Originally Posted by
drcollie
I think its handmade, if you look very closely you will see the repeating patterns in the design vary slightly, and that's the key to handmade vs machine-made. When done via machine, the patterns are perfect. The knots look hand-tied to me, and it appears to be on Wool warp and weft - I can't be sure from just a few photos.
Pay no attention to what they tell you was the new price - that's irrelevant. Age is irrelevant as well if less than 100 years old. No rug dealer of note should be selling you a dirty rug. Ask them to wash it before you get there. Probably came out of an estate sale and they paid very little for it if its dirty. Don't listen to the sales pitch! Compute the size and pay by square footage. For example:
8' x 10' is 80 s.f.
You can buy a very nice Turkish handmade rug for $ 100 a s/f = $ 8,000 (new) retail. The same rug made in China will be $ 50 a s/f or $ 4,000 and you have to have a keen eye to tell the difference. If that rug came out of a house and is dirty, then I'd be at $ 30 s/f or so, less if it needs repairs. If its clean and no repairs, its probably new.
Push them on country of origin and insist they put it on the bill of sale, if they hesitate or don't want to, its Chinese. Tell them you will have it appraised, that weeds out the cheaters a little - spooks them into being honest because they know if they put it on the receipt that they have to stand behind it. Pay with a credit card so you have chargeback rights if you think its a fraud after you buy it. And get it appraised by another run dealer if you buy it.