When you're beginning your search for the perfect rug it pays to learn some general information. But leave the lifelong study to the experts. Figure out what you like and put yourself in the hands of a rug dealer you trust.


The Dangers of Motel Auctions and
Going-Out-Of-Business Sales .

 
  • DO beware of motel auctions and going-out-of-business sales. They're for suckers. Their ads are deceptive and their claims are false.
  • DON'T be taken in by unbelievable discounts. When the "discounts" are astronomical, so were the original prices.
 

General Information about Oriental Rugs

WHAT IS AN ORIENTAL RUG?
- Oriental rugs are hand-knotted in a dozen or so countries from Morocco to China. "Oriental design" and oriental style rugs are not handmade. They're machine made. Ads that mention "handcrafted" or "hand-knotted fringe" are meant to confuse the reader by blurring the distinction between real oriental rugs and imitations.

WHO MAKES THE BEST?
- All producing countries offer a wide spectrum of qualities ranging from excellent to poor. There is no reason to choose one country of origin over another based entirely on quality.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A RUG IS MADE WELL?
- The quality of the wool and the density of the face are the determining factors. Good wool has a springy resilience to it when pressed against with your thumb. It's never dry or dead feeling. The density of a rug is the result of the weavers packing the knots closely together, row by row as they are tied. This can be done with knots of any size. A coarsely woven rug with thicker yarn can be every bit as durable as a finely woven one using thinner yarn. The number of knots per square inch means nothing with regards to quality. The only reason to weave a finer rug is to facilitate a more detailed pattern. This does translate to more expensive, since finer weaving requires more work per square meter.

IS THERE A "CONSUMERS REPORT"-TYPE GUIDE
TO THE RETAIL ORlENTAL RUG WORLD?
- No. You have to use common sense. If you feel that you're a better judge of people then carpets, find a dealer whose word you feel you can rely on before making a purchase.

Remember:All rugs are not created equal. Just because two rugs look alike doesn't mean they are. Most designs are produced in a variety of qualities and in several countries. The value of a rug is determined by its beauty and uniqueness, by the durability of its materials and by the level of workmanship that went into its creation.

ARE ORIENTAL RUGS A GOOD INVESTMENT?

Nobody can tell you what something will be worth in the future. The stock market of the last few years should have driven that point home! High tech and telecom companies with the brightest futures failed. The analysts and financial advisors who recommended investing in them have fallen from grace and are now being sued by the investors that trusted them. Fortunes large and small were wiped out. Pension funds and nest eggs that seemed like sure things are diminished or gone leaving many a future uncertain.

What’s that got to do with oriental rugs?
We are asked every day what a particular rug will be worth in the future. In other words, is it a good investment? Who knows? Its beauty, condition and rarity will determine that. But no one can predict shifting tastes or market conditions. This is a fashion business like any other and the bright shining stars of this year could be campy rejects to a future generation.

In the early 1950’s well-heeled American consumers bought large floral pastel Persian Kirmans for their living rooms. They loved the look and were rightly advised by rug dealers that they were buying quality that would last. Therefore they had good reason to believe that these rugs had intrinsic value, which would still be there when they were ready to sell 30 or 40 years hence.

But when those buyers retired en mass in the 80’s and 90’s,many moved to condominiums with smaller rooms and all those carpets hit the market at once, things had changed; taste for one and the size of the average living room for another. The quality of those rugs has proven to be as promised judging from their condition but beauty is a perception and it’s simply not there in the eyes of today’s buyers. Oh there are a few folks who like the look and have rooms to accommodate their size but the supply exceeds the demand making it a buyers market.

So how do you choose an oriental rug?
Let your taste be your guide. Only buy what you love. The more pleasure you get from looking at that rug over the years, the better the investment. If, when the time comes for you to sell it, you get back what you paid or some multiple of that, consider yourself lucky. Its real value is the pleasure it gave you. Any financial appreciation is incidental and a bonus.

Don’t let yourself be sold a bill of goods! Tightly woven rugs with elaborate designs and numerous colors are not better. They simply cost more because they are more expensive to produce. The notion that an Isfahan or a Nain or a silk Hereke is a good investment because it is collectible is sheer nonsense. These rugs are subject to the same fluctuations in value as any others. If your taste leads you to these rugs, buy them with the understanding that you will probably not recoup your investment when selling. They do not enjoy wide appeal and they are not rare. Silk is especially problematic because it doesn’t wear well and cannot be restored to its original condition by cleaning.

Rugs can look very different in your home from the way they look in the rug store due mainly to lighting, both natural and artificial. If it’s not convenient to try the rug at home before buying it, make sure that you can return it for a full refund within a reasonable amount of time [usually a week]. You’ll want to see the rug on both sunny and cloudy days and at night before deciding if it’s right for the space.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN AN ORlENTAL RUG?
- Vacuum it regularly, have it washed by an oriental rug cleaner every five to ten years (no shampooing or dry cleaning) and rotate it to even out fading and wear. Windows treated with Ultra Violet (UV) protection will keep fading to a minimum.

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The Dangers of Motel Auctions and
Going-Out-Of-Business Sales

Motel auctions and going-out-of-business sales are for suckers. Their ads are deceptive and their claims are false. Remember if the discounts are astronomical, then so were the original prices. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Rarely does an oriental rug store legitimately need to go out of business and liquidate through a going-out-of-business sale. Yes, sometimes a proprietor decides to retire or give up because he's simply not making an adequate living. Forced to liquidate his stacks of rugs he could theoretically sell off all remaining inventory at lower than usual prices and possibly there would be some bargains.

But most proprietors know for some time that closing day is coming. In anticipation, they don't buy new rugs.

This means that in any real going-out-of-business sale, what is for sale is the proprietor's least saleable merchandise. Because the merchandise is unappealing, lower prices would be necessary under any circumstances. The fact that the proprietor is going out of business should not raise hopes about special bargains. It should raise suspicion about why the proprietor could not sell these particular rugs during the months in which he or she had been selling off all the good inventory.

Few G.O.B. sales are even this legitimate. In fact, almost all G.O.B. sales are run by outside companies that bring their own merchandise and sales staff. If you've ever gone to the "final sale" of a store you're familiar with you've probably noticed that there are suddenly far more rugs than ever before and a lot of unfamiliar faces waiting to sell them to you. The rug dealer you've become accustomed to is either not around or has been reduced to playing a minor role in the dissolution of his business. And the price tags are unbelievably high.

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