BNI Money Makers Chapter in Los Angeles

We had our Thursday weekly meeting of BNI Money Makers Chapter this morning from 8:00 to 9:30. The attendance was a record high.

I am the only rug specialist in the group. When I introduced myself, I talked about a 5' x 7' Persian rug which was sold in an auction in London two months ago for $9,500,000. This rug was made in Kerman in south Iran some 400 years ago. I added good Persian rugs are good investment.

We have 34 members in our chapter which is one of the largest chapters of BNI in the region. Everybody is a professional and I love this group. We receive business from the members or their referrals. It is also educational and fun to attend these meetings.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.RugIdea.com
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
310-770-9085

Persian Rug: Everlasting Garden

It is 7:45 am in Los Angeles and I am at work in my rug gallery in Los Angeles.

I had a lecture and video presentation last night at the California State University Northridge here in Los Angeles on Persian carpets. I enjoyed the program. Around 40 students and one of the faculty members showed up. I showed a 15-minute video of which I am the producer showing how Gabbeh rugs are made in Iran by the Qashqai tribe. The program started at 7:15 pm and ended around 8:45 pm.

Persian Carpet: Everlasting Garden

A Lecture and Video Presentation by

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe

California State University Northridge

Sponsored by the Iranian Students Association

Sierra Hall Room 203

05/07/2008

7:00 pm

History of Rug Making:

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

Rug Trade

Rug trade is around $2 billion per year. Iran holds nearly 30% of the market, India 21%, China 18%, and Pakistan 17%

In 2006, around $120 million Persian rug was imported to the US. Around $600,000,000 Persian carpet is exported annually from Iran. There are around 1,000,000 looms in Iran with about 2,000,000 weavers. Roughly 350,000 people work in the side jobs. Around 8,000,000 Square Meters, roughly 90,000,000 square feet of Persian carpet is produced annually in Iran.

Informative Rug Websites:

Spongobongo.com
PersianCarpetGuide.com
RugIdea.com
Oldcarpet.com
RugNews.com

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. Khosrow Sobhe is a Board Member of the Textile Museum Associates of Southern California in Los Angeles. Sobhe is a member of the Textile Group of Los Angeles, TGLA. He is an Industry Partner of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Khosrow Sobhe is the Editor in Chief of the "Iranian Hand Woven Rug" quarterly published in Tehran in Farsi and in English.

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

Rug Market in Los Angeles

Our rug market here in Los Angeles has moved a little bit since a couple of days ago. We have sold several area rugs and one 4 x 6 Persian Nain rug. It has not been great, but at least we saw some customers who came in and left happy with rugs.

People are not ready to buy expensive rugs yet, but what can we do at this difficult time. We should work harder and smarter.

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

Rug Blog Helping you Buy a Rug

Yesterday, three different customers walked in to our rug gallery in different times. They all had one thing in common. They did not know the size of rug they needed. Customers and rug buyers should do their homework in regards with measurement. I have a 2-page rug buying tips. here is what I have written in this Oriental, Persian, and area rug buying tips when it comes to selecting the right size:

Choosing the right size is very important. Make sure to measure your room correctly before referring to any rug store. Get the maximum and minimum sizes you may want to cover to have a better choice by considering several rugs of different size ranges. Try to get standard size rug compared with odd sizes. The usual standard sizes in foot are: 3 x 5, 5 x 8, 6 x 9, 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 10 x 14, and 12 x 15. The standard width for runners of any length is 2' 6", although there are other widths as well.

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

Rug Blogs Reveal My Business Secrets

This morning I thought to myself that I write everything about my business as regards with what I sell, how many pieces I sell, how many rugs and what I receive for cleaning and repair and many other details about my business. This can be read by my colleagues and competitors. Then I told myself, rug dealers are busy selling rugs and counting their money. They do not have time or they are not in a mood to read a rug blog. And if they read, what can they get out of my Oriental rug blog? So I should not wary myself and keep my mind busy about what they might think or do.

So let me write about my day. A customer, a lady bought two 5 x 8 area rugs, one runner, 2' 2" x 8 and one 4 x 6 area rug and paid with her credit card and left. She was student at Santa Monica College here in Los Angeles. Another man bought a 4 x 6 area rug, and while I was gone to my bank, one piece of 5 x 8 area rug was sold to another customer. I visited a rug dealer in Beverly Hills. He is a collector and dealer of fine Persian old, antique and fine rugs. In the morning, a dealer from a neighboring town brought an old Kashan rug for cleaning and repair. Several other customers also walked in separately but did not buy any rugs. Few of them said they would return in the near future. Before closing the store, I sold two pieces Persian hand knotted rugs, one a fine Gabbeh, and another one, a 2 x 3 Persian Varamin rug, both made with hand spun wool and natural dye to a couple who were looking for simple design rugs.

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