posted on September 12, 2000 12:47:42 PM new
I'm looking to purchase one but am not sure how to tell the authentic from the fake and how to determine quality of the rugs especially from a picture. Can anyone give me some pointers in persian rugs?
posted on September 12, 2000 12:52:45 PM new
The only way to learn is by going to a lot of stores and comparing with machine-made, and asking slaes personel lotsa questions...There is NO shortcut, since there are so many variables...
******************** Shosh http://www.oldandsold.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi?justdisp&Rifkah
posted on September 12, 2000 01:05:07 PM new
Does the number of kpsi matter? There are also several that I have seen on ebay but wonder if it's crazy to buy from a picture? I especially like the ones from Isfahan.
posted on September 12, 2000 01:17:39 PM new
savoyking...I was recently at an auction that featured some gorgeous persian rugs and I think you need to really visit some stores and touch & feel the quality. kpsi does make a big difference, as well as the type of yarn used. 100% wool or silk is much more expensive than acrylic. Hand-knotted is, of course, more expensive than machine made. And I would be a bit leery of the colors in a photograph.
Although you could probably get a pretty good buy online, you might be better off at a local shop when they have a clearance sale (that's where I got mine). Just remember, the larger rugs can be expensive to ship and if you aren't happy and want to return it, it could cost you a few dollars.
posted on September 12, 2000 02:25:05 PM newmight be better off at a local shop when they have a clearance sale
More than that, the shops I've dealt with have a "try-out" and "trade-in" policy - you can take a rug home to see how it'll work, and once you DO buy a rug, you can return it to the shop at any time in the future for trade-in on a different rug. At one shop I visited, the trade-in was 100% of your purchase price! The best shops do their own cleaning and restoration as well.
I'm no expert, but as with any art/antiques, your best guideline is not "buy as an investment" but "buy what you love" - but buy from somebody reputable!
posted on September 12, 2000 02:28:25 PM new
At least you got to see the rugs in person but I am wondering about buying on ebay. Some sellers offer money back if not satified but I am not sure if that can be inforced.
posted on September 12, 2000 02:38:54 PM new
savoyking...you would have to check out the feedback and determine if the seller has a good record. You can e-mail them to ask if they accept returns for buyers remorse or just damaged/misrepresented.
******************
That's Flunky Gerbiltush to you!
posted on September 12, 2000 05:24:50 PM new
[njrazd]
It's not buyers remorse but rather seeing the rug up close and perhaps it's not as good as the picture seems to say. The rugs selling on ebay are about half to a third the price in the store which amounts to thousands of dollars.
posted on September 12, 2000 05:56:57 PM new
I sell them from time to time...but I am not an expert and dont know hand tied from machine done. BUT, I do give many pics...front, back, colors...and I take the pics outside. Email the seller and ASK many questions. I have sold quite a few..and nobody was disappointed because they asked first...and asked and asked and asked
posted on September 12, 2000 06:34:52 PM new
One thing to bear in mind, especially when buying an old rug: You cannot smell a JPG. Dealers often try to unload rugs with virtually intractable odor problems (animal proteins, usually) in outdoor markets, where the smell dissipates sufficiently in the air to make it unnoticeable. Get that thing in a closed room, though, and you'll be running for the exits ere long. Price out the cost of a proper cleaning--flat washing--and you'll realize you're not looking at a bargain anymore. If dealers are doing that face-to-face, I don't guess at what they'll pull when selling sight unseen
The older rugs I've seen on eBay generally tend to have too much wear to be good buys, even for regular use--forget investment grade. I think they're counting on uneducated buyers. Shosh has the best advice: Hands-on shopping, and lots of it. There's a lot less heartbreak potential in a good piece of broadloom.
posted on September 13, 2000 10:56:26 AM new
Thanks for the advice everyone. I won't buy unless I can see them face to face and have them appraised.
Humanity I love; it's people I can't stand
