Slow Rug Market in Los Angeles & Iranian American Parents Association IAPA

It was relatively a quiet day yesterday. Although it was Saturday, I was at work from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. I went home and took my younger son Kash (Khashaiar) to dinner. My wife was going to an Azari concert with few other Azari speaking Iranian friends. My older son Ashkan was busy with his plans. Kash and I went to "Hamburger Haven" on Robertson and Sunset Blvd. After dinner, I suggested to go to a movie and Kash accepted. We went to "Couples Retreat". It was funny.

This morning, Sunday, I woke Kash up and offered him to go to a nearby Farmers' Market for breakfast. He accepted and we walked there and had breakfast together. It was a wonderful evening yesterday and a beautiful early morning together with Kash. He is a senior and 12th grader at Beverly Hills High School. Both my sons kash and Ashkan help me at my work when they have free time. This is how I became interested in rugs when I helped my father in his rug store.

It is 1:00 pm Sunday now and I am at work. I will be here until 2:00 pm and after that I will go to a meeting in Beverly Hilton Hotel held by Iranian American Parents Association, IAPA. This sold out event is called "One Life to Live". A 5 Step Certificated Program to bring Awareness & Understanding to Our Teenagers (ages 15 - 18) to Prevent:

Tragedies, Addiction, Feeling of Loneliness, Family Alienation,
Anger, Frustration, Lack of Direction

With One-of-a-Kind & Exciting Field Trips to:
LA County Jail & Police station
IN COLLABORATION WITH:
Sheriff Lee Baca
RADIO IRAN 670AM KIRN
Los Angeles Iranian-American Sheriff Advisory Council
Beverly Hills Police Department

I am on the board of IAPA. What does this have to do with me as a rug specialist? Well; Since my older son Ashkan started his elementary school 16 years ago, I joined his school's PTA and became it's president. This is how I got involved in this type of activity. We lived in Tehran then. After a few years, I became a member and also the president of my second son's PTA. I got more involved and became the vice president of the Central Council of Parents Teachers Associations in District 3 in Tehran supervising and overseeing more than 200 of these non-profit organizations. PTA has a history of over 80 years in Iran. In our PTA in Tehran in my sons' schools, we had four very active committees: Health, Education, Fund Raising, and Public Relations.

As an educator, parent and a citizen of the world, I think if we invest in our youth as our future leaders, we will have a better tomorrow with less violence and more love and understanding.

Here, I am posting three pictures. The first one on the top shows some of the IAPA board members. The second photo shows the IAPA board members in today's program at Beverly Hilton Hotel. Sheriff Lee Baca in standing in the middle. The third picture shows my two sons Kash and Ashkan in my rug gallery on La Cienega Blvd. You can click on each photo to enlarge.


Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Rug Calendar

Paul Shaper Productions is a company based in Los Angeles. They are in rug promotions and have a clean and extensive rug dealers' list for the whole country. I have worked with this company on many occasions to promote sales or exhibitions and it has paid off.

Paul is in the final stages of a 2010 rug calendar printing process and contacted me this morning. I am posting a couple of pictures from his beautiful calendar along with his web site information. Anybody who maybe interested in his extensive line of products to promote his/her rug business should contact Paul Shaper.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

No Sales Tax No Rugs

A husband and wife came into our rug store and looked for an rug few minutes ago. After looking at many rugs, they finally found the piece they both liked. They said they did not want to spend that much on a rug. I gave them a good price and accepted their offer for an 8 x 10 rug if they paid me cash. They did not have cash so they went to a nearby shopping center and got cash from an ATM Machine and came back. We packed the rug and they wanted to pay. But one problem came up. They did not want to pay sales tax which is 9.75% in Los Angeles where we are. I did not give them the rug. Sales Tax goes to the State and paying cash, check or credit card does not make a difference. They left without the rug and I do not regret that.

Some rug customers are spoiled and expect too much. Where ever they go, not only they pay sales tax, in some instances they pay tip as well. When it comes to rug, they bargain, they do not pay tip, and after all, they (some of them) do not want to pay tax. This is not going to happen here!!

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Spider Silk Tapestry, the First of Its Kind

Since we buy, sell, clean, repair and restore tapestries, this news caught my eyes.

An amazing and rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk thread produced by more than one million spiders in Madagascar, went on display on September 23, 2009 in the American Museum of natural History in New York.

