Antique market are where traders and collectors put their psychological strength and their antique knowledge to test the annual big antique fair in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province. [Photo by Xiang Mingchao/China Daily]

But the really good items will always be sought out, says Xu from the Henan Provincial Antique Store. "Do you know why the Zhengzhou fair, which we call 'bed-trading', took place between April 5 and 9 this year? Because on April 10, the core event, organized by our store, took place, inside the store's four-storey building," he said. "About thirty provincial-level antique stores participated, and all of them presented some precious items from their storage, things that you may not be able to see very often on the market."

"That was the climatic end of a hectic week," he said.

For proof, one needs to go to the Zhengzhou store at around 1:00 pm, an hour before the real event kicks off. Throngs of eager buyers pressed themselves against the sales counter, elbowing one another while fumbling in their pockets to make sure they had the money needed to get what they want.

"The key point is: when you are hesitating over a certain item, remember never to put it down," says Xu. "Because if you do, chances are it will never be yours again."