Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the group of people who were originally preparing to buy the seals started making a fuss, and of course, everyone's criticism was directed at Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 601 Master Ge (Part 2)
"Boss, even though you're running a business, you can't be too greedy, can you?"
"Yes, we're buying seals. Shouldn't seal engraving be considered a service, and why are we charging for it?"
Various questions arose from the noisy crowd, all stemming from Zhuang Rui's pricing standards.
Most people's names have two or three characters. If you add the character "印" (seal) or "鉴" (appraisal), then you need to carve three or four characters. That means that, not counting the cost of the seal, the carving alone can cost one or two thousand yuan. No wonder these people have complaints.
Not to mention them, even Zhao Hanxuan and Master Ge were stunned by Zhuang Rui's idea. Computer engraving is everywhere, but they are going against the grain. Can it work?
Fearing that Zhuang Rui would be embarrassed, Master Ge pulled him back from behind and whispered, "Little Zhuang, this... carving is my job, so let's not charge extra..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "It's going to cost money, and the price will go up later. Master Ge, please don't worry about this..."
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment and listen to me..."
Zhuang Rui walked to the front of the crowd and waited until it quieted down before speaking: "As everyone knows, there are computer-made seals everywhere now, and private seals are becoming increasingly rare. What's the reason for this? Can someone explain..."
"What's so strange about that? Who uses personal seals anymore..."
"Yes, apart from the official seal and financial seal, personal seals are being used less and less..."
"Young man, what does this have to do with charging for seal engraving? Tell me the truth..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's question, everyone offered various answers, but none of them hit the nail on the head, because none of them had considered the question beforehand.
"Hehe, no one has answered why there are fewer and fewer personal seals. In my opinion, this is a loss of culture. Modern people have chosen more convenient signatures and fingerprints, but they have forgotten about the seals that were the most reliable proof of identity in ancient times..."
Zhuang Rui's words caused everyone's expressions to gradually become serious.
"The art of seal carving has existed since ancient times. Most calligraphers and painters were also masters of seal carving. Not to mention ancient times, even in the Qing Dynasty, the seals carved by those masters of epigraphy were priceless. But in modern times, gentlemen, can you still find a stall that carves seals by hand on the street?"
At this point, Zhuang Rui's tone suddenly rose, and he said loudly, "Let me tell you, there are none left, or very few left. In the future, the calligraphy and paintings you create will be stamped with machine-made seals. Is that still our culture? Is that still what our ancestors passed down?"
Upon hearing this, many people's expressions became thoughtful. Zhuang Rui was right. Calligraphy and painting emphasize a certain artistic conception. If mechanically processed materials are used in them, it would indeed be an insult to the art of calligraphy and painting.
"Modern machinery has brought us many conveniences, which is undeniable, but we also have many excellent handicrafts that have been lost as a result. Doesn't that break everyone's heart?"
Look at all those computer-engraved seals on the street, they can produce a seal in a minute, but those are inanimate objects. Can they compare to Teacher Ge's work of art?
Hand-carved seals can also create anti-counterfeiting marks that are difficult to imitate, according to your requirements. This is something that computer-carved seals cannot match. I hope you can think about this carefully.
Another point is that everyone has witnessed Mr. Ge's craftsmanship. The seals he carves are not only practical but also have collectible value. In my opinion, 500 yuan per character is not expensive!
Perhaps one day in the future, Xuanrui Zhai's seals will cost 5,000 yuan per character. In my opinion, that's not expensive at all for the sake of preserving traditional culture!
After Zhuang Rui finished speaking, Xuanrui Zhai fell silent as people digested what he had just said.
After a few minutes, a round of applause rang out, and gradually the applause grew louder until everyone was clapping.
"This young man is right. Modern people are too utilitarian and impetuous, and they don't value the cultural heritage of the past as much..."
An elderly man in his fifties or sixties stepped forward and was the first to agree with Zhuang Rui's point of view. He then said, "I want to order a chicken-blood stone seal with four characters. The deposit of 2,000 yuan is going to be paid today..."
In everything, someone has to take the lead. With the old man's actions, those who were still weighing whether it was worth it also joined the ranks of those ordering bloodstone seals.
In fact, one or two thousand yuan is not much for people who like antiques and calligraphy. Moreover, a seal can accompany you for a lifetime and is not a consumable item. After understanding this, people are still willing to spend this money.
"Monkey, go help Old Zhao register, you have no sense at all..."
Seeing that Zhao Hanxuan was a bit overwhelmed, Zhuang Rui quickly kicked the monkey, which then snapped out of its daze, agreed, and ran over to help.
Little did Zhuang Rui know, the monkey was just thinking, "Brother Zhuang is such a smooth talker. No wonder he has such a large fortune at such a young age. His mouth can fool people to death!"
"Master Ge, what... what happened to you?"
After Zhuang Rui finished his speech, he turned around to greet Master Ge, only to find that the old man who had been standing behind him was already in tears and unable to control himself.
"Xiao Zhuang, good, well said. If you can say that, this old man will work for you for free, even if it means not taking a single penny..."
