A Slow Friday In Los Angeles and Taking More Rug Photos

It was raining today in Los Angeles and this affected the traffic and those who might want to go shopping, specially those who may want to buy Oriental or area rugs. They can postpone their rug purchase until everything looks right!!

We followed our job from yesterday and took many more pictures of our rugs, several of them antique or semi-antique and old Persian rugs. Some of them were from Nahavand, Zanjan, Tafresh, Malayer, Borchalou, Bakhtiar, Kashan, Kerman and other Iranian cities. They are mostly village rugs.

In the evening a friend who is a rug importer and whole seller from San Francisco came to visit me. We talked about rugs, new and old, Persian as well as Oriental rugs and the market.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

A Nice Antique Farahan Rug

Last evening, a customer brought a Farahan small rug for cleaning and repair. For me seeing rugs like this is like a kid seeing a fun toy!

We took many photos, some from our new arrivals and some from our previous rugs. We are planning to post them on our website after we're done with the photo shooting. We just received a small shipment of Qum silk and Isfahan rugs. I prepared the price and description tag for each piece and attached them.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

American Society of Interior Designers ASID Los Angeles Chapter

We had a meeting at the American Society of Interior Designers, ASID Los Angeles Chapter yesterday for the Industry Partners who are the suppliers of goods and services to the designers. This is a monthly meeting in which roughly 30 members participate. The meetings take place in the Pacific Design Center, PDC on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. This is a huge building with hundreds of offices and showrooms which provide high end products to the design community. There are few Persian and Oriental rug dealers in this blue building which is also called the "Blue Whale"!

We talked about different plans and programs for December and the new year. At the end of the program which is usually between 12:00 to 1:00 pm, each member introduces him/her self and we all exchange our business cards. It is a good networking opportunity for all of us. ASID is a national organization with 38,000 members. The Los Angeles Chapter is one of the biggest and more active chapters with around 1,800 members. Few Oriental rug dealers are also members but they are not active in regards with participating in the programs or in the meetings. They are just silent members who do not want to get involved.

While I was in the meeting, my son sold two 5 x 8 rugs to a customer. In the afternoon, a customer came in and picked up his rug which was left with us for cleaning. At home, I watched CNN for a couple of hours and the debate between the Republican presidential candidates. It is interesting to see how the Internet and Youtube are playing big roles in the election.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Few Customers , But No Sales!

Today, few customers came in separately looking for cheap rugs. One of them put two 4x6 area rugs aside and said he might come back later. Working on the repair of a Persian Kerman rug took some time. Talking to a couple of customers on the phone, and arranging the delivery of few rugs for today evening and tomorrow morning was part of what I did today. Reading many e-mails, and responding to some of them and sending several e-mails was another job that I did today. The mail man brought few mails, but no bill was among them!

I had sent a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein regarding Persian Carpet Embargo couple of weeks ago. I received her response today mentioning that he shares the concern with me and agreeing that this embargo will only affect the weavers, many of whom are mothers who make rugs while their kids attend school. I had received a somehow similar reply from another Californian Senator, Barbara Boxer.

I left for home at 6:00 pm.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

A Quiet Sunday and a very good book

Yesterday was Sunday and a very quiet day. I sold a short Persian Hamedan runner to a customer. Another young lady also bought a small area rug. I stayed in my store up to 6:30 pm and did paper work. It never ends and the mail never stops coming in, most of it bills and junk mail.

I have started reading a book called: "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" a bestseller book sent to me by a relative from New York. I share a review of this wonderful book with you here:

