Where is the best place to get a second hand rug?
Auctions are a popular place to get a great deal............most of the time.
Depending on what you are looking to buy you can get the deal of the century or a big flop.
Here is Victoria, BC we have two Auction Houses, Lund's and Kilshaw's, who auction off area rugs. We get a lot of the rugs bought at the auction for cleaning and a lot of the time the buyer got a great deal for the size and type of rug purchased.
But what about the other kinds of area rug Auctions? The auctions held in hotels, warehouses, a van in the alley, the here today gone tomorrow kind?
Those are the auctions where you take your chances. That is where the shady sales person lays and waits to take your money. Most times with the fly by night auctions there are people planted in the audience to bid up the price.
They are friends or family of the host of the auction and they are purely there to make you spend more. Sounds bad and it is. Those kinds of auctions often have poor quality rugs, but offer them up as high end or antiques.
It is ALWAYS buyer beware in those kinds of auctions. It is always best to remember if it seems too good to be true it probably is.
Sometimes area rug stores will have or host an auction. That is a safe auction to go to as long as the rug store is reputable. Here is Victoria, BC Caspian Oriental Carpets would have the occasional rug auction. It is a great way to show off new rugs.
Another popular place to buy used area rugs is online. Whether it is through Craigslist, usedvictoria or any other area rug selling website ask to see the rug before committing to buying.
Try to see the rug in a well lit area to check for spots, stains, worn down areas.
Ask if you can get the rug evaluated before buying.
Bring the rug to Luv-A-Rug and we will tell you what kind of rug it is, give you an estimated value, and what the cleaning results will be and price of cleaning with no obligation.
Also ask if the rug has been around pets. Pet urine smells and stains are difficult to remove from a lot of area rugs.
It is better to know what you are getting into before buying because not all ads are honest and sometimes the seller doesn't know what kind of rug they have or the cleaning results.
Buying a second hand rug is a good way of saving money if you are careful.
You can reach us at 250-590-6210 or 800-886-2802 and at 445 Beta St, Victoria BC.
Thanks for reading, RugloverMary
