初踏入社會，翟健民只是一位打工仔，與古董這行無關，但在遠東大廈做事時與原在【天寶閣】擔任經理的黃應豪師傅認識，黃師傅後來開了【福成行Fook Shing Arts Company】找他幫忙，才進了這行，那年是1973年。黃應豪【福成行】店不大，在香港屬中上行家，窯、銅、竹、木、石、畫各式古董文玩都做，但瓷器最為專門。初入行，雖然知道自己做的是古董，但還是懵懵懂懂，康雍乾瓷器和民國瓷都分不清楚，直到第二年，才慢慢進入狀況。尤其1976年跟黃師傅到英國倫敦，參觀幾個大博物館及接觸到許多英國行家和拍賣公司後，才對古董文物有更深的認識、茅塞頓開。倫敦行是古董怪傑李艾琛領去的，還有香港青花大王鐘先生同行，總共四個人。他們走訪許多博物館，對博物館收藏有初步的認識，這對面向歐美市場的香港古董商很重要。過去，香港一直扮演中國大陸與西方市場的轉運的角色，古董生意也是一樣，中國大陸文物藝術品的出口多透過香港，以致到中國大陸看貨、補貨則成了香港古董商重要的工作。那段時間翟健民經常前往北京、上海、天津的進出口公司，補貨的過程中，因到過倫敦考察、了解西方市場的需求，買的貨也銷的快、價錢好 。
90年代生意，主要以歐美日為主，做的大部分是老窯，因此常跑澳門，當然， 歐美也是家常便飯，尤其，近幾年中國大陸買家崛起，翟健民一舉一動更受矚目。理個小平頭的他，為人四海、講義氣，與新崛起的中國大陸買家建立相當的友誼，成為大陸買家進軍國際拍賣場上的代言人。例如1999年6月15日倫敦佳士 得以331,500英鎊賣出一件清乾隆 〈大型粉彩山水透雕轉心瓶A Very Rare Massive Carved Famille Rose Revolving Vase Qianlong Four-Character Seal Mark and of The Period〉便是他舉牌買下的。除此，香港幾件重要瓷器也是他與大陸收藏家的傑作，近日最受注目的無非與羅伯張妹妹張永珍女士爭奪2002年5月7日香港蘇富比一件清雍正〈粉彩蟠桃福壽紋橄欖瓶〉，最後該瓶雖然以3,700萬港元落槌價被張永珍女士買去，但翟健民與他客人的膽識與眼光也博得古董圈的肯定。不過，這些都是為人作嫁的事，談到翟健民的收藏，他說是“賣花姑娘插竹葉”，目前只有龍泉窯的收藏是較有系統。他說，20年前，無意間以1000港元買到一件與青花同樣漂亮的元代龍泉，因不太受收藏家青睞，以致“賣花姑娘插竹葉”的事從此發生了，且竹葉愈來愈多，最後龍泉窯好的也有60幾件，已成了一個系統。翟健民笑著說，竹葉，如果好好收集、仔細裝扮、打理，最後也能成為一種特色，目前國外博物館正有意展出這批龍泉瓷器。
中國古董圈幾乎是男人的世界，很少見到女古董商縱橫在這個圈子，但翟健民和劉惠芳夫婦是難得的夫妻檔。事實上，【永寶齋】文房類竹、木、牙雕、鎏金佛、玉器、緙絲、刺繡這塊生意，幾乎都是劉惠芳在做。例如，1999年11月16日倫敦佳士得拍賣一件清乾隆款〈鎏金雙連瓶A Very Fine and Rara Archaistic Gilt-Splashed Bronze Double Vase〉以80,700英鎊成交；2001年10月29日香港佳士得一件大明永樂〈鎏金觀音菩薩半跏像A Highly Important and Exceptionally Large Gilt-Bronze Figure of Avalokitesvara〉以5,545,000港元成交；2001年10月29日一件明末/清初〈鑲嵌寶石鎏金瑞獸鎮紙A Fine and Rare Hardstone Inlaid Bronze Buddhist Lion〉以411,250港元成交，都是由劉惠芳拍得的。從【永寶齋】拍賣場購得的拍品可看出，劉惠芳和翟健民經營的多是御用文房器，然而，明清兩代文人的文房器亦不少，就如翟健民私下展示了所收藏的民窯瓷器文房小件，不過，這些文房瓷器市價不高，只能說是好雅致收藏品，對此，翟健民表示，他對客人的態度是“不藏、不收、不隱．”，好東西不能不給，要先介紹給收藏家，翟健民又好笑自己是“賣花姑娘插竹葉”，意謂好花都是拿來賣的，賣花姑娘頭上只能插客人不要的竹葉了。
William Chak of Shandong origin was born in Macau and raised in Hong Kong. Chak has been acquainted with ceramics since his childhood because his father, who was at that time quite famous in the textile business, had made some money and started collecting antiques. Due to the riots in Macau, many inhabitants had moved to Hong Kong or overseas, while the Chak's family picked Hong Kong. Unfortunately, Chak's father's business in Hong Kong had deteriorated dramatically. Until Chak was 12, his father started selling his antiques collection in order to maintain their living due to illness. That was the time when Chak realized that ceramics could be profitable. Being the eldest son in the family, with three elder sisters and one younger brother, Chak took up whatever job that could make money, such as dish washing in restaurants, de-livery and other miscellaneous cleaning jobs. None of those jobs had any bearing on antiques. The turning point of Chak's profession was that he fortuitously met Mr. Wong Ying Ho, who was at that time the manager of Tin Po Kok. Not long thereafter, Mr Wong asked Chak to join him in opening up his own antiques shop ───Fook Shing Arts Company in 1973. That was the beginning of Chak's career in antiques.
