Ted, every city of any size will have a street of Chinese antiques --  most of them will look like antiques, smell like antiques, have the requisite amount of nicks and the like, and they will nearly all be 100% not real antiques.  Beijing itself has  a very, very large "fake" antique market with affordable prices and it is well-known for being that -- just fake.  In Shanghai and Guangzhou, you will need to be more discerning as my own experience has been that the sellers will do their best to convince that the fake is real and charge you a price to match.  In any case, your chances of getting real antiques out of the country is about 0% -- not you in particular, just about anyone

If you want old Chinese furniture that still can be exported, then you might consider scouring the villages and the countryside where otherwise poor people have stored and hidden some very nice things.  I have come by my best finds that way.

I live in Zhanjiang, where the French once "ruled"/ had a port .......  Fort-Bayard....I am on the lookout for something from that time...but people tell me that it is not likely (i.e. good luck).....  but like everywhere, I am sure there is something in the bush/village somewhere.........  probably still find a Packard in the mid-west states or Canadian prairies  if you got the time to look....I got the time.