Persian Rugs

If you are looking for collector grade rugs, I can't help you, as I know nothing about them.

For a rug that you actually plan to be able to walk on, I would recommend a Chinese silk rug. I prefer silk to wool, as the luster is quite beautiful, and changes depending on the angle to the light. They are surprisingly durable as well, although if you plan to put it in a high traffic area, you are probably better off if a wool rug with a somewhat thicker pile.

I bought mine in China, but there are tons of rugs from all origins and materials on ebay.

Other than that, higher knots per square inch indicate a higher quality rug with more detail and beauty (kind of like dpi for monitors.)

if you know someone from turkey, ask if they have connections. everybody sells rugs there.

It is actually now difficult to find great "bargains" on rugs in Turkey. The local artisans are now hit up regularly by traveling vendors who mark up the rugs substantially. While previously true that this was a bargain region for rugs, it is now much more difficult to find the great bargains. I was there recently and verified this.

I would await a recommendation for a good online resource and study up. Ultimately rug pricing is a bit of mythology. As an upscale vendor once told me, referring to most rugs (although not to true antique rugs): "You can get an appraisal for almost any value on any handmade rug -- ultimately the market price for rugs is what the market will bear, not necessarily inherent value." In other words, after you've studied up, be prepared to be happy with what you pay for what you've purchased, as it can be difficult to determine in rugs (unlike clothing) if you've gotten a fantastic deal or overspent.

NR - I have direct experience with rugs in Japan, but having bought fruit in japan, I would have to think that rugs would be overpriced. I am gueessing that you could get a weekend trip to India for less than $1000, and that the delta of 3 rugs would more than cover that. I would agree with Kai - go for silk. India has some very good, very reasonably priced rugs.

I have seen soem very cheap rugs recently on ebay, but I have no idea how good they are, in terms of condition. but room sized rugs for under $1000 in wool from iran, circa 1970's.

good luck.

Pakistan turns out nice rugs (good shopping in Lahore), and you don't need a special visa to enter, whereas the Iranians are going to make it difficult unless you are on a tour. I am suggesting you go to the region to shop. The savings by doing it this way will more than make up for the air ticket. Plus, that part of the world is pretty cool.

When purchasing a rug I would recommend getting a rug made with handspun wool and natural dyes. Try the following retail websites:

www.nomadrugs.com
www.internetrugs.com

Also, Woven Legends produces some of the best rugs available today. Another resourse for research purposes would be www.spongobongo.com

Hope this helps

jmath

Orient Rugs in San Francisco has a nice selection of Pakistani, Afghani, and Tibetan rugs. Some of them are simply stunning. Buying from San Francisco, of course, may not make sense for you, but the website is concise and informative: www.orientrugs.com

The article really hits the nail on the head as far as trying to go to the original source countries to purchase rugs. Unless you are really an expert and know exactly what you are looking for, it's probably not advisable to go to the "bazars" and hunt for the rugs. IMHO it's better to find a reputable dealer where you are and working with them to decide what you want. You'll likely pay more, but in the long run you'll probably be happier with the choices. Also, there are excellent naturally-dyed, handspun wool rugs that are between $30-$40 per sq ft, such as the Zamin rugs being made in India.

As far as collectability goes, it's really difficult to say. My advise on this is to buy the rug that you love and goes well with the rest of your home interiors. If nothing else, you can pass it on to the next generation if the rug is well taken care of. Since a lot of the collectability at a given time is driven by the interior designers, what is hot today will not be tomorrow. It wil be something else tomorrow. For example, Aubussons were commanding big premiums in the 80s. Then in the 90s the market for those died off. Now they seem to be somewhat back again. Having said all this, however I would check out rugs made by Miri of Iran, Zollanvari of Iran and Woven Legends, which makes rugs in different countries. Expect to pay a high premium for Miri and Zollavari. These go for appox. $200+ per sq. ft. for some of their rugs, but they are the Cleverley of Oriental rugs today.

Personally, and this is just me, but I would rather: 1) become an expert on oriental rugs 2) travel to the source 3) make my own contacts 4) establish relationships with merchants than: 1) buy overpriced rugs from the first world It takes longer, but you come away from the experience with more than a floor covering. Of course, you'd need to dedicate your life. For some rugs, perhaps this is not such a huge sacrifice.