The production involved 70 people who collected spiders during the rainy season, the only time when they produce silk. A dozen more people were needed to draw the silk from these giant spiders with hand-powered machines, with each spider producing about 80 feet of silk filament.

This intricately-patterned spider silk features stylized birds. The silk fiber was gathered from the female golden orb spider which is renowned for the lustrous golden hue of its silk fiber. The male spider does not produce silk. These spiders are found throughout the tropics and are known as golden orb weavers for their big, gold-colored webs. The webs can often be seen between telephone and electrical wires—and are sometimes large enough to span a one-lane road.

Almost all silk fabric is made from silkworm moth cocoons, but people have occasionally tried to make cloth from spider silk. One of the biggest challenges is the cannibalistic nature of spiders, which makes it very difficult to raise them in captivity, unlike silkworms. Spiders can be collected in the wild and then placed in a device to keep them still so the silk can be drawn. Afterward, the spiders are released back into the wild.

For more information, you can visit the museum's web site: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/spidersilk/?src=e_h. I got the pictures and the main news from this web site.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Ardabil & Coronation Carpets on Display Los Angeles County Museum of Art LACMA

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will put two extraordinary Safavid carpets on display from November 14, 2009 to January 18, 2010. The famous Ardabil carpet which is the oldest dated Persian carpet ever (1539) and the Coronation Carpet (1520-1530) will be exhibited. There will be an excellent speech delivered by Dr. Jon Thompson who will fly to Los Angeles from London to share his studies on these beautiful rugs on Dec. 5, 2009. The Ardabil Carpet measures 13' 5" x 23' 11" and the Coronation carpet measures 12' x 23'.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Beyonce Baby Dance Video on Rugs/Carpets

I happened to read about this video somewhere. Since rug and carpet was mentioned in the description, I became interested and curious. I watched it and liked it. Thanks to singlebabies.com. What do you think?

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Persian Fall Harvest (Mehregan) Party in Los Angeles

Iranian American Chamber of Commerce (AKA Coalition of Iranian Entrepreneurs) will have a Persian Fall Harvest (Mehregan) party in Los Angeles. It will be held in Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beverly Hills on Monday evening October, 5, 2009. I have the honor of being the president of this Chamber.

According to NIPOC. org, Originating in the ages of ancient Persia, Mehregan was the Persian Festival of Autumn that has been adopted and revived once again for festivity in recent times to celebrate the deep history and culture of the Persian ethnicity. This celebration is dedicated to the beliefs and principles that are as old as the Persian race itself, dating back to 6,000 years ago.

Mehregan, which is termed Mehrejan in Arabic and Mithrakana in Latin, was created to honor the Persian Goddess called Mehr. This goddess symbolizes Light, Love, Knowledge, Truth, Covenant, Commitment, Strength, and Peace. Her name, which is also referred to as Mithra, signifies kindness, love, and goodness in the Persian language.


Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Rug Repair Painting by Great Iranian Artist "Nami Petgar"

Famous Iranian painter Nami Petgar who passed away in 2008 in Iran had many paintings among which this "Rug Repair" painting was a good one and my favorite. He was born in 1945 in Tehran. I am including a photo of Master Petgar here.

I received a phone call from someone mentioning that this work was not done by master Nami Petgar and then Maedeh, one of the students of master Nami contacted me a couple of times. This is the new finding that this painting was originally done by master Jafar Petgar. It was later copied by many other painters and artists. This copy which is shown here is done by Dadashi. Thank you Maedeh for taking time to investigate and clarify this.


Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Remebering September 11 by my son Kashaiar (Kash) Sobhe

The One Day to Remember

The gray smoke filling up the sky
All you could do was to watch people die
It happened so fast, there was no time to cry
It happened so fast, there was no time to say bye
People jumping off of the towers hoping that there would be a chance
For them to be saved by magical hands
Their hopes vanished as they hit the ground
The towers collapsed, bodies nowhere to be found
September 11, the one day for all to remember
The most important day yet, until the terrorists surrender

Khashaiar Sobhe
12th Grader
Beverly Hills High School
www.KashLifeProductions.com

Rug Repair Los Angeles: Karastan Cosmetic Rug Repair

We received a Karastan area rug in terrible condition. It was torn apart with mold and mildew. The size was 9 x 12. We cut down the size and made a beautiful fresh looking rug out of it with the size of
8 x 8. How does it look now?



Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Los Angeles Rug Carpet Show: My Opinion

The first Los Angeles International carpet Show was held from Aug. 30 to September 1, 2009. I visited this show twice and met interesting people and fine rugs. The show was well organized. The merchandise and the rugs were high end art pieces. Although the market was tough and those days were very hot in Los Angeles and the volume of sale might not be at a desirable level, but those participants with whom I talked, seemed to be happy. The organizers are determined to have the show again next year.

I always like to participate in or at least visit the shows in which I have interest. I have attended and participated in many shows and exhibitions around the world in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Nigeria, Germany, Finland, India, ... to name a few. I have also been one of the organizers and the senior advisers of the Grand Persian Carpet Exhibition and Conference in Tehran which is entering its 18th exhibition life in late September 2009 in Tehran.

In this post, you can see few photos of LA rug show. The pictures are the courtesy of Paul Shaper production who had a table at the show.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Persian Rug Making Video

I found this short Persian rug making video interesting:



Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Expert
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Some of These Rug Customers!!!

We have a rug liquidation sale until September 14, 2009 with 50% 0ff on all rugs that we have in our store. One customer who finally bought a rug from us yesterday was insisting to get more discount! After I said that is impossible and by having 50% off we are losing money, she wanted to pay cash and get a 3% discount as we would not have to pay the fee to the merchant account provider and the credit card company. I also did not accept this. She paid cash and left. I was wondering why some customers are always asking for more discounts.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Rug Sale Los Angeles Rug Cleaners Los Angeles

It was Saturday and we were very busy yesterday. We started our work at 10:00 am by picking up few rugs from a clients house in Pacific Palisades in west Los Angeles for cleaning and restoration for the second time in two years. Then we picked up another big hand knotted Chinese rug from a customer's house in Beverly Hills for cleaning. Few rugs were dropped off at our rug gallery on La Cienega Blvd. for cleaning and repair by different customers.

We also sold a couple of area rugs. We have distributed 2500 postcards for a 50% rug liquidation sale we will have until September 14, 2009. This sale will include every rug, kilim and tapestry we have in our rug store.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Iranian American Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles IACCLA

We had a sold out picnic for the Iranian American Chamber of Commerce AKA Coalition of Iranian Entrepreneurs (CIE) in a park in Pacific Palisades area in Los Angeles. This event took place on Sunday Aug. 30, 2009. It started at 11:00 am and ended at 6:00 pm. We had Persian lunch at 2:00 pm and a kind of appetizer at 5:00 pm. Fruits, snacks, soft drinks and tea was also provided. the cost was $20 per person. We had 50 members and guests. Everybody liked the picnic and many members and guests wanted us to have more picnics planned for the future.

When I became the president of the Chamber in June 2009, it was my suggestion to have some fun events which could also serve as networking tools and outdoor events. The board of directors approved the idea and we implemented it.

Khosrow Sobhe
President
Iranian American Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles
310-770-9085

Sobhe Brothers Now and Then

In these pictures you can see me and my brothers. In the older photo, from left to right, it is Ali, Daryush, and I (Khosrow) Sobhe in 1961. In the second picture, we are again in the same order but a little older in 2007, almost 46 years later.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Iranian American Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles IACCLA

When I became the new president of Iranian American Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles two months ago I suggested to have an informal meeting by having a picnic in one of the neighboring parks. The idea was approved by the board of directors. We visited few parks and picked one up. Today, Sunday Aug. 30 is the picnic day. It will be held in Rustic canyon Park in Pacific Palisades area in Santa Monica City. It is sold out. We will start the picnic at 11:00 am and will continue until sunset.

Iranian American Chamber of Commerce AKA Coalition of Iranian Entrepreneurs was established in 1986 in Los Angeles to promote networking and business between Iranian individuals and companies. In its new organization and setting we are broadening the horizon by connecting with the American companies and organizations to be more active in this global village.

Going back to the picnic, it is sold out. Do not come to the picnic if you did not reserve your place with having paid for it.

Khosrow Sobhe
President
Iranian American Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles

Los Angeles Rug Carpet Show

It was relatively a slow day yesterday (Sat. 08/29/2009). We received 3 rugs from 3 different customers for cleaning and sold one area rug. A couple of friends showed up for a brief chat. We did some rug repairs.

