How to Sell an Antique American Hook Rug

Eyebrows raised a bit in January 2009 when a 30-by-39-inch antique American hooked rug from the 20th century that was estimated at $5,000 to $7,000 sold at Sotheby's auction house in New York City for a startling $25,000. Prices like that are unheard of in the towns and cities across America where hooked rugs are as ubiquitous as brown horses. But this hooked rug was a horse of a different color--or rather a chicken. It had a design of a charming, sepia-spotted chicken delivering a basket of eggs to an old homestead with an American flag and the words: "HASTE YE BACK" and the initials "SLS." Not all rugs will be so evocative in subject matter or sell for such an amount, but if you have an antique American hooked rug you think has value, it is well worth your efforts to find an auction house and see what its potential is--because the best place to sell an antique American hooked rug is at auction.

Digital camera
Price guide
Tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Write down all of the details you have related to the rug--the dimensions, the date it was made, who made it, where you got it from, what it cost you and the condition.
- 2
  Take a photographs of the rug. Handle it carefully while you are doing this. You do not want to damage it. Lay it down on a soft surface, such as a bed next to window with good light. Take photographs of the entire rug, as well as a shot of the back and closeups of anything that is particularly interesting, such as initials or a date.
- 3
  Research your rug on the auction site eBay to see if you can find similar rugs to compare to yours. If you feel your rug has special qualities you do not see in these comparisons then contact a specialist at a museum such as the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont (see Resources). If he advises you that it is a valuable rug, then contact a representative in the Folk Art or Antique Rug department at one of the two major auction houses in New York such as Sotheby's or Christie's.
- 4
  Find the contact person in the Folk Art or Rug department of an auction house. Send her an email stating you have an antique hooked rug you are interested in selling. Briefly describe it and ask if she would like to see photographs of it. The benefit of contacting a high-end auction house is that it will be able to compare your rug to rugs that have sold at its establishment. Even if it is not interested, you will learn something about the value of your rug, and often the specialist at the auction house will advise you where to sell your rug. If it wants to handle your rug, that's a very good sign.
- 5
  Look over the auction house's contract, paying particular attention to the percentage it takes and any other fees. For instance, check to see if there are any fees to have it listed in the auction catalog. Find out if you owe the auction house money if the rug doesn't sell. And of course, check to see when you will be paid. (Typically, it is 30 to 60 days after the close of the auction sale.)
- 6
  Package your rug very carefully in plastic to prevent moisture damage. Insure it for the estimated value the auction house has given you.

How to Clean Mexican Hand Woven Wool Rugs

Fast, Easy Homemade Rugs

Rugs