In the 90s, American, European and Japanese markets were dominant, hence frequent travelling to Macau, America and Europe was essential. With the recent growth of the Mainland China market, collectors from Mainland China became more active than they used to be. Wearing a "Xiaoping" style haircut and possessing a good character, Chak has built up acquaintances with many of the collectors from Mainland China and has gradually become their representative at international auction markets.
As for his own collection, Chak says with enthusiasm "It was totally the consequence of unexpected coincidences. It started with a piece of Yuan Longquan Yao ceramic that I bought 20 years age. Longquan Yao ceramics was not the favourite genre of our collectors at that time. As a result, it became my personal collection." He proudly continues "The accumulation now has become a systematic collection of over 60 pieces. At this moment, some foreign museums are proposing to lend pieces from my collection of Longquan Yao ceramics".
Chak and Priscilla got married in 1981 and established their own shop in 1988. In the field of Chinese antiques, female dealers are rarely seen and even more rare are couples working as partners, like Chak and Priscilla. Although their partnership is considered rare in their community, they are presumably the pioneers in the industry. Apart from porcelain and ceramics, Chak's Company Limited also carries lots of studio artifacts, Buddhist sculptures, bamboo as well as Jade.
Chak──as a Sit-in student in Peking University
Chak, who has never had the opportunity to receive proper education in his life, finally had the opportunity in 1999 to enrol in the Peking University to study archaeology under Professor Quan Kuishan. Commuting by plane between Hong Kong and Beijing once a week, Chak who seldom missed any lectures believes that the learning experience could offset his academic inadequacy of appraising Chinese antiques. For example, people have always believed Cizou Yao is from the Henan province. However when Chak actually went to Handan city in the Hebei province, he realised that the illustrative techniques and the clay were better in term of quality than the others found elsewhere.
For these few years, the economics in Hong Kong has been declining. Antiques business is hard to survive. Chak says, "Since 70s, dealers have been complaining the same, but as we can see, the antique business keeps growing. I, myself, am much more optimistic about the business. I always believe that there is still chance of successful if we are of professional standard".
Taste Changing in Antique Market due to the active role of the Mainland China Collectors.
The growth of the Chinese antiques market is a consequence of the increase of capitalism in the Chinese. After the establishment of the "open door policy", which was about 20 years ago, people in Mainland China began to possess more wealth, they started to invest in real estate, houses, imported cars, and then, ancient artifacts. Look back 5 years ago, it was the world of the Taiwan and Hong Kong collectors, they could generally obtain whatever pieces they desired. But now, with the penetration of the collectors from Mainland China into auction houses, the collectors of Taiwan and Hong Kong are facing great difficulty in competing against them. Nevertheless, many antique pieces are put on to auctions in China by Taiwanese and Hong Kong people since the Chinese market is now the largest market with massive potential.
Not taking into account of the Ming Blue and White, Tang Sancai, Sung Five Yao's pieces which represent prolonged civilisation and testimony to history, the collectors from Mainland China prefer ceramics of the Qing Dynasty simply because of their attractive appearances and affordable prices. Apparently, objects that were considered insignificant in the past such as pieces from the People's Republic, and late Qing......etc. have somehow become the "bull's-eye" in the antiques market due to the appeal of these collectors.
"The collaboration of the collectors from China has greatly influenced the devotion of antiques pieces and will be the essence of the future movement of the Chinese antiques market. I believe the collectors from China will play a key role in the Chinese antiques market in the distant future." Chak concludes
翟健民
