged, dry, and complete tubular pieces, having passed the authenticity check, naturally command a high position.
