We have a huge (10'x13') Antique Wool Persian Rug made in Kashan before the revolution. Not quite sure how old it is, but the dealer claimed it was likely first imported in the 1930s. We also have several cheaper machine-made Persian-style rugs from a few different places.
The real one is the centerpiece of our entire house, and a treasure. It definitely has a quality and beauty that the machine-made ones don't possess. They're one-of-a-kind works of art. At some point it was repaired and there's a little difference in the dye colors where the patching was performed. Knowing it has some history really adds to the feeling of value. It's an antique you can walk and lay down on. If our home caught fire, I would probably grab my computer and that rug and leave the rest to burn.
It completely transformed the room we put it in and brought it grace and character. The machine-made rugs we put furniture on top of and are already starting to fall apart in places, even the nicer one we paid lots of money for before we got smart.
If you're patient and look around, you kind find them at fairly steep discounts, and now that the market is opening up, I expect the prices to drop even more. Our rug was appraised at something north of $15k, but we bought it for less than $2k. Quick checks on the internet show me similar rugs for around $6.5k. (here's one that looks superficially like ours http://esalerugs.com/red-palace-rugs-kashan-persian-rug-2219...)
When we decided to get a rug, we went through lots of research and shopping, finally decided on a Persian-style rug and hit rug markets and dealers all over our area. For us at least, the color schemes of the made-in-Iran rugs (over the often cheaper Pakistan, Turkish or Afghan handmade rugs) really was unmatched in hitting our taste.
Sorry if this sounds like a commercial, but these really are special objects. It's a shame that there's so many middle-men in-between the weavers and the buyers, I'd much rather have paid the weavers directly, but stupid global politics get in the way. I'm very excited for the slowly thawing relations with Iran, there's so many really wonderful cultural things I'm hoping come exploding out of that country.
This might be just my perception, but persian rugs always seem to be on a great sale. Special price, only for you, my special friend etc. I have a big aversion to buying a rug, because the whole process feels like I'm being swindled.
I think that's a culture clash. Persian culture is very big on bargaining. My father was an immigration lawyer and he told me that if he had a Persian client he would have to increase the price and allow himself to be bargained down to the normal price.
I'm with you, I prefer not to bargain but I don't think it's fair to equate bargaining cultures to swindlers.
I wonder if this inverse effect happens. Suppose someone from a bargaining culture is forced to deal with someone from a retail culture. Do they feel like they're being ripped off because they weren't given a chance to ask for a lower price?
I remember a local rug dealer who was "going out of business" for 20 years and was always running "liquidation" sales.
I've almost never seen rugs without some ridiculous markdown...at dedicated rug dealers. However, department stores tend to just sell them at closer to what the correct price is without all the fakery. I usually advise people to buy from those more "reputable" sellers because you won't play those games with them.
You'll notice I quoted the "sale" price in the link I provided (http://esalerugs.com/red-palace-rugs-kashan-persian-rug-2219...), you'll pretty much never find a rug listed for the original price. In this case the "original price" was $32k, which is absolutely absurd for that rug. People who buy at that price also probably own the Brooklyn Bridge and the Moon. The "online discount" of $13k is more like what you'd find as the starting price at most dedicated dealers. I'd expect to see that rug for maybe $8-10k at a department store. Hit on a big holiday sale and get some other discounts and you could easily walk away with that rug for maybe $4-5k.
You're expected to haggle. I once walked into a rug store, looked at a rug and the guy said it was $13,000. I said, "that's way too much! Can you knock something off?"
He said, "OK, for you, $3,000."
I probably could've gotten him down under $2,000 if I really wanted the rug.
My grandparents had Persian rugs imported in the 1920's that were simply beautiful.
Hope some future Iranian enters YC and cuts out all the middlemen. It would be easy to offer premium prices to the best craftsmen and still offer attractive deals over the web to North America and Europe. Probably the only way I can afford one.
The real one is the centerpiece of our entire house, and a treasure. It definitely has a quality and beauty that the machine-made ones don't possess. They're one-of-a-kind works of art. At some point it was repaired and there's a little difference in the dye colors where the patching was performed. Knowing it has some history really adds to the feeling of value. It's an antique you can walk and lay down on. If our home caught fire, I would probably grab my computer and that rug and leave the rest to burn.
It completely transformed the room we put it in and brought it grace and character. The machine-made rugs we put furniture on top of and are already starting to fall apart in places, even the nicer one we paid lots of money for before we got smart.
If you're patient and look around, you kind find them at fairly steep discounts, and now that the market is opening up, I expect the prices to drop even more. Our rug was appraised at something north of $15k, but we bought it for less than $2k. Quick checks on the internet show me similar rugs for around $6.5k. (here's one that looks superficially like ours http://esalerugs.com/red-palace-rugs-kashan-persian-rug-2219...)
When we decided to get a rug, we went through lots of research and shopping, finally decided on a Persian-style rug and hit rug markets and dealers all over our area. For us at least, the color schemes of the made-in-Iran rugs (over the often cheaper Pakistan, Turkish or Afghan handmade rugs) really was unmatched in hitting our taste.
Sorry if this sounds like a commercial, but these really are special objects. It's a shame that there's so many middle-men in-between the weavers and the buyers, I'd much rather have paid the weavers directly, but stupid global politics get in the way. I'm very excited for the slowly thawing relations with Iran, there's so many really wonderful cultural things I'm hoping come exploding out of that country.