Collector’s Guide to Persian Carpets and Antique Rugs

As a finite commodity antique rugs have an intrinsic value which generally appreciates over time. While financial investment or value may not be a primary motivation for rug collecting, it does become an issue in various ways. Collector trends or demands can have a direct effect on the value of a rug. Rugs in high demand will have commensurately high prices, so following collector trends can be costly. It may be some time before one can recoup the price of the rug on a resale if it is bought at a high level. It is therefore preferable to buy independently, searching for quality rather than what is popular. Over the long term a good antique rug will hold its value or increase unless its price reflects hot market trend, so one should purchase accordingly. If one possesses what has become trendy and purchased it at a lower price, a period of peak demand is a good time to sell if one does not mind giving the piece up. Decisions regarding restoration also intersect with investment potential. In the main, quality restoration will increase the value of a rug, but its cost must be weighed against the realistic price that the rug can be expected to achieve. It is not worth putting two thousand dollars of repairs into a two thousand dollar rug, unless one is particularly fond of it and does not expect to sell it in the near future.