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it! Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others are destined for a life of financial struggle? Is the difference found in their education, intelligence, skills, timing, work habits, contacts, luck, or their choice of jobs, businesses, or investments? The shocking answer is: None of the above! In his groundbreaking Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker states: "Give me five minutes, and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life!" Eker does this by identifying your "money and success blueprint." We all have a personal money blueprint ingrained in our subconscious minds, and it is this blueprint, more than anything, that will determine our financial lives. You can know everything about marketing, sales, negotiations, stocks, real estate, and the world of finance, but if your money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, you will never have a lot of money—and if somehow you do, you will most likely lose it! The good news is that now you can actually reset your money blueprint to create natural and automatic success. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is two books in one. Part I explains how your money blueprint works. Through Eker's rare combination of street smarts, humor, and heart, you will learn how your childhood influences have shaped your financial destiny. You will also learn how to identify your own money blueprint and "revise" it to not only create success but, more important, to keep and continually grow it. In Part II you will be introduced to seventeen "Wealth Files," which describe exactly how rich people think and act differently than most poor and middle-class people. Each Wealth File includes action steps for you to practice in the real world in order to dramatically increase your income and accumulate wealth. If you are not doing as well financially as you would like, you will have to change your money blueprint. Unfortunately your current money blueprint will tend to stay with you for the rest of your life, unless you identify and revise it, and that's exactly what you will do with the help of this extraordinary book. According to T. Harv Eker, it's simple. If you think like rich people think and do what rich people do, chances are you'll get rich too!

Here is the link for this book:

http://books.google.com/books?id=4AUbNnnOzSAC&printsec=frontcover#PPP1,M1

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

After Thanksgiving Sale Started strong!

Each year, the day after Thanksgiving which is the last Thursday in November is the record day for sales in the US. I was browsing the Internet and a news caught my eyes. It was about the amount of sales on Friday, Nov. 23, 2007. This after Thanksgiving sale day is called the "Black Friday". I want to share this news with my readers. It follows:

According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, compared with $9.5 billion on the same day a year ago. ShopperTrak had expected an increase of no more than 4 percent to 5 percent.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Thanksgiving, and Oriental Rugs

We had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. I already wrote about this in my previous post. As planned, I was at work yesterday, Friday at 9:00 am. A customer came in and picked up his cleaned Pakistani rug and paid by credit card. He gave me a $10 coupon he had from his last year's cleaning and I deducted it from his invoice. Another lady also came in and picked up her Kirman carpet which was left with us for cleaning and repair.

An out of state couple who had a Hamedan runner with us for cleaning came in and brought a 10x14 feet (12 M2) old Dark Blue Persian Kashan for cleaning. I reminded them that we have a 3-day after Thanksgiving sale with up to 30% off. They nominated two Nain rugs, an square one (almost 7x7 feet) and a ca. 1ox14 rug. The husband, a humorous guy, told me that they were not expecting to buy a rug, so they were not sure about the sizes, but he would give me a call tomorrow if they would want to buy these two rugs. A couple of other people came in and asked for some rugs, but they did not look serious. When people do not spend time in my store, they are most probably not serious customers.

A designer called me and then e-mailed me a photo of a Hosseinabad Hamedan runner she needs for her customer. She needs three pieces with different sizes. They should match one another. I should look for them and get back to her. She is in a rush to find these three runners and her budget as usual, is very limited! Is there a rug buyer in the world who needs a rug and is not in a hurry, and is ready to pay what you ask for without bargaining and without asking for something irregular?? Very rare!!

Paying few bills, cleaning the store, and arranging few repairs was what I did today with my helper and repairman. My two sons spent few hours with me at the store. My younger son said he would like to buy a case for his cell phone therefore he wanted to go shopping before his new cell phone is scratched. My wife and my younger son have one big thing in common and that is an innocent love for shopping for which they always find excuses and fake needs!!

I returned home around 7:00 pm with my younger son who had returned from shopping. Besides a cell phone case he had bought a sweater. It is getting cold in Los Angeles.

Khorow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

A Day Before Thanksgiving

Yesterday was a relatively busy day. Few customers brought their Persian or Oriental rugs for cleaning and repair. A friend who lives in a city close to Los Angeles brought in a couple of rugs for cleaning and picked up other rugs he had left for cleaning and repair. He is not in rug business directly, but sells rugs and provide its related services as a side job.

A couple came in just before we closed in the evening around 6:00 pm and bought a handmade Persian Kashan with dark blue background. The size was 10x14 feet. We also delivered two Bokhara rugs and a silk Chinese rug to a customer's home in Hollywood. The customer was so pleased with the quality of the cleaning and giving her rugs right on time before her Thanksgiving party. She said "Oh God; I am so happy with the cleaning of my rugs". This is what I love to hear from my customers. I believe providing the customers with high quality of service is more important than the price or the quality of the good you sell. Timing which is also a part of the service is very important.

