Next: Next Steps: Flipping the Mirror »»
«« The Assembly Task
Buy a Red Mat on Taobao here. In keeping with the essence of on, in, by and for China – the sales mechanism is Chinese only. We may decide to sell through a non-Chinese speaking channels.
The final task (but not the end of the experiment) is to sell each of the mat pieces of mat on Taobao, with the price rising by 100 RMB (€12, 16$) for each mat sold i.e. first piece will be sold at 100 RMB, the second at 200 RMB, the third at 300 RMB and so on. As and when they are all sold the final piece will go for 10,000 RMB (€1,196 , $1,586).
If every piece is sold it will raise a total of 505,000 RMB (€60,396 , $80,101).
All sales will be accompanied by a letter of authenticity and a receipt.
The purchase site is in Chinese only, with a view to keeping this mostly for Chinese within China. For foreigners the language barrier shapes the opportunity to partake as much as the Great Firewall goes the other way. However if after 100 days of the first mat going on sale there are any pieces remaining they will be put up for sale on international auction sites.
The fixed nature of the sale, suggests a gradual, continuous appreciation in value. It is anticipated that there will be an aftermarket for these mats in part driven by the current price which is viewable on Taobao, and that if the market place takes off shanzhai versions will soon appear (this is in part facilitated by the posting of open source files of the customised mats). The certificate of authenticity will include elements that are difficult to replicate.
For foreigners who really wish to purchase a red mat, but cannot overcome language barriers are directed to Taobao agents who can complete the purchase on their behalf.
Next: Next Steps: Flipping the Mirror »»
«« The Assembly Task