Fair Price of a Persian Rug

[Animeniax]

Can anyone tell me the fair price of a Persian rug? I'm talking silk on silk, 3'X5', made in Iran (by Persians, or possibly ordinary Iranians). I'm in the market for one, but I don't know if this local market is gouging me.

[Assertn]

What's with all these extremely specific threads in general discussion?
This should be in the "help me" thread.

[Animeniax]

It will get lost in the "help me" thread and it's too important for that. Plus how's that saying go, "if you don't have anything nice to say, then stfu."

[KrayZ33]

well if thats the case, then nobody will answer your question ^^

i m not sure but if its handknotted then it should be around 500$

but it always depends on the details of the rug

you should post a picture + the price it is supposed to cost..
really difficult to say

[Ryllharu]

It will get lost in the "help me" thread and it's too important for that.
Priceless.


From what I've seen, a 3x5 silk on silk should run anywhere from $450-$1000 (USD) depending on the country of origin.

[KitKat]

Some of the ladies in my knitting & needlework group make rugs, and even for a relatively small one, if it's silk you're looking at anywhere from $150-$300 in materials alone, and then probably 30-50 hours of labour, depending on how complex it is.

[Animeniax]

The ones I'm looking at are labeled for sale at $1200, but the attendant immediately drops to $650 when you ask him how much. If you wait a minute longer, he'll drop to $600. Given that I'm in the middle east and Iran (Persia) is right next door, I think it's authentic. There's a label on the back that says it is made by some factory in Iran. I'll try to get a picture and post it, if this thread isn't locked by then. Thanks for the feedback!

[rockmanj]

What's with all these extremely specific threads in general discussion?
This should be in the "help me" thread.


My thoughts exactly...this part of the forum is getting TOO general these days.

[Animeniax]

Wtf? How can something be "extremely specific" and "too general" at the same time? Go back to Korea, you hack.

[Kraco]

Some of the ladies in my knitting & needlework group make rugs, and even for a relatively small one, if it's silk you're looking at anywhere from $150-$300 in materials alone, and then probably 30-50 hours of labour, depending on how complex it is.

Considering the country of origin, I'd say the lower price for the materials is closer to the truth, and again considering the country of origin, the labour cost will be minimized. My parents bought an authentic rug from Turkey during our family trip years and year ago, so my experience is somewhat limited, but the price drop thing is certainly the reality in that area. Nobody buys anything at the inital tag price, and apparently you insult the merchant if you don't haggle...

All things considered KrayZ33's $500 for a handknotted probably would be a good goal especially if it's a detailed rug.

[Assertn]

Nobody buys anything at the inital tag price, and apparently you insult the merchant if you don't haggle...
Hmm...really? I understand how tipping a waiter in some countries can be insulting, but the offense in this one completely eludes me.

[Kraco]

Well, that's what we were told when we travelled there. I suppose (just my guess) it's a part of taking the merchant's trade seriously. I can understand such a point of view. If it was just a part of the every day life to haggle about anything to save money, then I suppose they would be satisfied if they could take as much money as possible out of a gullible foreigner (and I suppose many in the tourist business are), but otherwise maybe it's some sort of a social cultural thing.

In any case, unless you were buying a can of soda you were supposed to negotiate. It's actually pretty annoying over here when you go to a store of some big chain and the salesperson just tells you he's not authorized to alter the price in any direction. It kind of leaves something out of the whole situation.

[Animeniax]

I've been told the same thing about shopping in China as well as in the mid east. You're expected to haggle otherwise you're insulting the shop, or getting ripped off. I was on the Great Wall and I easily haggled a wall scroll from $30US down to about $5 before I walked off. I know they would have gone lower, but their desperation made me sad so I bailed. It's a weird custom, because like Kraco said, some larger chain stores won't haggle, so it's hit and miss whether you're supposed to haggle or not.

That's why I prefer the Japanese over all Asian cultures. They're offended by tipping, and feel you should do your best regardless of the opportunity to make more on the side. Too bad they lost WW2, else other countries would have fallen under their rule and influence and become the same beautiful way.

[Board of Command]

I've been told the same thing about shopping in China as well as in the mid east. You're expected to haggle otherwise you're insulting the shop, or getting ripped off.
I didn't know such a custom existed. I always thought people haggle they're allowed to do it (ie. save money), not because it's considered respectful to the shop owner.

