Check Points on How to Buy Oriental Rugs

Col. Charles W. Jacobsen was virtually the doyen among retail dealers of oriental rugs in America, and makes it unmistakably clear in this book that: 1) Oriental rugs, in the long run, provide the most economical kind of carpeting available. 2) Oriental rugs should not be considered primarily as an investment hedge against inflation. 3) The care necessary to protect and preserve orientals is extremely simple. 4) Never before has the merchandising and advertising of oriental rugs by many large stores reached such a low unethical level. And 5) One should never purchase an oriental rug at an auction held by an itinerant dealer, and one should be extremely cautious regarding rugs offered at so-called used rug sales. This book is intended primarily for buyers of oriental rugs, not only people about to make a first purchase, but also seasoned collectors and purchasing agents for large stores. It will, in addition, enable anyone to evaluate rugs already owned. By their very nature, practically all oriental rugs have irregularities, some of which actually enhance their beauty and add to their value. Other irregularities, not always readily discernible to the uninitiated, amount to serious defects. This book explains in detail all the pitfalls, the unethical practices, the exaggerations, the camouflaged defects, and the overpricing one finds in the oriental rug market today. This book also reveals the changes that have taken place during the past decade, and anticipates a growing scarcity of good quality rugs, along with the spiraling prices due to diminishing labor supply willing to hand-tie the four million or so knots that go into a superlative 8 X 5 rug. Illustrated with color and black and white photos.