To be honest, Master Ge was really moved by Zhuang Rui's words. In the 1970s and 80s, hand-carved seals were extremely popular. Although most of them were official seals of some organizations, it was still not a problem to support a family with this skill.
However, after machine engraving became popular in the 1990s, hand-engraved seals disappeared from the streets and alleys almost overnight. For these old craftsmen, the sense of loss was hard to express in words.
What's more, this also cuts off his livelihood. Master Ge's family has been a family of metalworkers for three generations. This is an ancestral craft, but in his generation, his son is unwilling to learn this craft, and his grandsons are even clamoring to go abroad. This puts Master Ge in a real dilemma. He can only watch as the skills left by his ancestors are about to die out in his hands.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words today, the old man felt like he had met a kindred spirit. Just as he said, even if Zhuang Rui didn't pay him a salary, Master Ge would still be willing to work, not for any other reason than to make himself happy.
"Master Ge, let's talk inside. We can't do this without paying..."
Zhuang Rui smiled. The old man had been suppressing his feelings for a long time and couldn't be taken seriously. If he really didn't pay, Zhuang Rui wouldn't be able to get over it himself. There were too many guests outside, so Zhuang Rui led Master Ge into the inner room.
After sitting down, Zhuang Rui said, "Master Ge, the base salary we agreed on remains unchanged at 5,000, but you will charge 300 yuan for each character you carve for each seal. Is this a good deal?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Master Ge quickly stood up and declined, saying, "What? No, no, Zhuang, 5,000 yuan a month is already quite a lot, let's forget about the commission..."
Master Ge is quite famous in the seal engraving industry in Beijing. With his family's traditional skills, he has engraved personal seals for many high-ranking officials and even some foreign friends.
Back then, seal carving didn't bring in much money, only three to five yuan per piece. Later, when hand seal carving was replaced by computer seal carving, these craftsmen almost couldn't even afford to eat. Some of the younger ones switched to other professions, so the old man lived a relatively poor life.
If it weren't for his grandson wanting to go abroad and the family not having the money, the old man wouldn't be working at such an advanced age. Of course, his statement about working for free was made in a moment of emotional turmoil, and as Zhuang Rui thought, it shouldn't be taken seriously.
“Master Ge, you earn your money through your skills, so you have a clear conscience. Please don’t refuse. Just do as I say, and we can consider this a partnership. By the way, if you have some free time, could you take on an apprentice in the shop if you’re skilled enough? Let’s work together to promote and develop the art of seal engraving!”
Zhuang Rui waved his hand, finalizing the matter. He had more on his mind than Master Ge. People who appreciate antiques and calligraphy these days wouldn't be short of money. Once word got out, people would probably come knocking on his door asking for his calligraphy.
Zhuang Rui wanted to make this trend popular in the antique circle, so that both genuine and fake collectors would be proud to have the private seal of "Xuanrui Zhai".
Zhuang Rui plans to give each of the experts, such as Fatty Jin and Teacher Sun, a personal seal. In the future, when they go out to appraise objects, the experts will feel embarrassed to sign the appraisal certificate if they don't bring out Master Ge's personal seal.
By leveraging this gimmick, we can definitely make a name for "Xuanrui Zhai". These days, fame and fortune are always intertwined. Once you have fame, why worry about not making money?
"Alright, alright, Xiao Zhuang, I appreciate this favor, you can rest assured..."
Master Ge does need money now, so he didn't refuse again. However, he has already started to treat seal carving as a career and no longer has the mindset of setting up a roadside stall.
"Hey, Mr. Zhuang, it's such a waste that you're not doing public speaking, haha..."
After Zhuang Rui and Master Ge finished their discussion, Zhao Hanxuan pushed open the door and entered. He immediately joked with Zhuang Rui, then continued, "A total of eleven people have ordered chicken-blood stone seals. They've chosen materials ranging from high-end to low-end. We just collected over eight thousand yuan in deposits..."
"Hehe, Lao Zhao, the good days are yet to come, but you should order a computer engraving machine later..."
Zhuang Rui's words left Zhao Hanxuan and Master Ge somewhat confused. They were preparing to promote traditional craftsmanship, so why were they ordering the purchase of a computer engraving machine?
Chapter 602 Unique
"Xiao Zhuang, didn't you say you wanted to promote our traditional culture? Why did you buy that computer engraving machine?"
Master Ge hesitated for a moment before asking, because this matter concerned his direct income; the more people used the computer engraving machine, the less money he would earn.
Moreover, there's a lingering shadow in Master Ge's heart. Back when he was running a stall engraving business, his computer was completely taken by the engraving machines. There's no comparison between the two.
"Yeah, Mr. Zhuang, if you're going to put up a sign, buying that thing would just ruin your own reputation..."
Zhao Hanxuan also raised objections. It wasn't just Zhuang Rui who saw the potential of the seal engraving business; Old Zhao hadn't been doing business for nothing all these years, and he could also see through Zhuang Rui's intentions.
"Hehe, please sit down, sit down and talk..."
Zhuang Rui brewed a cup of tea for each of them, and then said, "Master Ge, when you used to run your stall, what kind of seals did you mostly get engraved?"