[Animeniax]

The one time I visited China I signed up with a tour guide and she told me about haggling and that it was expected. I don't know if that means that you're supposed to, or if the shop owners are just used to it, or both. She also said it was good to tip everyone and their grandmother for any services rendered. I played along since the exchange rate was favorable and gave some nice tips, even when it wasn't really warranted. I'm kind of a sucker that way.

[Mizuchi]

Too bad they lost WW2

Yes it's quite a shame the genocide of the jews failed.

[Animeniax]

The Japanese could have won the Pacific and the Germans could still have lost in Europe and Africa. Then Japanese influence could have spread all over Southeast Asia and made it a better and more prosperous part of the world. People from useless countries like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, would have benefited from Japanese rule.

Back to the point, I'm going to try to haggle the shop guy down to $500 for the silk rug. The only thing is, he doesn't own the shop, so I don't know how much leeway he has to decrease the price.

[Kraco]

Yeah, but it's still a good thing to have a goal in your mind. That way, even if the final price ends up somewhere between 500 and the 600 you mentioned earlier, you can say you won a little bit, and if you get it all the way down to 500, you reached your goal fully.

[complich8]

People from useless countries like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, would have benefited from Japanese rule.
Three words: "Rape of Nanking"

The Japanese are the way they are now in large part because of the numerous consequences of being on the losing end of a world war. Just sayin'

[Animeniax]

Wow, good point. So if the Japanese had won WW2, they might not be the land of cuteness and politeness that we know and love them for today. Anime and cars and toilet technology may or may not be as far advanced as they are now. Makes me have to rethink things. Maybe if the Japanese became imperialists again, they could influence the rest of the region with cuteness and politeness and cool cars and anime. Look at the influence they already have on Korea and Singapore. They just need to formalize the arrangement with military conquest so they can get something in return, like land and natural resources.

[Board of Command]

Imperialist Japan was horrible back in the day. It's a wonderful thing they lost the war.

[Animeniax]

Crap, how did we get from the price of Persia rugs to how evil Imperialist Japan was in the 1940s? This calls for some serious moderation!

Anyway, I've been too busy to visit and haggle with the rug store. I'll probably wait until right before I fly home for vacation, so I can bring it as a gift. Would someone appreciate a gift of a rug that they can't even walk on? What do you do with a fine rug anyway? Hang it on the wall?

[Death13a]

Crap, how did we get from the price of Persia rugs to how evil Imperialist Japan was in the 1940s? This calls for some serious moderation!

My thoughts exactly and people call it "specific post"


What do you do with a fine rug anyway? Hang it on the wall?

You only put rug on the floor if it's $20 or less. Otherwise it goes on wall.

[Animeniax]

It's kind of a waste on the wall, because silk rugs feel so luxurious and rich, you want to run your hand over it all day. I've seen people use it as a desk top, but then you might end up with two arm sweat stains and maybe some coffee stain rings.

I wish I was rich enough where it didn't matter to me that I put a $1000 silk rug on the floor to wipe my dirty shoes with.

[Kraco]

I wish I was rich enough where it didn't matter to me that I put a $1000 silk rug on the floor to wipe my dirty shoes with.

If you have shoes on, does it really matter what you wiped them with? I mean, it's not like you would feel anything through shoes.

I think such a rug would be very nice to lie down on occasionally, or recline if you put it on the back of a chair.

[Animeniax]

If you have shoes on, does it really matter what you wiped them with? I mean, it's not like you would feel anything through shoes.

I think such a rug would be very nice to lie down on occasionally, or recline if you put it on the back of a chair.
Just knowing it's an expensive silk rug that I'm cleaning my shoes with is enough ;)

[KrayZ33]

its like wiping your ass with money isn't it?

<--- lol'd hard @
I wish I was rich enough where it didn't matter to me that I put a $1000 silk rug on the floor to wipe my dirty shoes with.

[Animeniax]

No, because money is rough on the skin, leading to hemorrhoids if you wipe your hole with it I'd figure. It should be more like wiping your butt with silk.

[Board of Command]

I wouldn't want to wipe my ass with silk. It's not absorbent and abrasive enough. It'll just smear the crap all over.

[Animeniax]

Not if you use one of those Japanese washlet toilets first. They cleanse your bunghole so it cuts down on toilet paper waste, which would really save on the cost of silk toilet paper, though in this scenario you are rich and don't care about that.

[Board of Command]

Rich people are the biggest penny pinchers.

[Buffalobiian]

Rich people are the biggest penny pinchers.

Well, they don't get there by being big spenders. Silk would be so smooth, I wounldn't be able to tell if it's silk or shit that's rubbing against my ass. But I really agree, it feels sad having a rug on a wall only for looks.