The Best Ways To Get Luxury Wool Rugs On A Massive Discount

Natural wool fiber is durable, comfortable, and sustainable. Wool rugs have flame-retardant qualities, absorb sound, and can actually regulate the temperature in a room, keeping it warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. They're prized for their timelessness — the oldest known wool rug dates back to 500 to300 BC — but they're more often loved for their contribution to the beauty of a room. Luxury rugs come with a hefty price tag, but with time, patience, and a little bit of luck, you can find the perfect rug at a massive discount. Look for the real thing at "going-out-of-business" sales, thrift stores, and neighborhood opportunities like yard sales or rummage sales at local churches and schools.

Knowing what you're looking for is essential when you're on the hunt for a real wool rug at a discount. You don't want to pay wool prices for a synthetic rug, so it's best to arm yourself with knowledge rather than depending entirely on the goodwill of the person selling the rug. The crimped structure of wool fibers sets it apart from silk or synthetics. Crimping refers to how wavy the individual strands of wool are; it provides bounce and helps the rug hold its shape. When you lay your hand on a wool rug, it should feel cushiony. A little bit of shedding is to be expected in a new rug, but older rugs shouldn't shed at all. Authentic wool rugs are heavy, and hand-knotted rugs should show a reverse image of the front when you turn them over.

High-end woolen rugs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, depending on where they're being sold. However, many wool rugs can come with a more moderate price tag, and one of the best places to get a deep discount on one is to wait for a "going-out-of-business" sale at a legitimate business. The owner of the business can tell you if you're buying an authentic wool rug, where they acquired it, and how old it is. There's no harm in asking for a better price, but if you don't get there on the first day of the sale, you might not have much of a selection to choose from.

Make sure you avoid the perpetual going-out-of-business rug sales and auctions that may be scams. Typically, a scammer will open a storefront for a couple of weeks or months, inflate the prices of their inexpensive rugs, and then sell them for what they claim are massive discounts. They don't allow returns, and may be on the move to their next location before you discover you've been had.

If you look for high-quality rugs at thrift stores, church sales, and yard sales, you need to know how to identify a real wool rug. You also have to be persistent with the seller to allow you to unroll the rug so you can inspect it for damage. At an estate sale, you want to head straight for the rugs when you arrive. Once you see one you like, pull the price sticker off to indicate that the rug is sold and take it to the person running the sale. Only after you've staked your claim to the rug should you go looking for other precious items that you might be able to snap up.