FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

A rug can have several values.
a. The price you paid for it. (Not what you told your partner you paid)
b. The cost of buying an identical replacement. (this is the insurance valuation)
c. What Fred at the pub told you it was worth. (worth consideration. Fred knows stuff)
d. What someone is willing to pay for it. (but first you have to find 'someone')
e. The lowest price at which you would part with it. (Try to be realistic)
f. The price you paid for it x 4. (this is what Mahomet the rug seller told you when you bought it in Bodrum last year)

You have most likely worked out that "e" is the correct answer. Please don't waste your time carting your rug from dealer to dealer asking "how much will give me". You'll just end up disappointed with offers you get.

I'm frequently asked by people where is the best place to sell rugs. My answer has to be... If I knew, then I would be knocking on that door myself as I have quite a few of my own to sell. Here are few thoughts options.

Almost any dealer will buy your rug if the price is attractive. (see 'e' above). Be ready to name your price but leave a margin for negotiation**. A dealer will have the expense of cleaning your rug and making repairs before it can be resold. After that he needs to add a margin and then VAT so try not to be offended if you are offered a low price. It's just a bid

This is a good solution but expensive. You can put a reserve on the price so you don't give it away. Make sure the Auction house can display your rug properly before the sale and include it in their catalogue. Don't forget the charges can be quite high, often 20% and then they add 20% VAT on to their charges ..That means if you sold your rug for £1000 you would only receive £760. Sometimes there are other charges to be added as well.

Lots of rugs are offered for sale on Ebay. You would need to take lots of high quality images to stand any chance of getting a decent price. You should also include a verbose description of provenance to make clear that they are not ordinary rugs. You can set a minimum price so you don't have to give them away. It might be a good place to start to because it puts them in front of people actually searching for a rug.

Such a hassle really. It's costly with no guarantee of a response. Dodgy callers and so on. What about the notice board at the golf club.

**Negotiation
I was told by a venerable old Turkish bazaari that bartering in the market should be regarded as a dance rather than a battle. An event to be enjoyed by both seller and buyer. A satisfactory conclusion leaving both parties contented.