I left work at 5:00 pm to visit the Los Angeles International Rug Show held in Los Angeles Convention Center. This rug show is being held in South Hall J. The show was very organized. I had registered online and picked up my badge from the registration booth. I met a few friends and some of the exhibitors. Paul Shaper of the Shaper Productions was there presenting his company with having a table there. I met Peter Woodaman of RugInsider magazine. I also had a chat with Kayvan Rahmanan of the French Accent who had a booth. They have participated from New York City. They produce and import very decorative rugs. There were few other rug producing and importing companies from out of town and out of state. people from rug producing countries could not participate in this show. This was to protect the exhibitors from unfair competition from the suppliers who do not have many kinds of costs and expenditure U.S. companies have.

Los Angeles is a big market and it will not remain a slow market. The situation will definitely change and Los Angeles rug market will deserve to have its own rug show.

Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Iranian American Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles

Coalition of Iranian Entrepreneurs (CIE) also known as Iranian American Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles promotes networking and business between Iranians and American entities. This non-political, non-profit organization has weekly meetings on Monday afternoons from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. I am the president of this chamber. To read more about it, you can visit it's web site:

http://ciesocal.com/

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

New York International Carpet Show NYICS

The fifth New York International Carpet Show, NYICS will be held from 09/20 to 09/22/2009 on the famous 5th Avenue in New York. I have visited this show. Dennis Dodds a well known rug scholar/collector is the organizer of this high-end carpet exhibition. If you look for ordinary rugs or low quality commercial carpets, this show is not for you; but if you're looking for innovative high end rug producers and exceptional quality, do not miss this unique event.

For more information about exhibiting or attending this unique high-end trade event, you can contact NYICS1@juno.com

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Los Angeles Rug Show

For the first time, the Los Angeles International Rug Show will be held for three days in Los Angeles from Aug. 30 to September 1, 2009. The participants are mostly producers and importers of new rugs from Los Angeles and a couple of other U.S cities.

To read more about this show, you may visit the show's web site.

Producers and exporters from rug producing countries cannot participate in the show. While many rug dealers are skeptical about the show, the organizer and the participants believe Southern California is a big market and deserves to have a rug show of its own.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Rug Cleaning, Rug Reapir, Pet Stain Removal Los Angeles

We just put up a new banner on the front window of our rug gallery here on La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles. We hope this can attract customers who need rug cleaning, repair and pet urine stain removal.


Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
310-770-9086

Pet Urine Stain Removal From Persian Rugs in Los Angeles

We received a very fine Persian Qum silk rug with many dog urine stains on it. We worked one week on this very finely woven Persian silk carpet and removed the dog urine stains.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
310-770-9086

Ardabil Carpet Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA

The famous Ardabil Carpet will be on display again. LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will exhibit the almost 500-year old Ardabil carpet from November 14, 2009 to January 18, 2010. Dr. Jon Thompson from U.K. will deliver a speech on the Ardabil carpets. Another piece of this rare pair magnificent Persian carpets is in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

The London Ardabil measures 34' 6" in length by 17' 6" in width, compared with a 23' 11" length and 13' 5" width for its Los Angeles pendant. It has long been assumed that the outer borders and part of the lower field were sacrificed in the late 1800's to accommodate repairs to the London carpet.

I will write more on these rugs and also on the LACMA Exhibition in the near future.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

Rug Repair Palm Springs, Southern California

A customer called me the day before yesterday from Palm Springs, 120 miles east of Los Angeles. He has an interior design firm and wanted to do a customs job for one of his clients. He had a sea-grass carpet, a kind of bamboo rug with the size of 13 x 18 feet. He wanted the rug to be cut and bounded to be 12 x 18 feet. His problem was this. He needed a very good and high quality job in one day so he could drop the rug off in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. He did not want to drive two hours form Palm Springs to bring the rug and come back another day to pick the rug up.

I said yes Mark. We can do the job in one day. He left Palm Springs at 7:00 am. Our showroom opens at 9:00 am. I went to work at 8:30 am in case if he gets there earlier. He showed up at 9:00. I said Mark, give me a call around 3:00 pm to make sure the carpet is ready and you can pick it up and head home before the freeways get busy with the traffic. We could not find the right color of fabric to match the carpet and the other sides binding, so what we did was using the same binding fabric from the one foot we cut to make the carpet narrower.

