FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Please choose a category below to view the questions.
I want to sell my rug
Q: What is my rug worth?
A: 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 on selling your rug.
Your 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.
There are a number of options for selling your rug. Here are a few ideas.
You can sell your rug to a dealer.
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**. Don’t forget 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. Try not to be offended if you are offered a low price. It's just a bid
You could send it to auction.
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. Many rugs are offered for sale on Ebay. You would need to take high quality images to stand any chance of getting a decent price. It might be a good place to start because you are putting your rug in front of people that are searching for a rug.
You could advertise your Oriental rug privately.
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.
You can ask a dealer to sell your rug for you.
A dealer my be willing to sell the rug on your behalf for a commission.
**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.
So what's your rug really worth?
Your 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.
Where to sell your Oriental rug
There are a number of options for selling your rug. Here are a few ideas.
You can sell your rug to a dealer.
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**. Don’t forget 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. Try not to be offended if you are offered a low price. It's just a bid
You could send it to auction.
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. Many rugs are offered for sale on Ebay. You would need to take high quality images to stand any chance of getting a decent price. It might be a good place to start because you are putting your rug in front of people that are searching for a rug.
You could advertise your Oriental rug privately.
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.
You can ask a dealer to sell your rug for you.
A dealer my be willing to sell the rug on your behalf for a commission.
**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.
Q: Should I sell my oriental rug on Ebay
A: 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.
Q: Would you buy my rug?
A: We are always interested to take a look at rugs you want to sell. Send us photos that include the front, back and the fringe. Make sure they are in focus. (alot are not). Most important, tell us the price you are looking for? We'll let you know if we are interested
Olney Oriental Carpets, 21 High Street South, Olney, Bucks, MK46 4AA UK - 01234 712502