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Chinese decorative works

In recent years, the market for Asian decorative works, like Chinese vases made of porcelain or jade, has boomed, says Zimmerman. Collectors are less interested in 19th-century European antiques because they tend to be bulkier.

“With Chinese antiques, you want it to be at least 100 years old,” Zimmerman said. “1920, 1915 is really the cut-off. If you have something that more often than not is from 50, 60 years ago and it’s Chinese, it’s probably not worth much.”

True to his statement, an eBay search for Chinese porcelain vases reveals that bidding prices range from as little as $10 to as much as $900.