Oriental Rugs

[Megamorph]

I'm in the market for a rug for my new home. I don't know anything about Oriental rugs and have never shopped for them until now. My first impression of the rug business is that it's all a big scam. In my limited experience and limited negotiations, I have successfully negotiated a rug that was priced at $7999 down to $2000 and probably could have gotten a lower price had I been more serious. Something's not right there.

Is the Oriental rug industry a big scam? How do I tell the difference between a high-quality rug and a lower-quality one? And what should I legitimately expect to spend for a good quality 8X10 wool rug?

 

[Wahsapa]

its just a rug, go to ikea.

 

[fredtam]

Yes it is a scam.

 

[glen]

Well, you have machine made and hand made.
You have hand made in Persia, and hand made in Asia to look like made in Persia.
These are called sino-persians.
The best quality Persian rugs are from the Hariz region.
An antique Heriz like this will cost you $20,000
Picture
Picture
But you could get a new one for $2 to $5 depending upon the quality and pattern.
All the middle Eastern rugs are wool.

 

[FleshLight]

Trim some of the hairy fabric at the edges. Then burn it, if it burns it's not silk, if it doesn't burn, it is silk!

 

[ultimatebob]

I recently got a used 13x9 hand knotted wool rug off of eBay for $350 shipped. It's in great condition, too.

Compare that to the local rug shop in my neighborhood, who wanted $3000 for a simular rug that looked like it needed some minor repairs. I'm glad that I didn't fall for that scam.

Besides, the prices for rugs at Ikea aren't all that hot, either. They wanted $1,000 for their biggest wool rug, which still wasn't big enough for my room. Lowe's had a simular rug for about $900.

 

[glen]

Some Persians are silk, and here is an excellent example:picture
A museum quality piece liek this would be $30,000, unless soemoene with money really wanted this particullar pattern and then it could go for much more.

 

[glen]

$32,000 antique Heriz

$100,000 Tabriz

 

[Megamorph]

glen, I realize that there are outrageously expensive rugs out there. I am more concerned about hearing do's and don't's of buying rugs...and I'm not referring to collectors pieces that costs tens of thousands of dollars.

 

[DingDingDao]

I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but it's a rug. If you're about to lay down $20K on something you walk on, perhaps you should reconsider. Maybe buy a $100 rug at IKEA and $19,900 worth of something else, like a car or something.

 

[Megamorph]

You IKEA cheerleaders never cease to amaze me. IKEA may be a great solution for your room in your parent's home or your dorm room at school, but it is certainly not the solution for decorating a $400K home. And I don't mean to boast, but $400K buys an ornate, custom home in Texas. If you read my original post, I suggested that the rug that I was considering was in the $2K price range, NOT $20K.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Megamorph
You IKEA cheerleaders never cease to amaze me. IKEA may be a great solution for your room in your parent's home or your dorm room at school, but it is certainly not the solution for decorating a $400K home. And I don't mean to boast, but $400K buys an ornate, custom home in Texas. If you read my original post, I suggested that the rug that I was considering was in the $2K price range, NOT $20K.

I disagree. If you find a quality rug that looks fantastic at $300, why should you spend more? I don't get it. Why pay just for a name? I just searched high and low for a rug for my new house. I finally found a hand-made $150 Indian rug that matched the room perfectly (from The Tiffany Collection). Sure I could have gotten a $2k rug that looked the same, but why would I spend more when the Indian rug looks so good?

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: Megamorph
You IKEA cheerleaders never cease to amaze me. IKEA may be a great solution for your room in your parent's home or your dorm room at school, but it is certainly not the solution for decorating a $400K home. And I don't mean to boast, but $400K buys an ornate, custom home in Texas. If you read my original post, I suggested that the rug that I was considering was in the $2K price range, NOT $20K.

Just keep in mind... There is good Ikea, and there is BAD Ikea. The cheap stuff is no better than the self assemble kits that you can get at Walmart or Target, but some of their high-end stuff is actually quite nice.

 

[bleeb]

Yes. Only advice I have is don't spend too much for an oriental rug. Try to find bargains.