With just about everything you can image (and even some things you would be pushed to imagine!) can be found for sale online. A quality Persian rug does not come cheap. Indeed, they are often considered as an investment. While browsing online can certainly give you a good ‘idea’ of what is available and help you understand what differentiates one rug from another (and the price), there are many good reasons why you should actually shop in store for Persian rugs – Here’s three of the most important.
ONE – The Feel of Quality
Quality is something that it hard to assess by looking at a picture online. Of course, you can do the research and find out where the best quality rugs are produced, and simply “go with that”. However, because traditional Persian rugs are handmade each and every one is individual. Different tribes, towns and villages have their own designs and there are various knots and techniques which can be used to produce them. The combination of which creates different textures and finishes. The only real way to be 100% certain of the quality and finish of any original Persian rug (especially vintage rugs) is to actually touch it and inspect it first hand – One very good reason to actually shop in store and not simply order online.
TWO – Colour Concepts
Most people have three colours ‘cones’ which are blue, red and green (some people can also see orange). Our brain then combines these cones and for the most, can ‘see’ around one hundred shades which in turn can create around one million different tones and tints. The big point here is that not everyone sees colours the same. Most modern monitors are capable of visualising much more and some less. Combine this with the individuals own visual interpretation and things can get confused!
A lot also depends on the sophistication of the camera which took the picture, the light and also the processes it has been through before it appeared online – Like the models and famous people we see online. One word, Photoshop! To be sure the only sure way is to actually see the colours physically, and that means shopping in store.
THREE – Experienced Help
While shopping online can be convenient, there is a lot that can go wrong and when it does, it can be tricky getting things put right (involving a lot of emails and waiting). In addition, while there is invariably a description, there is nothing like an experienced specialist to help make your choice. For such an important investment people usually have plenty of questions they want answered first. Usually, online there is nobody to answer most of them immediately, which can be very frustrating! If you want the help of an experienced carpet specialist (which can be invaluable), the place to find them is in store, not online. Another good reason to ‘get out there’ and ensure you know exactly what you are buying.