We finished the job at 2:45 pm. Mark did not call because his cell phone had a problem and he had not taken it with him. He came in at 2:55 pm and asked if the rug was ready. I said Mark, I am sorry; this was a very difficult job and we could not do it. Besides, we did not find the right fabric to match the color. I did not want him to get mad/sad. I told him in a few seconds that I was teasing him. The carpet was ready and I showed him a 1 x 18 feet we had cut from the length of the carpet. He was very happy to see the job done in a very professional and timely manner. He thanked me and left happy. Making people happy is a real joy. His e-mail is worth a million to me. I couldn't be any happier when I received this e-mail from him:

Dr. Kay,

Thank you so much for your guy's work. It's been a long time since I've received customer service like what I received from you. Thank your guys for me and I know I'll be in touch again soon as I hope to get more rugs.

Mark
A. Interiors

Thank you Mark for appreciating our job. We put other jobs aside to do his job and I am glad he liked it.

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

Iranian Carpet Exporters Association

Mr. Akbar Herischian the president of the Iranian Carpet Exporters' Association was in Los Angeles few days ago. He came to visit me. We spoke and exchanged some ideas on how to promote Persian carpets in the big but slow U.S. market.

Iranian Carpet Exporters' Association is based in Tehran and has around 600 active members. I have been on its board of directors for almost 18 years.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.rugidea.com
310-770-9085

The Ardabil Carpets

Ardabil Carpets: An Overview of Exceptional Works of Art

Possibly two of the largest, and oldest carpets in the world, Ardabil carpets are cherished pieces of art, history and elegance all wrapped up in one – better yet, two. With gorgeous design and intricate elements, Ardabil carpets have spawned numerous look-a-likes. According to various accounts, the Ardabil carpets came into existence in northwestern Iran in the 16th century. Former Iranian ruler, Shah Tahmasp wanted the carpets to be created for the shrine of his ancestor, Shaykh Safi in the town of Ardabil. Now, almost 500 years later, the fine details and awe-inspiring beauty of these carpets make them extraordinary treasures.

Impressive design
Measuring approximately 13' 5" x 23' 11" (Los Angeles) and 17' 6" x 34' 6" (London) and made up of silk foundation (warps and wefts) and wool pile, the Ardabil carpets are finely constructed with a variety of patterns and colors, such as red, blue and yellow. A gold medallion is at the center of the carpets, surrounded by smaller medallions located in the four corners of each rug. The medallion is very large, but not over powering. And although the sheer size of the carpets is mind boggling, it is the expertly weaved design running throughout each carpet that has everyone amazed. Since the carpets are so enormous, much care and attention to detail had to be involved when creating such masterpieces.

Distinctive details
Two lamps are expertly positioned above and below the center medallion. These lamp images give the appearance as if they were hanging from the medallion. And depending on where you stand, one of the lamps looks larger than the other. This rectangular-shaped carpet also contains an endless amount of additional scrollwork. This includes a variety of images of flowers or greenery, which also provide unmistakable appeal. These images dominate a large portion of the carpets and make up the deep blue background within the main area of each carpet.

Current location
Until the late 1800s, there were still two complete Ardabil carpets existing in the shrine of Shaykh Safi. Unfortunately, there was an earthquake and the carpets were damaged. As a result, one carpet was used to repair the other one, leaving one, full-scale Ardabil carpet and a smaller, border-less carpet. As of today, one carpet is currently housed at the V&A Museum in London. There, it lies flat in an enclosed glass case. The carpet is only lit periodically to prevent any color damage from lighting. The other carpet is located in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Ardabil carpets have been through a myriad of difficulties over the centuries. What began as simply a royal commission, these carpets have become some of the most renowned carpets of their kind. And regardless of a complex history, natural disasters and near destruction of these attention-grabbing masterpieces, Ardabil carpets are truly in a class by themselves.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
310-770-9085
www.rugidea.com

Persian Rugs in Career Day in New York

For a career day and to familiarize students with different professions,
I spoke before the kids in a public middle school in New York City about rugs and how they are made. If new generation knows more about rugs, they begin to appreciate art and culture and then they distance themselves from violence and crime.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
310-770-9085
www.rugidea.com

Cosmetic Persian Carpet Repair in Los Angeles

We received an Isfahan rug with silk foundation almost without fringes. We did a cosmetic fringe implant (!) and our customer was surprised to see her rug restored in beautiful condition.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
310-770-9085
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

Rug Color Bleeding and Stain Removal Los Angeles

We received a Persian Isfahan rug which was badly water damaged. The red color had run into the Ivory border. We did stain removal and our customer was very happy with the outcome and said she would comeback again.

Khosrow Sobhe
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
310-770-9085
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com