Posted on August 21, 2014 by Behnam Rugs

Finding an Experienced – and Reliable – Persian Rug Dealer

If you’ve never purchased a Persian or Oriental rug before – or even if you purchased a few in your life – there is one thing you should know about finding and purchasing a fine Persian rug, it’s this: an experienced and reliable rug dealer is everything.

An honest rug dealer will help you find an authentic and beautiful Persian/Oriental rug that fits your budget. You’ll rest assured that the rug you purchased is an actual hand-made Persian or Oriental rug (and not a machine-made rug). You’ll also know that the price of the rug was fair and not inflated.

As you search for rugs, take a look at the sellers of those rugs. Some tips to follow:

1. A good dealer will be happy – if not eager – to teach you about what makes a good rug. They will be excited about sharing their considerable rug knowledge with you and will help guide you through the process – without strong-arming you with stressful, “buy now or this great deal will be gone!” tactics.
2. The dealer should be able to tell you the history of the rug they’re selling, from the symbolism of the patterns, to the meanings and history of the design, to the dyeing process. They also will know the history of many individual rugs in their store.
3. They (or their company) will likely suggest that you take a rug home on approval, but without an obligation on your part to buy the rug.
4. They won’t buy or offer rugs they believe to have been made by children; They are very concerned about child labor within their beloved industry and they’ll do all they can to avoid rugs made under conditions they believe to be suspect.
5. You’ll sometimes see in your local newspaper announcements for what are known as customs auctions of rugs supposedly seized by U.S. Customs. These are fraudulent! How do we know? Because any goods seized by U.S. Customs must be shipped back to the country of origin; they aren’t allowed to be sold in the United States.
6. See if you can find a dealer with whom you feel comfortable who also is a certified rug appraiser. Many will claim to be, so ask to see proof.

As you search for a rug, visit several different dealers before deciding on one or more. Your financial outlay is likely to be considerable, so you shouldn’t be in a great rush to find and purchase a Persian/Oriental rug.

Finally, go with your gut. If something is telling you that there’s something “off” about a rug dealer, walk away. There are many legitimate, honest and knowledgeable rug dealers available. Call 972-733-0400 to schedule a tour of our showroom.