We will have a 3-day after Thanksgiving rug sale with 30% off on almost all of our stocks starting from Friday Nov. 23rd to Sunday Nov. 25th. We will extend our working hours for these three days from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Like always, if we sell online, or by phone and any other means than walk ins, shipping will be free for the continental USA.

Today is November 22nd and is Thanksgiving day in America and it is a public holiday. All shops and stores are also closed today. I am at work because I had promised to a customer to deliver her Nepalese rug which was left with us for cleaning. Another customer had also appointment with me to come in to pick up her cleaned rug. My younger son told me last night : "Dad do not go to work tomorrow. All the shops are closed tomorrow and even the beggers will not work"!! I simply laughed and said my working hours will be short tomorrow, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Actually I get bored when I am at home during the day. On the other hand, if family members see you too much, they get bored with you too. You lose your freshness for them!! Strange idea? Not?

Today afternoon, me and my family are invited to go to a very dear friend's home to see them and be with them and few other friends to celebrate Thanksgiving and eat Turkey. I believe we should celebrate all occasions if we can, regardless of where they come from or who those celebrations belong to. It is always nice to celebrate and have fun with family and friends.

In a separate post, I will write how our Thanksgiving was. I was supposed to write about rugs, but ended up writing about food and feasts!!



Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Rug Cleaning in Early Morning

A customer called me at 7:55 am today and asked me if our store was open and I said yes, we're open and I asked if he had our address. He said yes you're on Olympic Blvd. I said no, we have moved to another place on 1655 South La Cienega Blvd. He came in a few minutes and brought a 6x9 feet rug. I said this rug looks familiar and we cleaned it last year. He said yes, but it is dirty again. He is supposed to come back on Sunday to pick up the rug. It was a hand made choubi Pakistani rug.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

A Very Slow Day and My Birthday

It was very slow yesterday. Few people came in separately, but they were only asking for cheap area rugs which I did not have. A couple of rug dealers also came in to sell area rugs. I contacted a few customers whose rugs are left with us for cleaning. Their rugs are ready so they can either come to pick them up or we can drop them off. We made the arrangements.

It was my birthday yesterday, so we went out to a Thai restaurant for lunch with Ali a very close friend of mine. We were class mates at the University of Southern California, USC between 1978 and 1982. In the evening, we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner with my family. After we returned home, we had cake and tea and I received few gifts from the family members including shirts, sweaters, cologne, a 4-gigabyte memory card and etc. It is always good to receive gifts. That is why I give gifts to those who walk into my store. It could be a little booklet we have: "Carpet Cleaning Tips For Dummies", a pen, key chain, money clip or something else.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

God Creating Women!

Can you imagine what would happen if God had not created women? All the businesses would go bankrupt!

Usually when a couple come to our store to buy a rug or give us a rug for cleaning and repair, we can tell that the man has come to our rug gallery under the pressure from his wife or girlfriend. As soon as the man can get away and postpone the purchase he would do so. It is interesting to see the fight and discussions which go on between the couples. The lady wants to buy something and the man says"Honey we do not know the size. Let us measure and comeback"! God saves women for us, the rug dealers! I posted this comment, because I witness these kind of conversations everyday.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

We Delivered Few Cleaned Rugs Today

We delivered few cleaned rugs today. I talked about this job on another post. The lady and her husband wanted to have only one rug cleaned and sell the other fine Persian silk rugs. I recommended that we clean other rugs as well and since they were beautiful high quality Persian rugs, they might be kept as an investment. They accepted my professional advice. We delivered their rugs this morning which was Sunday. Four of the rugs were individually packed, with moth balls inside the packing. Plastics of any kind are not good for packing so we used special heavy duty packing papers. The customer who was an MD (Doctor of medicine) and his wife, a very nice lady liked the service and this is what makes me feel good about my job and providing professional services. We also posted a rug storage tips on each package. I will also have them below for those who might be interested in learning from our experience.

