Persian Rug Value
Valuing a Persian rug is a complex process and for some rugs even experts have a difficult time getting the right price. There are several variables you need to consider when you are valuing a vintage or antique Persian rug:
Quality of the piece (dyes, materials, knot count)
Age (How old is the piece?)
Current Market Values (what are other rugs in the same category selling for)
Condition (are there holes, moth damage, environmental damage)
Quality of the Persian Rug
Quality of the piece describes how it was made. What were the materials used and how is the quality of those materials. Was it woven with silk, wool, camel hair, etc. Also, how are the dyes? Were cheap synthetic dyes used, or did the dyer employ vegetable dyes? Quality also includes knot count, the more intricate pieces will have higher knot counts. This last variable is a tricky one, because as we have talked about before some Persian rugs will have low knot counts while they are still very valuable.
Age of a Rug
Age is also an important factor. Typically the older the rug is the more valuable it will be. A 100 year old Persian rug value will likely be higher than a 10 year old piece. This is tricky because the other factors are still very important in determining the value of your piece, a 100 year old rug is unlikely to be in mint condition so you need to consider if there is any damage and how that damage affects the value of the carpet.
Current Persian Rug Trends
Current market values. This is an important factor to consider when valuing your rug. What are other rugs in the same categories selling for? For example, if you have identified your rug already with our how to identify an Oriental rug guide and discovered you have a 2x4 Persian Hamedan, you can hop online and see what other 2x4 Hamedans of the same age are selling for on eBay for example. The market is always changing but it is a slow process, for example 20 years ago rugs were very expensive, things slowed down for a while and recently they have started picking up again.
Persian Rug Condition
Lastly you want to look at the condition of your rug. Does it have any damage? Holes, moth damage, dry rot, fraying fringe or edges? If you have determined you have a valuable piece but it has some damage it may be worth it to have that damage repaired.
If you are having a difficult time valuing your rug there are several great resources available including a rug forum, looking into an appraisal from a reputable company, or sending us an email with some photos and a brief description. We won't be able to give you an official appraisal without seeing the rug in person but we are happy to take a look and point you in the right direction.