Spotlight on Cheng Ching-mu, antique electric fan collector and repair expert

The world of antique electric fan collecting is a rarefied one. Electric fans have changed a great deal since they were first invented. Some thousands of Taiwanese collectors still cherish the old fans with their heavy metal frames and unique designs. Taichung-based collector and repair expert Cheng Ching-mu knows more than most about the industry. When other collectors need help repairing a vintage fan, they go to him.
A fan collector made a special trip to Japan to buy this antique fan. When it was smashed in transit on the way home, his heart was broken.
Cheng Ching-mu
Antique fan collector
When he got home and opened the suitcase, he saw it had been smashed, and he was horrified. So he came and found me straight away.
To some, these fans might seem like secondhand junk. But fan collectors know with one glance that they are vintage antiques, examples of classic brands like Tatung. They’re all at least 60 years old, and some were produced in Japan during the colonial era. After a little repair work, they’re collector’s items, and some are worth tens of thousands of NT dollars.
Cheng Ching-mu
Antique fan collector
It’s about the design style. Everyone wants to get fans that look different from the others. Really. The designs and styles used to be so unique. Like perfume fans - they have a very special grill design. That’s what collectors love best.
Cheng says there are 2,000 or 3,000 antique fan collectors in Taiwan. They share their passion and exchange information online. Antiques are nothing like modern plastic electric fans. They cherish everything from the old motors and coils, solid materials and heavy metal frames, to the delicate, musty “old fan smell.”
Cheng Ching-mu
Antique fan collector
In the old days, electric fans were all about real, solid materials. Now they’re all plastic, which is light, easy to tip over, and breaks easily. They used to be aluminum alloys, or pig iron, so they were very steady.
Unlike many antiques, electric fans take lots of love to get working again. They need to be appraised and repaired, and often get parts replaced, until they can get back into movement. For collectors, acquiring a fan is just the first step - when it’s working again is when they feel a real sense of accomplishment.