So you're new to the rug scene. There are easy ways a seller knows how to read the buyer... Take a look at some of these insider tips so you know how to not come across as a green-horn.
There are a lot of things you can do as an Oriental Rug owner to prolong the life and look of your carpet. While you can spend hundreds of dollars having your rug professionally cleaned, one of the easiest (and least expensive) ways to increase longevity of your Oriental Rug and make it look better is to...
In the case of a heavily curved runner (a strong bow in the middle) for example, it is not unusual for less reputable sellers to not only omit a written description, but also attempt to hide such physical characteristic of a rug. The reason for doing so has a great deal to do with the intensity of the process to fix such a bowed shape: It is time consuming, expensive, and not always guarentteed. From the standpoint of the seller, it is better to sell a rug as-is for at a lower price point rather than opt for a procedure which may or may not work. Conversely, from the consumer's perspective, what good is a "boomerang runner" in your hallway? When two corners of the runner are kissing one wall, and the center of the rug is crawling up the opposite wall, there's no real utility.
Steve Boodakian of This Old House recently wrote an article on how to choose an Oriental Rug. There are some excellent points within this article which are worth mentioning, and several suggestions which may also be added.
Mr. Boodakian mentions it's a good idea to consider drawing a rough sketch of the room. While this certainly may be productive, it's not the best way to get a feel for the space. We recommend a better alternative should you have the time, is to take a look at some standard rug sizes, then apply them to the actual space under consideration. Take an old newspaper, spread it out, and masking tape it together into the size of your ideal rug, so you may actually gauge it's size on your floor, in proper proportion to the other fixtures in the room.
A buyers guide to hand tufted rugs. Interesting information and important points to consider prior to you purchase!