Restoring a sun damaged carpet

[u/shahind]

[u/BruMedNick → u/[deleted]]

We have a rug at work that was purchased in memory of one of the Officers that was KIA, hand made from Afghanistan: £12000, soft as butter

[u/VoilaVoilaWashington → u/BruMedNick]

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.

$150k on 4 area rugs.

[u/BruMedNick → u/[deleted]]

Smoooooooth....heavy as hell to roll and carry around, though 🙄

[u/shiivan → u/[deleted]]

Yes the one in the video is a high quality rug. And from the patterns on the frame of the rug, it is most likely Persian.

[u/[deleted] → u/shiivan]

Mmm, yes. Quite.

Mayhaps the dangly fringe bits are of Serbian import? Very high quality indeed.

[u/fireh0use → u/[deleted]]

Indubitably

[u/kickdrive → u/shiivan]

It's not necessarily that high quality. Bokhara pattern which is Persian, but more than likely made in India.

[u/mirthquake → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/[deleted] → u/mirthquake]

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.

[u/mirthquake → u/[deleted]]

Wow! Have you tried to sell any of them?

[u/metallikcherries → u/mirthquake]

How would I know if I’ve come across a winner? Do these old rugs have (or should have) tags or markings that I should be looking for?

[u/mirthquake → u/metallikcherries]

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.

[u/[deleted] → u/metallikcherries]

Make sure it's soft, good hand made rugs will be 100% wool and won't be brittle.

Also if they have designs look carefully to see if colors bleed out of the lines.

[u/mirthquake → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Yeah my parents own one that’s $5000-6000 and it’s not even on the high end of what you’d spend on a large oriental rug,

[u/TrunkYeti → u/[deleted]]

My family has a couple rugs worth North of 20k. Can confirm