When we got to our store, a young couple were waiting for us to give us a 5x8 feet are rug for cleaning. I suggested to change the selvage before they loose part of the knots which would be loose in a while. They accepted and left. They were in a hurry and needed to get the rug back in four days so they might use it for Thanksgiving which will be on this coming Thursday, Nov. 22nd. I told them they would receive the rug before that date, cleaned and repaired.

Rug Storage Tips

1- A basement is not a good place to store a Persian, Oriental or area rug, even if it is completely dry.
2-Using plastics of any kind are not recommended for wrapping. Special thick wrapping papers are much better.
3- Vacuum your rug on the face and on the back.
4-You can use moth balls or if you do not like the smell, use tobacco leaves inside the rug to keep the moth away.
5-Cover the rug with the paper and roll it. Then, use tape to keep the outside papers in place.
6- After roughly 10-12 weeks, change the paper with new and fresh ones.
7-Before changing the paper with new ones check the condition of the rug.
8-You may unroll your rug for a while and vacuum it before re-packing it.

ROLL YOUR RUG FOR STORAGE. DO NOT FOLD IT!

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com
310-770-9085

A Kerman Rug on E-Bay

A customer came in with an old Kerman rug which needed to be cleaned. When we said this would cost her $175, she said" I bought this rug on e-bay for $79 and paid $65 for shipping". She was surprised why she had to pay for cleaning more than what she had paid for the rug itself. I told her not everybody can find a deal like this on e-bay. She said that the rug was from Mashed based on what the sell had said. I said this rug is from Kerman and the seller probably did know where this rug came from; otherwise he would not have sold it for $79. The rug needed selvages on two sides plus it needed a repair as big as a palm of a hand. She was convinced that she should invest on this rug which was probably 60-70 years old in light brown. This is the color that many people like these days.

Last night, I attended a meeting set up in a magnificent house in Beverly Hills by the American Society of Interior designers, ASID, Los Angeles chapter. There was a lecture which was delivered by Darrel Schmidt, the former president of the chapter, followed by a question and answer section. The house belonged to a Persian lady who sells European antiques in her house. She had wonderful Tabriz and Bidjar rugs. The meeting was educational and I learned a lot. I am a member of this wonderful organization which has around 38,000 members in the United States, and 1,700 members in Los Angeles.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Delivering Cleaned Rugs and Selling One Qashqai Piece

Yesterday, I delivered an old Persian Heriz and a Kilim which was given to us by a customer from Hollywood area. The kilim was so dirty that we had to wash it few times, face and the back. The customer liked the service and was happy with the quality of the cleaning. I offered help th spread the rug pads she had also bought from us. She wanted me to help with moving the furniture and spreading the Heriz and the Kilim which we did. I got the check the left. For some samples of these items, please visit the link below:

http://www.rugidea.com/qashqai.html

Later during the day, a walk-in customer came into our rug gallery looking for a Zarnim (zarnim is a size around 100x150 cm, 3x5 feet) with traditional design. He did not find anything interesting until I showed him some of the Qashqai rugs we produce in Iran around the city of Shiraz with hand spun wool and vegetable dye. He selected a 3' 10 x 5' piece with gold background and a small dark blue medallion. He wanted to give this rug a one of his friends as a gift. He paid cash and left while he was offering me to join him and his friends for lunch. I thanked him and said that I would have to work.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Veteran's Day and Selling a Shiraz Rug

It was Veterans Day yesterday in the United States and was a public holiday. Shops and many private institutions were open. We were open too doing some paper work and paying few of the many bills I had waiting for me on my desk!

A customer came in and looked all over all rugs. She was looking foe a rug smaller than 6x9 feet in deep red and somehow geometrical. We finally found what she was looking for. A Shiraz rug, wool on wool (wool foundation). She liked it and bought it. This is the photos of this rug:

http://www.rugidea.com/images/1348.jpg

It was a very slow day.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

My Son's Birthday, Getting Tip From a Customer and More

Friday, November 9th, my older son Ashkan turned 21. We had a party in an Italian-Persian restaurant in Culver City in Los Angeles. Ashkan did not know that his friends from his university (California State University, Northridge, CSUN) would be there. He thought only his family and a couple of family friends would be there. He was surprised when he saw several of his friends from his fraternity Pi Kappa Phi a 100-year old student organization there. Out of 20 guest, 7 were Iranians, but 19 people ordered Persian food and they loved it.

