My Go-to Source for Vintage Rugs

I get more questions about my rugs than anything else.

My style formula almost always consists of a neutral palette with a bright, patterned rug.  I love the punch of color that a bright rug can bring, but even better than that, I love the age and history that a vintage rug can bring to a room.

The problem is that these rugs can be hard, expensive, or both to come by.

When we first bought this cottage two years ago, I set out to find some statement vintage rugs.  I had dreamed of them in the first house, but being newlyweds and needing to furnish a whole house left no budget for rugs.  When we moved, I didn’t have much to spend on them, but I hoped I could find some reasonable ones.

I looked everywhere I could think of and stumbled upon the kitchen kilim runner on eBay.  I watched it and waited to bid at the last minute, assuming it would end up way too high for me.  I’d watched some in the past that went for $800, $1,000, or more and I wasn’t in the market for that.

But, with less than a minute left, I ended up winning the rug for $200!  For a vintage 3×10′ kilim runner, that’s a steal that I could afford.

It made our kitchen re-model.

Ever since, I constantly watch rugs on eBay.  I’ve watched Craigslist, Etsy, and plenty of other sources, but so far, all of my luck has come from eBay.

Some still go for pretty high, but there are always steals.

Like this vintage overdyed Persian that I won for $100.  It’s fairly small at 3×6, but it brings so much personality to a room.

 So, when starting on some current and upcoming projects, I knew the first piece I had to find was the rug.  Ofcourse, I turned straight to eBay.

I’m finishing up our guest bath redo with Home Depot currently.  I can’t wait to reveal it, but it’s on Home Depot’s editorial timeline. I’ll share it here as soon as I can.

Remember the inspiration and befores?

Before the paint color was even chosen, I found the rug. 

I wanted a small vintage Persian with a lot of color to liven up the space.

It was my most expensive (for the rug size) at $80, but it was so worth it when I put it in the half-finished space.

I love how this bathroom is coming together so much and it has almost everything to do with this little beauty.  They make a room, I tell you!

So, I mentioned a BIG SECRET PROJECT last week, right?  I promised a sneak peek and while it doesn’t give much at all away, it’s my favorite rug purchase so far.

This is an overdyed Persian runner from eBay.  It’s 4×9′ and I’m in love with the colors and pattern.

I love the peaches and reds that came out with the dye.

I fell in love with this rug for the project and was watching it.  I’ve only ever bid on rugs, but this one only offered the “Buy it Now or Best Offer” option.

It was listed at $135.00 with $65 shipping charge from Turkey.  That’s not bad at all for one this price, but I need a lot for this upcoming project and thought they might take a better offer.

I offered $100 plus shipping charge and he took it immediately!  Make an offer when you’re searching for sure!

I had to share this one for good measure.  I have a picture of Gracie laying on every rug I’ve ever brought home.  The minute we roll it out, she collapses onto it and lounges awhile.  It’s like she’s saying, “Okay, I’ll accept this in my home.”

So all of you vintage rug lovers out there, head on over to eBay and get to searching!

Here are my tips for finding reasonably priced vintage rugs based on my searching and buying experience:

I always try the different keywords above.  

1.) Always, ALWAYS filter by lowest price if you’re looking for a deal.  Sometimes you will have a little bit to filter through in the beginning, but that’s how you find the gems.  I’ve found that if you do Best Match, you’re most likely going to immediately see the exact look you’re going for, but you will have to go through a ton that are way more than you’re willing to pay.  If you filter by lowest price, scroll down scanning the images and when you come to one that you love the look of, you might be able to actually buy it.  Once you scroll past a price you’re comfortable with, look again later.

2.) I know this is a common tip for any shopping on eBay, but some people don’t know to do this.  Do not under any circumstances bid earlier than the last minute of the auction.  You’re just jacking the price up and people are waiting to outbid you at the end.  Bid as close to the end of the auction as possible with your max-bid set to whatever you’re comfortable with.  Bidding when you don’t have time to re-bid also keeps you from over spending.  If you bid early and someone outbids your max bid, it’s really tempting to increase your bid if you really love the item.

3.) When there is a “Best Offer” option, make an offer!  Don’t wait to just “Buy it Now.” Wait until one day out.  If you make an offer too early, they likely won’t accept lower offers in the hope that someone will buy it for more later.  But if you wait until right at the end, you’re not giving the seller time to consider and respond.  One day from end of auction is that perfect sweet spot.

4.) After doing some keyword searching, you’ll most likely notice that some of your favorites are from the same seller.  Once you find a seller that you like their items, go in periodically and view that sellers items.  Refine the search by “Newly Listed,” instead of Lowest price here so that you can see what’s been listed since you last checked.  

Happy vintage rug buying!  I’ve found all of my beauties through these tips and I hope it brings you rug-lovers success.

BIG SECRET PROJECT UPDATE:

I will officially be able to announce what the project is next week.  I hate to be a tease, but this one is too good not to have a little build-up.  I promise when I say it’s “Big,” that is not an over-exaggeration.  It will not disappoint! 

No one ventured a guess after the last post.  I know I’ve given you little (to nothing) to go on, but any guesses out there?  I’d love to know if I’ve done a good job of keeping this a secret or if I’ve subconsciously dropped some hints out there…we’ve known this one was coming for awhile, though the details were shady.

Shoot me an e-mail or comment if you’ve got one (and the few bloggers out there who know the secret, don’t share just yet) 🙂