CAVEAT EMPTOR's article on South East Asian "antiques" is clear, honest and much to the point, which makes it indeed very helpful to those collecting Asian antiques in general. It must be noted, however, that much of what eBay offers in that area is often described as "Style of...", etc., which implies that the items in question may or may not be original, leaving that open and for the potential buyer to decide. True, many collectors may be impressed by and satisfied with the quality of the object as such, both as regards looks and quality, and not primarily with its alleged antiquity. On the other hand, one must NOT forget that copies, fakes, reproductions and imitations have been a constant nightmare for experts for several centuries, and even books have been written about some of the major forgeries in the history of art. In view of this, experts don't ALWAYS have the last word, regardless of their knowledge and experience. Besides, even expertise is subject to fashion and trends and highly dependant on new discoveries in the field of art AND fake-detection. Thanks to this, a number of Rembrandt's and Van Gogh's enter and exit museum catalogues every few years, and experts who could be fooled by a fake Frans Hals in the 1930's would NOT succumb so easily in 2006. Or would they? It is also known that Asian fakers still master the old techniques, which enables them to reproduce their cultural heritage for ever, and even produce new "old" works of stunning quality. Furthermore, some civilizations, like the Chinese, have copied and re-copied their masterpieces over and over again over the centuries, simply because there was a continuous demand and enough money to pay for them. In fact, many of such masterpieces of the past are now lost and only known to us through copies, which themselves introduce some variation every time, thus creating a kind of tradition around one particular piece. This is particularly true of the Qing period, when practically ANYTHING would be copied non-stop, the vast output of which habit STILL floods the Chinese market today, whether through eBay or not. In short and in spite of all, eBay DOES give pleasure to collectors hunting for a bargain or a purely "beautiful" old object, at prices which are often much cheaper than those of the little antique shop round the corner. They may not be as ancient or exquisite as to adorn a showcase in the British Museum, yet good enough for a corner of your mantlepiece. This doesn't mean you DON'T have to be a tycoon (or a thief) to own a 10-foot tall Khmer statue, nor that you do. It's all a question of knowing what you really want, and how much you want to pay for it. Good luck!! UTRECHT1953