Ashkan is a wise and hardworking young man who studies Information Technology and Computer Science. He is a web developer and makes professional web sites. He has designed and made our company's web site: www.RugIdea.com which ranks very high is Los Angeles if you look for Persian rug, Persian carpet, Oriental rug, or Oriental carpet.

In the morning, we (me and a helper) took two Pakistani rugs which were repaired by our repairman to a customer's house in Hollywood. We had to take the rugs which were so heavy to the house after taking at least 60 steps. The customer was so happy that he gave me $50 tip and I accepted that and thanked him. It is good when you provide a service and your customer appreciates it.

Saturday, November 10th was a busy day. I went to a customer's house in the morning to bring a 6x6 feet round carpet for cleaning. I left their house with 5 more rugs for cleaning and repair. They were convinced that their other rugs ( two beautiful Qum silk rugs, one very fine Isfahan rug with silk foundation, one very fine Nain 6 la with silk foundation, and a big fine Tabriz rug also with silk foundation) needed cleaning and minor repair. They said that they did not need their carpets and wanted to sell them. I would make good money if I bought their rugs. But I convinced them that they had very nice and beautiful Persian rugs. I knew that they did not need the money and they agreed with me that they did not need the money. I said then why should you sell these rugs which are a sound investment while you may use and enjoy them. The prices appreciate by the passage of the time as not very many weavers are willing to weave fine rugs these days. They (husband a wife both very gentle people) bought my professional advice. I suggested that we clean the rugs and do the needed repair and wrap them each separately in special heavy duty wrapping paper with the picture of each rug on the package along with the specifications and descriptions. They liked the idea and asked me to do so. A very customized service. This is what customers need and this is why they gave me 6 rugs for cleaning and repair instead of one. Customers appreciate your knowledge and frankness. Most of them are smart and can realize this. They wouldn't have had a multi-million dollar house on a hill, with a wonderful view of the city and the ocean, if they were not smart. Then it is not difficult for them to realize if you're giving them a professional recommendation which is to their benefit or not.

Mr. Akbar Herischian who is the president of the Iranian Carpet Exporters' Association in Tehran (with more than 6oo members) called me and later came to our rug gallery to visit me. He is in Los Angeles for a short visit. We talked and chatted about different matters, most of which about Persian rugs and the market here in the United States.

Max Moussavi, the manager of Art Resources, a well-known importer of Oriental rugs in New York and Los Angeles also came to visit me later in the afternoon when we were about to close at around 5:00 pm on Saturday. We mostly talked about the rug production and it's difficulties. Max stayed with us for one hour and then left.

My two sons helped me with my work at our rug gallery and for the late lunch, we ordered Domino's pizza. We had enough Persian food the night before when we had Ashkan's birthday party!

The Rug Market Is Getting a Little Better!

We are receiving more inquiries from our customers in regard with buying, cleaning and repair. It maybe because of the season and approaching holidays and the new year. We took several rugs to a customer who had a beautiful house on a hill surrounded by fog in North Beverly Hills. They are remodeling the house and will have a charity party. They did not have time to come to our store so we were supposed to take rugs to their house which we did. They did not like any of our rugs. They were traditional classic design Persian rugs. I said then you need maybe a non-Persian rug. The husband said no other rugs please. We only would like to have a Persian rug. They liked an Ivory Kashan runner which they kept. They said they would find a time to sneak out from their house which is full of workers of different types to come to our store to select the rug they want. We have several beautiful silk on silk Persian Qum rugs with very pastel colors which they should like if they want to pay the price.

Khodrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

How Did the Last Night Lecture Go?

