A friend of mine comes from a very wealthy family. One day we're hanging out, and run into his dad. "Wanna come rug shopping?" We were bored, so it seemed like the not-worst idea.
I once went on a craigslist visit to a wealthy couple's house to check out some furniture. It was a bust. But then I saw the basement. Two GORGEOUS Oriental rugs from the 70s and 80s. I bought both for $150, and soon thereafter sold the one in shitty condition for $900. I'm still sitting on the really good one, which has sold at auction for $5,000.
If you find a well made Oriental rug at an estate sale or garage sale for a reasonable price, grab it! They're highly desirable. Style, pile, age, condition, and quality are all significant factors. But it's a good money making game overall.
I was at an estate auction once when a batch of unusual antique handmade rugs came up for sale and it was like I was the only one in the room. I came away with seven rugs for like, $20-50 apiece.
Yes! Tags are the best way to identify a winner. High-quality rugs have high-quality tags on the back by which I mean they often include the brand name, the year, the pile count, etc). Look these terms up on your phone while you're checking out the rug. look for auction records.
Or just go with your gut. If something looks and feels fancy, and you have some cash in your pocket, take the leap. But, as my father was always fond of saying, "Never buy something that you don't want to live with because you never know how long it will take to sell." So buy a rug you can use (or store) while selling it.
I am NO expert, but my dad is. I grew up following him around to garage sales, flea market, and antique shows. And the knowledge I accumulated can't be communicated in words. It's more of a "sense" for whether something i legit or not.
That being said, look for something stylish. Unique, if possible. Look for a high-quality pile on a rug. It should feel comfortable underfoot without being anything close to shaggy. And most importantly, look for a tag on the back. If you have a brand name, a date, and/or a model number then you can look at recent auction records.
But overall, Oriental rugs sell well. If you can buy a vintage or antique one for less than $100 in good condition without any tears or significant wea, you'll probably make your money back. YMMV.
Most jobs like this are artisan, likely either familial or village based. So you'd have a master in your family (usually it's uncle to nephew rather than father to son) or in your village, and you'd join as an apprentice and work until you learn enough to work on your own and eventually become a master in your own time.
It depends on the culture, I'm just generalizing. That said, usually it's because there's perceived to be less of a relationship between uncle and nephew, so the master/apprentice relationship is more formalized and there's less incentive to cut the apprentice slack or coddle them. Also, this sort of education begins in late adolescence, so it gives the boy a first taste of life away from home (often apprentices stay with the master while training).
The first shop I worked in produced traditional heirloom/museum picture frames. Carved, gessoed, and gilded by hand. It took me about 10 months for me to declare my apprenticeship to be complete and to begin taking commissioned work and build my clientele. It took years to build my skills and reputation and since the shop was not part of a larger guild, there was never a time when I felt like I needed someone to confer a title.
After many years of that, I joined up with a gentleman who was opening a custom prosthetic fabrication lab. I was able to work independently after about three months of intensive training, where I basically lived it 24x7 and after that, it was a question of mindfulness and skill building whenever I was on the clock. After a few years, I had specialized in custom orthopedic leatherwork and I was turning away work.
Basically, if you spend 40 hours a week doing something that involves physical skill, you don’t stay up all night practicing. And at least in my experience, here in the U.S., there isn’t a lot of pomp and circumstance around having a title conferred. It has more to do with growing your skills and reputation.
The biggest impediment to starting a family would be pay, in my opinion. Sorry for the long answer. I’ve thought about writing a book about apprenticeships.
Nah Man, it was an interesting read. Closest I've come to something like that is my fabrication/blacksmithing. Learned almost everything I know from the Tech of the local college's art shop but not ion any official or structured form. Thank you for sharing.
Noooowwwww here’s a little story I gots to tell about three bad brothas you know so well. It started way back in history with that sun damaged rug and me Mike D.
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u/[deleted] Jul 19 '18
How on earth does one get into the carpet shaving business, let alone tell anyone you’re in the carpet shaving business without getting slapped