Mandarin third tone

[zompist]

What I was taught about third tone was that in isolation, or at the end of a breath group, it's 214; in connected speech it's just 21.

However, one of my readers said that in his experience, third tone was often "low rising rather than dropping". (Presumably 12 or 23.)

Can any Mandarin speakers comment?

(I know about tone sandhi before another 3rd tone and that's not what's being referred to.)

[svld]

My 3rd tone without sandhi is 11 or 21 with no rising part wherever it is. (maybe some of them are 212)
I'm Taiwanese.

[M Mira]

Pretty much the same as svld, I don't really realize the third tone as dipping post elementary school, it's a overall low tone, though not really sure if it's low level or low slightly falling.

[din]

I'm neither native nor fluent, but I was also taught that it's pronounced as "low rising". I wonder what these statements are based on, if native speakers don't hear it that way.

[Vijay]

I am thrilled to finally meet people who admit that their third tone without sandhi is really just low flat.