It was pretty good. Fine food, chatting, and networking. Before starting the program (I explained about this in my previous post), there is usually one hour time for people to mingle and get to know new members and exchange business card. During this time, a member came to me and said Do you do rug appraisal? I said yes. Then she asked how much I would charge. I do not like this question to be asked at the beginning, because the potential customer should ask how I do the job, without being concerned at the first place how much I would charge. She has several fine silk Persian Tabriz rugs that she wants to insure and when it comes to paying a nominal fee for the appraisal at her house (!) she starts bargaining by saying "Can you charge me less because I am a member of the group!". So what?! This is discrediting my work. I will feel more comfortable if she wanted me to do this service for free and as a favor rather than asking for a discount without being concerned about how professionally I would do my job. I will probably do not accept her appraisal by saying I am too busy to come to your house. Bring the rugs to our rug gallery please so I can do the appraisal.

The lecture was well attended and I was told the guests liked it. We had several questions asked after the speech was delivered. People do not trust rug dealers as much as they should and they were so concerned about what they should do when they want to buy a rug. I said, if you do not know Oriental rugs, try to know your Oriental rug dealer. One lady asked how they can differentiate between the chemical dye and natural dye. My answer was that if the yarn is dye by a chemical stuff, you will see the consistency in the color as it may look perfect. If the yarn (wool) is dyed with natural stuff, you will see the inconsistency and deeper and lighter shades at the same time and some abrash and patina type of shades. Several other questions were asked and answered.

I will try to post few photos of the event on our website later: www.RugIdea.com

Khosrow Sobhe

Persian Rug: 2500 Years of History, Art and Culture

I have a lecture tonight in gathering in a restaurant in Beverly Hills. I post the handout that I am going to pass later this evening. It is a weekly gathering by the Iranian business people, men and women. We will have Persian food. Two speakers talk about business issues, each for five minutes and then, we have a keynote speaker which is going to be me tonight. I will comment on the event either tonight or tomorrow. It is fun, food, networking, and educational as well. The organization is called the Coalition of the Iranian Entrepreneurs.

SOBCO

International Ltd.

Direct Importer & Award Winning Producer of Persian Rug

1655 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 Tel. 310-770-9085 Fax 310-0860-0462

www.RugIdea.com info@RugIdea.com

American Society of Interior Designers, Industry Partner

Persian Rugs: 2500 Years of History, art and Culture

Speech by: Dr. Khosrow Sobhe

info@RugIdea.com

Coalition of the Iranian Entrepreneurs, Beverly Hills, CA

Nov. 6, 2007

History of Rug Making:

Rugs were made by nomads to cover the floor. Pazyryk the oldest carpet dates back to 2,500 years ago, kept in Hermitage Museum in San Petersburg, Russia. The Ardabil carpet made in 1539, a pair were woven during the rein of Shah Tahmasp Safavid dynasty. One is in Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The other one is in Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA.

Rug Trade at international level:

Around $2 billion per year. Iran 30%, India 21%, China 18%, Pakistan 17%

Where does Persian rug stand today in the world:

In 2006, around $120 million Persian rug was imported to the US. Around $600,000,000 Persian carpet export annually. 1,000,000 looms, 2,000,000 weavers. Around 300,000 in side jobs. Around 8,000,000 Square Meters produced annually

Big rug shows in the world and in the US:

Tehran, Iran Aug. 23-29 each year

Kish Island, Iran May each year

Domotex in Germany in Jan. each year in the city of Hannover.

Atlanta, GA, January and July each year. Oriental & area rug show

Las Vegas, Jan and July each year. Home furnishing and carpet show

High Point, NC March and Oct. Home furnishing and carpet show

Biggest Rugs in the world

A- 4,434 M2 Ordered by Soltan Qabus for a mosque in Oman $5.2 million

B- 6,000 M2 Ordered for a mosque in Abu Dhabi $8.5 million

Both rugs were made by Iran Carpet Co., established 80 years ago

Rug Storage Tips

Rug Buying & Selling Tips

Khosrow Sobhe is an award winning producer and importer of Persian rugs and the founder and CEO of SOBCO International Ltd. (www.RugIdea.com) Los Angeles. He is a Board member of the Iranian Carpet Exporters' Association, Tehran. He is the Editor in Chief of the "Iranian Hand Woven Rug" quarterly. Sobhe is a Board Member, Textile Museum Associates of Southern California, Los Angeles. Member, Textile Group of Los Angeles, and an Industry Partner to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

A Busy Day!

