700 year Old Rug, QUESTIONS!

[Zee]

I know most of you ruggies don't like to comment on these....but still, I want to give it a try.


I am picking up a rug...customer wants to know what it is and what the value is.

Him and his wife purchased the rug 37 years ago in Hong Kong while stationed in Guam. They paid $7000.00 back then. (I think they overpaid)
What could be the value of one like this today? 8x12

It appears to be a pretty average Chinese 90line with plenty of tip fading. One thing for sure: it is thick and heavy.

Just kidding about 700 years... But hey- that made you look.

 

[Nate The Great]

Common here with them 90 line Chinese.... Idk the value though.... I've seen some other rug plants sheer the tips off to bring back the color of the rugs.... I have a sheering machine but don't have the guts to sheer one and charge for it.... I'll still practice on the crap rugs before committing to a customers rug... Also give the fringe a tug to see if it breaks... Looks a bit ratty to me, common from my experience...

Tumble duster is invaluable with those.... You can badger the sh!t out of it and it still won't come close to the efficiency and softening that tumbler would provide...

 

[The Great Oz]

Did they overpay? I'd say so, but they got 37 years of use out of it, so that's something.

With the eighties colors it's worth well under $500, and then only if they find another elderly person that loves the look.

The only way to get money out of this rug today is to shave it down and overdye it. Act fast before the fad goes away or everyone starts doing it and brings the prices down.

A "new" overdyed came in a few weeks ago just for a protectant application. It had been "shaved/worn" with a rotary floor sander. You could see a place where the sander got stuck and burned a round spot all the way to the back. Smaller holes had been created, then patched with the material that had been cut out, only using giant visible stitches. The whole rug was dyed a dark green.
The new owner paid $3,500 for it.

 

[Ron K]

Many of these rugs have "tip fading" from the start to "soften and ad a patina" too them. We see them fairly regularly. Nate is right with the tumble duster. With a pocket sewn to hide the fringe they are a little better looking. Some of the darker colored ones can bleed so know your process. The faded looking ones are pretty bullet proof IMO.

 

[Zee]

Plot twist.


I now own this rug.. He doesn't want it and insisted that I just take it. So I will have to find a way to get rid of it.
His wife is gone...he's not into the rug and I can tell, that he wasn't happy that the wife paid so much money back then.

 

[Zee]

I have washed many of these types of Chinese rugs and so far only one had a slight bleeding issue. Thanks for the reminder Ron.

We don't have a tumbler... Unfortunately we only have a Badger.

 

[Cleanworks]

Well go badger the rug and stop badgering us. Just kidding, might be a nice rug for your living room.

 

[Zee]

Not a chance that this rug goes in my house.

 

[Cleanworks]

Fussy, Fussy, Fussy. Did you charge the previous owner a disposal fee?