NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2011 - When Stephen “Dusty” Roberts and Barry O’Connell
get together, talk invariably turns to rugs. So it was inevitable that Roberts,
a rug care industry personal coach, and O’Connell, a world-renowned oriental
rug expert, would draw upon their mutual passion and expertise to create the
Great NYC RugLover Tour - and, following the tour, to pass on the insight they
gained leading a group of rug enthusiasts through the city’s most stunning
collections of antique and high-end collectible rugs.
Held last weekend, the tour took participants to New York’s most prestigious
showrooms, including those of Hagop Manoyan and the Nazmiyal Collection, New
York’s leading Antique Oriental Rug store and were invited to a Christie’s
auction preview with leading Washington DC rug dealer Mark Keshishian and
America’s top rug scholar, Mr. Peter Saunders. The tour was concluded with a
tour at the city’s oldest rug cleaning company, Rug Renovating.
“The Great NYC RugLover Tour gave participants an unprecedented behind-the-scenes
look at the antique and high-end collectible rug industry,” O’Connell
explained. “Our group came away with specialized knowledge and advice from the
world’s rug experts.”
Among that knowledge: how to spot a high quality wool rug. Roberts and O’Connell
offered six tips to help rug buyers get what they pay for.
- All wool
is not created equal. “Scratch the rug’s surface,” Roberts advised. “If a
little wool comes off, that’s fine, but if a lot comes loose, move on.”
- Look at the back.
“If you can’t see the rug’s pattern on the back, it’s glued together and will
have odor issues in the future,” said Roberts. Only buy a rug if you can see
the pattern all the way through to the back.
- Beware of false
sales. A store regularly advertising going-out-of-business sales or discounts
of 50% or more is pulling a fast one, said O’Connell. Other rug sellers to
avoid: traveling auctions and online auction sites. “Play it safe and buy from
a rug dealer with a real storefront,” Roberts advised.
For a complete list of tips, click
here.
“Having seen some of the world’s most exquisite rugs, our Great NYC
RugLovers Tour participants now have an advantage when it comes to helping
their clients purchase rugs in the future,” said O’Connell. “They know what to
look for. The average consumer doesn’t have that advantage, but by remembering
these tips, anyone can make a smart rug purchase.”