Today was a busy day. I went to a colleague's rug shop with our repairman to see an old big Persian Bidjar which needed some professional work. In the middle of our conversation with this rug dealer, I received a phone call from my store. A repeat customer who lives near San Jose, in north California, 250 miles away from Los Angeles had come to pick up two Bukhara rugs he had left with us for cleaning and repair. I do not know why every time I leave my shop, something extra ordinary happens or a serious customer comes in and then I have to rush back. I finished my talk with this friend and returned to our rug gallery. The customer who wanted to take back his two rugs was waiting for me to arrive while another gentleman with his wife were browsing my shop looking for a big tapestry. It is very bad when you have two groups of customers in your shop and you want to serve them properly and UPS man shows up to pick up few bales you have packed. This is what happened today. For many hours a day, no one shows up and now all of a sudden, everybody comes in at once.

The first customer picked up his rugs and paid for them. He was happy with the quality of the job. The UPS guy also picked up three bundles (bales) that were ready. Then, it was the time to take care of the couple who were looking for a big vertical tapestry. Some tapestries are horizontal meaning that the width is more than the length. Some tapestries are vertical, meaning that the length is more than the width. Tapestries are good to absorb noise and reflections of the sounds at houses which have tiles, stones and probably hardwood as floor covering. They are also decorative. These customers have a high ceiling house and needed at least a 80 by 80 inches (200x200 cm) tapestries. Out of about 40 tapestries that we had, none met their specifications. They gave me their phone number and address and asked me to inform them when I find a tapestry which meets their need. I asked for their e-mail address to be able to e-mail them the photo of the tapestries which I may find for them. The husband said they do not have e-mail, but are thinking of getting an e-mail one of these days. One hour after they left, I found a tapestry with one of my sources who e-mailed me the picture of the item which was somehow close to the size this customer was looking for. I called the husband and he said they would come to my store tomorrow, Tuesday to take a look at the photo. If they like it from the picture, I will have it ready for them by this coming Thursday.

We also received a shipment of area rugs today. A couple who bought an 8x11 feet area rug and a rug pad few days ago, wanted to have an area rug for the bedroom of their 11-month old boy. They wanted an alphabetical rug so their boy could start learning the alphabet. We received several other area rugs which I had ordered. I called this customer and let them know that we had the rug they wanted. They said that they would come to get the rug on the coming weekend.

I ended the day by paying a number of bills which never stop coming. Sometimes when I get home, I do not open my mailbox. I know a bunch of bills would be waiting for me. The later I see them, the better off I am!!

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Heriz Rug and a Persian Kilim

Yesterday, I went to this customer's house which was in Hollywood. She had many carpets for cleaning and repair. She only gave us two pieces for cleaning, a Persian old Heriz and a very dirty kilim. The Heriz was in a very bad condition and all four corners were severely damaged. She did not want repair. She said after we deliver these two pieces, she would give us her other rugs for cleaning. She has probably 7-8 more rugs which need cleaning and repair.

Rug Photo Shooting and Rug Repair

It was a quiet Sunday today. We took more photos of our Qashqai rugs in our showroom. These green rugs are made with hand spun wool and natural dye in Fars Province in Iran. The reason why we call them Green is that they do not have anything harmful to the environment, the weavers and the end users. We will redesign our website in the near future and we need fresh high resolution pictures of our rugs. Today, two of our repairmen worked on a 10x14 Pakistani rug (12 M2)which is damaged by moth. Hopefully they can finish it tonight.

