Travel Advice -   Fine carpets for sale

In countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, hand woven carpets are for sale everywhere. We provide some guidance that will help you avoid hassles if you do or don’t want to acquire one of these gems.

Remember that any display of interest (either feigned or real) in the quality of a carpet or beauty of a weave will lead to an extended sales pitch.

• Your interest will be taken as an indication of your desire to buy and the dealers will think it is simply a matter of finding the right rug or, perhaps, price that will seal the deal.
• If you are not interested in buying, respond to any comment on the beauty, price, condition or any detail of the carpet in question by indicating that you are not buying a carpet.
• You need to be  disciplined and blunt about your intentions, as any expression of interest will lead the seller to try to hound you into submission.

If you are not interested in buying a carpet, save yourself a world of discomfort and do not participate in the carpet showroom experience that is included in many tours. Also, be aware that, in many cases, your tour guide benefits from the sale in the form of a spiff or reward based on the economics of the rug that you purchase.

If you are interested in purchasing a carpet, you should be aware that in “better’ establishments you will be: taken to a private showroom out of the way of the general traffic of the store, invited to have apple tea while a coordinated sales team does their best to sell you and surround you with gorgeous and sumptuous rugs.

If you think that you will be interested in purchasing a rug during a planned trip

• Do the research on what makes a quality rug and what these rugs cost before you leave home.
• Visit your local outlet for Oriental rugs and determine what prices are fair for various sizes and weaves.
• When you are traveling, the wide variety of types of weaves, designs, and countries of manufacture make deciding which carpet to buy and whether it is a bargain very difficult if you have not been diligent during pre-trip, research.

Make no mistake you will be enticed to buy a carpet even if you decided before you left home that you were not going to be buying one this trip. In the better shops, you will be exposed to a greater variety of quality carpets than you have ever seen (or imagined possible). Without a doubt, you will see a rug that you cannot do without and so, we caution you again not to step inside unless you really are in the market for a carpet.

Most carpets can be bundled for hand carrying or shipped to you, at your discretion.

• We  advise against shipping unless you are buying from a reputable dealer.
• Many cruise lines have shore tours that visit fine rug sellers and participate in a satisfaction guaranteed program (good for delivery and returns).
•  In every case, examine what you are buying closely, as returns are difficult in the best of circumstances.

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