Buying carpets abroad can be a really fun experience.
And in fact, it should be as much for the experience and for the fun of seeing that carpet everyday at home that you should even contemplate this.
We've bought carpets in India and Pakistan.
We bought Tibetan rugs in the refugee camps in Nepal.
And we bought a kilim in Turkey after we decided we were not going to buy a carpet on that trip! There are many countries around the world that have been making hand-woven carpets for centuries and they are for sale everywhere.
It's easy to have a carpet buying experience, but beware.
These carpet dealers have perfected their performance...
and to call it anything else would be a mistake.
If you step into a carpet shop or show the slightest bit of interest like looking in the window, the show begins.
It begins slowly and subtly so as not to scare you off..
..
"Do you want to buy a carpet?" No, you're not looking for a carpet.
"I understand.
Let me teach you about the carpets.
" Well, why not? You like learning about the people, their crafts and their culture.
"This is not for sale, I am just going to show you the quality" Sounds OK...
no obligation, right? Watch out.
Now the salesman unrolls a carpet or two or three and shows you the patterns.
He flips them over to explain about the knots.
He shows you silk and wool carpets.
Then he leads you into another room...
stacked high with more carpets than you can imagine...
and he says, "Sit, sit.
Would you like tea?" If you do you're hooked...
at least for the magic carpet ride of the sales pitch.
And it will take all of your will power to walk out without a carpet! The sales person will call assistants in...
and they will unroll carpets of all sizes and colors and qualities with the pitchman extolling the virtues of each and trying to figure out what your tastes and budget are.
(And probably soon knowing more about you than YOU do!) Those assistants will roll those carpets out with a flourish..
..
then flip them in an intricate ballet so that you can see how they look from both angles...
with the grain of the carpet and against.
The differences between carpet styles and quality can be mind boggling.
Most actually will be hand made, but things get less obvious from there.
How many knots per inch? What kind of knots? Is the carpet silk or wool or cotton or some imitation? Unless you are an expert, you can easily be taken in.
All the caveats for buying anything abroad apply to buying carpets abroad.
Don't get caught up in your emotions of the moment.
Try to find a reputable dealer, not the taxi driver's cousin.
Do your research ahead of the trip if you plan on buying carpets abroad..
..
and remember your budget.
Carpets can reach astronomical prices quickly.
Bargain, bargain, bargain.
Walk away and return.
If you are serious, this may end up taking several days! If you do buy a carpet, hand carry it home if you can.
We have carried most of ours, but we had no problems with the one large one we did ship home.
Make sure you trust the dealer.
Do we have fine, fine carpets? No...
but we have had them for years..
..
We still love them.
We have very nice rugs and wonderful memories of buying carpets abroad.