I have an appointment with a customer who has several old and antique rugs for cleaning and repair. I love to meet customers and rugs myself. I should visit this customer between 4:00 and 5:00 pm to prepare an estimate before the customer can decide. If I get the job, I will bring the rugs to our showroom later this afternoon, and if not, I go home to be with the family and have dinner together. I will write on this probably tomorrow.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Textile Musem Associate of Southern California TMA/SC

Today, we had a board meeting for the Textile Museum Associates of Southern California. The vice president hosted the meeting in her house. I carpooled two of the board members who drove to my work and parked their car in our parking lot. It look us roughly 45 minutes to get there. We started at 10:00 am and finished by 1:00 pm. There were many items on the agenda which were all taken care of. There were ten of us present and a few were absent. Few outgoing and few incoming board members attended the meeting. The board meets each quarter, four times a year. It is an interesting group which has a monthly general meeting with one speaker who talks about textile or rug with slide shows or video clips. They are all fun, educational and informative. The speakers are invited from all over the world. I do not know why rug dealers in Los Angeles do not appreciate this group to attend their meetings. The membership is only $45/year. Maybe they know much more than I and others know and there is nothing left to be learned. If this is the case, they can then present lectures and teach others!

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

A Freind From Hamburg & Sarouk Rugs

Today, Mr. Mousa Karimzadeh, a friend of the 80's from Hamburg came to visit me in our rug gallery in Los Angeles. Mr. Karimzadeh lives in New York now. Many of our friends from Hamburg have moved to the United States and most of them live in New York. Mr. Karimzadeh had a rug warehouse in the free port of Hamburg (Freihafen) and was our neighbor for a few years. He still deals and works with Persian and Oriental rugs, but this time more as a hobby than a real business. He stayed for more than one hour with us and we talked and reviewed good old memories of the 80's when the rug market was so good and everybody was busy buying and selling.

I took photos of about 40 Sarouk rugs today from different angles to be edited and posted on our website: www.RugIdea.com. We received these rugs recently from Tehran. My helper and later my two sons helped me do this. We were all tired at the end of the day when we were going home. Our repairman is still busy with the Pakistani rug which is damaged by moth.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com

Area Rugs and a friend who passed away in New York City

Today, a gentleman came into our rug gallery with his wife looking for an area rug. The husband and the wife had different ideas about the rug they were going to buy . They argued several times before they could reach an agreement. When they found a red 10x7 feet (ca. 6 m2) area rug from Kashan, the husband said that he did not have his new credit card for which he would get some points and benefits. The wife asked her husband to go home and bring it and she wanted us to cover their rug with another rug so no one could see it. The husband did not bargain but the wife said "Please give us a better price and we will give you cash". I said regardless of the means of payment, whether it is cash, check or credit card, you would have to pay sales tax which is 8.25%. They asked our working hours and I said that we would be working until 6:00 pm. They left and said they might comeback today.

Right after they left, another couple came in looking for an 8x11 feet (240x340 cm) area rug in deep dark red (Burgundy). I showed them few rugs and they liked one of them. They had a very quiet 9 months old cute son. The man said that they had a limited budget and the wife mentioned that with Christmas approaching, they would have so many other expenses to take care of. The wife liked the carpet very much and I could not see them leave without having the area rug they liked. I accepted their offer. They paid part of the price in cash and the rest with a debit card. I gave them a couple of gifts, a heart shape key chain for the lady and a fine pen to the gentleman. They were happy and left with smile. They also need a rug for their son's room and they will come back later when the husband receives his new check.

The first customer called me to make sure that I would stay until he gets to our rug gallery. I assured him that I would. He came in around 5:30 pm and bought the rug they wanted with a rug pad (underlay). He asked me not to charge his new credit card for a few days, probably seven business days until this new card is activated. I agreed and trusted him so he took the rug and the rug pad home. I wrote down the credit card information.

My helper and I had to pack few bales to be sent to another state for another customer. We finished the packing around 6:00 pm. Our repairman said he would stay up to 8:00 pm to take care of a Pakistani rug we have for repair and weaving. This 10x14 rug (ca. 12 m2) is severely damaged by moth. It has taken few days of our time to repair it. We had to do the warping and wefting to be able to weave the damaged parts.

Today, I learned that a friend who was an importer of rugs passed away in New Jersey. Mr. Amin, from Iran was a fine gentleman who died a couple of days ago. I sent an e-mail and faxed a letter of condolences to his sons Mikel and David who run their rug import business in New Jersey. They are very well-known and correct rug dealers living in New York City.

I guess I wrote enough for today.

Khosrow Sobhe
www.RugIdea.com