Master Ge recalled for a moment and answered with certainty, "They are basically all official seals of the company; at least 99 out of 100 are..."
In the 1980s and 90s, private companies sprang up like bamboo shoots after a rain. Everyone wanted to have their financial seals, company seals, and legal representative seals made. For a time, the business of handmade seal making was so busy that we couldn't keep up with the demand.
"Hehe, that's right. Master Ge, think about it. Those company seals are used for business. Would they spend thousands of yuan to have a seal made?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, and Master Ge and Zhao Hanxuan also understood a bit of what Zhuang Rui meant and fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, Zhao Hanxuan slapped his thigh and said, "I understand, Boss Zhuang, you mean we only do business with people in that industry, right?"
Zhuang Rui smiled and nodded, saying, "We don't just do business in antiques. There are many people who pretend to be cultured these days. Once we make a name for ourselves, these people will come to us asking for seals. At that time, 500 yuan per character won't be expensive, and our prices will rise even further..."
"Prices are going up again? Will anyone come to have seals made then?"
Master Ge was dumbfounded by Zhuang Rui's words. He used to think that three or five yuan was a lot for carving one character, but now that it was 500 yuan per character, the young man in front of him actually felt that the price was a bit low.
"Yes, don't worry, Master Ge, you'll be busy from now on..."
Zhuang Rui answered confidently.
Indeed, as Zhuang Rui said, some officials nowadays, in order to demonstrate their status and culture, often write inscriptions in certain places during their inspections, which involves using their personal seals.
Once it becomes a common practice in the circle that it is shameful not to have a personal seal engraved by a famous person, officials will surely come knocking on your door, or even if they don't come themselves, they will send someone to ask for the seal.
Don't underestimate this group; they are a consumer group with great potential. Forget a few thousand, even tens of thousands are just a matter of signing off on reimbursement. What? Reimbursement needs a specific category? Office supplies, of course!
"What does this have to do with buying a computer engraving machine?"
Old Zhao was still a little confused. He had high hopes for Master Ge's skills and was sure he would make a name for himself. But wouldn't having a computer engraving machine in the shop affect Master Ge's engraving skills?
"Old Zhao, you should know that our chicken-blood stone seals are also divided into high, medium and low grades. For high-grade seal stones, customers will definitely be willing to spend money to have Master Ge carve the seals."
However, some low-grade seal materials only cost a few dozen yuan each, and those people may not be willing to spend thousands of yuan to carve characters, so computer seal carving machines can be used.
"Of course, Lao Zhao, you should put the engraving machine inside. You can use it when you need it. We'll engrave seals for consumers for free, as a way to sell it along with the bloodstone..."
Zhuang Rui's words made Lao Zhao and Master Ge understand that the engraving machine was actually used by this young boss to attract business. But thinking about it carefully, it made sense. In business, you really have to be good at everything to make money. Even a small mosquito is still meat.
"By the way, when customers come in, just tell them directly that computer-engraved seals are free. We don't play games; let the customers choose for themselves..."
Zhuang Rui knew that seal carving usually involved first writing the inscription and then carving it. In this industry, there was a saying that "seven parts inscription and three parts carving."
Seal engraving is an art closely integrated with calligraphy. The fundamental difference between computer-engraved seals and ordinary seals engraved by seal engravers is that computer-engraved seals are "written" by computers, resulting in stiff and monotonous fonts.
The latter requires attention to composition, seal script, and the skill level of the seal engraver. Zhuang Rui believes that although hand seal engraving has declined, this ancient culture, passed down from the seal knob and seal nose, will surely regain its traditional cultural charm.
Furthermore, in this trade, even the most skilled seal engraver cannot create two completely different seals. This means that every customer receives a unique handmade seal, and many people would probably pay for it just for this "unique" status.
"Alright, let's leave it at that. Old Zhao, you find someone to order a computer-controlled seal engraving machine. Master Ge, you'll have to work hard these next few days. When I get those high-grade chicken-blood stone materials, you can take a look at the shape, then engrave a few personal seals for me to give away as gifts..."
Zhuang Rui is preparing to advertise for "Xuanrui Zhai". Jin Pangzi and his experts often appraise others and issue authentication certificates, and those who own the treasures are all collectors in the industry. By spreading the word in this circle first, at least for a period of time, there will be no need to worry about the sales of the chicken-blood stone seals.
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui added, "Old Zhao, there's something else I need you to do. We still have several dozen kilograms of those mid-to-low-grade chicken-blood stone materials, but none of them are suitable for seals. Could you find someone to cut them for us? Those seal stones aren't worth carving; a little processing will suffice..."
The chicken-blood stone seal material that Zhuang Rui purchased this time is of good quality and of high grade, but the quantity is not large, probably only enough to make thirty to fifty seals. However, the price is not cheap. It is estimated that after being carved and processed by Master Ge, each one can sell for tens of thousands of yuan.
For customers who purchase these kinds of chicken-blood stone seals, Zhuang Rui plans to carve them for free. Even though we run an antique shop, we still need to keep up with the times and be a bit classy. What do we call them? VIP customers, you know, in ancient times they would be called distinguished guests.