Yes, Rugs On Net buys antique rugs outright. To sell your rug, email us clear photographs of the front, the back and the corners, together with its length and width. Kevin Rahmanan, who founded our New York gallery in 1979, reviews the photos himself and decides whether we can make an offer. Consignment and appraisals are also available.
Send us photos of your rug
The quickest way is straight from your phone: fill in your details, tap the photo button, and choose or take your pictures. Kevin Rahmanan reviews every submission and we reply by email.
Does Rugs On Net buy antique rugs?
Yes, we buy antique rugs outright, and we also offer consignment. Rugs On Net is a family-owned rug gallery in New York, founded in 1979 by Kevin Rahmanan, who bought his first antique Caucasian rug at 21.
Today we have more than 4,800 antique rugs in stock, including more than 1,850 antique Chinese rugs, which is one of the largest collections of antique Chinese rugs in the United States. That depth means we know these categories well and can look at your rug with real context.
How does selling an antique rug to us work?
Selling an antique rug to us starts with photographs, not a visit or a form. The process has four steps:
- Photograph and measure the rug. Use the checklist below. Good photos save time for both of us.
- Email the photos and measurements to [email protected], or reach us by WhatsApp through our contact page. Tell us what you know about the rug.
- Kevin Rahmanan reviews the photos. He looks at the rug himself and decides whether it is a piece we want to buy.
- We reply with our answer. If the rug is right for us, we discuss the next steps with you directly. If it is not, we can suggest consignment or an appraisal instead.
We do not publish prices or fixed timelines for purchases, because every antique rug is different. The decision depends on the rug itself.
What kinds of rugs do we look for?
We look for antique rugs, the category our gallery is built on. Our stock shows where our experience lies:
| Category | In our collection now | Browse |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese rugs (Peking, Art Deco, Walter Nichols, Ningxia) | more than 2,200 | Chinese rugs |
| Persian rugs (all ages) | more than 1,200 | Persian rugs |
| American rugs | more than 650 | American rugs |
| Turkish rugs | more than 250 | Turkish rugs |
| Caucasian rugs | more than 240 | Caucasian rugs |
| French rugs | more than 130 | French rugs |
A category on this list is not a promise that we will buy a particular rug, and a rug outside it is still worth sending. Kevin reviews each rug on its own merits.
What should I photograph before I contact you?
You should photograph the whole rug front and back, each corner, and any wear or repairs, in good daylight. Use this checklist:
- The full front. Lay the rug flat and shoot from above, or from a chair or stepladder, so the whole rug is in one frame.
- The full back. Turn the rug over and take the same photo. The back shows the knotting and many repairs that the front hides.
- All four corners, front and back. Corners show the border, the edges and the condition of the ends.
- Both ends and the fringes. Show how much of the end finish remains.
- Both long edges. The side finishes, often called the selvedges, wear with use.
- A close-up of the pile. Shoot straight down from a few inches away so the wool and the height of the pile are visible.
- Every problem area. Stains, holes, worn patches, moth damage, repairs or color that looks different from the rest.
- Any labels, tags or inscriptions, including dates or signatures woven into the rug.
Measurements: measure the length and the width at the widest points, without the fringe, in feet and inches. Note separately if the rug is not a true rectangle.
Background: tell us anything you know, such as where and when the rug was bought, how long it has been in the family, and any earlier appraisal or cleaning records.
What if you do not buy my rug?
If we do not buy your rug outright, you still have three options with us:
- Consignment. We also sell rugs on consignment. See consign your rugs with Rugs On Net for how it works.
- Free Quick Opinion. A short opinion by phone or email, based on your photographs, about what the rug is.
- Free In-Depth Appraisal Report. A written appraisal for insurance, estate valuation and documentation.
If you own an antique Chinese rug, our guide what is my antique Chinese rug worth explains what shapes value. If your rug needs care before any decision, see our rug cleaning services.
Should I sell, consign or appraise?
The right choice depends on what you need from the rug:
| Your goal | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Sell the rug to a single buyer | Send photos so Kevin can review it for an outright purchase |
| Offer the rug to our buyers through the gallery | Consignment |
| Find out what the rug is before deciding | Free Quick Opinion |
| A document for insurance, an estate or your records | Free In-Depth Appraisal Report |
Why sell to a gallery rather than a general buyer?
A specialist gallery can judge an antique rug on the things that matter: origin, age, materials, condition and design. Every rug we sell is inspected before it is listed, and each listing states its origin, approximate age, materials and measured size. That same attention goes into reviewing rugs people offer to us. If you are comparing buyers, our guides on how to choose an antique rug dealer and red flags when buying an antique rug list the questions worth asking any gallery.
How do I contact you?
Email your photographs and measurements to [email protected], call (212) 683-0167, or use our contact page for WhatsApp or to book a visit to our showroom at 36 East 31st Street, 9th floor, New York, NY 10016.
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy antique rugs outright?
Yes. Rugs On Net buys antique rugs outright. Send photographs and measurements, and Kevin Rahmanan reviews the photos and decides whether we can make an offer.
Who looks at the photos of my rug?
Kevin Rahmanan, who founded Rugs On Net in New York in 1979, reviews the photographs himself.
What photos do you need?
Send the full front, the full back, all four corners, both ends and edges, a close-up of the pile, and every stain, hole, repair or worn area, plus the length and width.
Do I need to bring the rug to the gallery?
No. The first step is photographs and measurements by email or WhatsApp. We reply after Kevin has reviewed them.
What if you do not want to buy my rug?
You can ask about consignment, request a free Quick Opinion from your photographs, or order a free In-Depth Appraisal Report for insurance, estate valuation or documentation.
Can you tell me what my rug is worth before I sell?
Yes. We offer a free Quick Opinion by phone or email from photographs, and a free In-Depth Appraisal Report when you need a written valuation.
Watch: from our New York gallery
Kevin Rahmanan has been in the rug business since 1979. He introduces the collection: Chinese, Caucasian, American hooked, Heriz and Serapi, Kashan, Tabriz, Oushak, and oversized palace size rugs.
More on our YouTube channel.