NewMexicanScorpio
NewMexicanScorpio t1_iuea72a wrote
Reply to Did I get a fair price for my Turkish Rug? by sbayz92
8 years in the oriental rug business here. I am pretty sure it's a hand woven kilim rug. You got a good price. Unlike a lot of places in the rug weaving world, Turkey and Iran get enough local and tourist business that they don't give the deep discounts like in Afghanistan or India. To take care of your rug so it does may for life:
- keep it out of direct sun as much as possible. Those dyes, if they are natural, will fade with the reds going first and leaving your rug looking yellow.
- keep a vacuum away from the tassels on the end if you like the decorative knots
- prevent wear as much as possible on the sidecords. That is where these flat rugs wear fastest and are the most difficult and expensive to repair Enjoy your handwoven rugs!
NewMexicanScorpio t1_iueeh2g wrote
Reply to comment by sbayz92 in Did I get a fair price for my Turkish Rug? by sbayz92
Those rugs on Etsy could be falsely labeled as hand woven, or are very used. Used rugs don't sell for nearly as much as new. Think about trying to sell a couch or bed mattress used. As for cleaning, my business recommends a thorough cleaning every 2 to 4 years depending on use. You can use a mild detergent and a hose to clean yourself, but that can have a ton of issues mine color bleed or warping. But they are tough enough to take a light power washer without damage. Do a dye test first. Put a wet paper towel on different areas of the rug and see if any color transfers to the towel. If the dyes bleed when wet, get it professionally done by a place accredited by ARCS. I can tell you from experience that those colored threads wrapped around the end tassels will bleed and leave you with red, blue, and green tassels and instead of white cotton. And it's really hard to reverse without damaging the cotton.