RugFilter: Help me sell some inherited Navajo rugs.

May 20, 2007 9:46 PM

RugFilter: I have inherited the family bounty of old Navajo rugs. Now, how do I turn them into profit?

My grandparents are divesting themselves of their worldly goods in some wacky embrace of mortality, and the upshot is that I am now the proud owner of three gorgeous Navajo rugs made sometime between 1940 and 1960. These rugs have been meticulously cared for and were primarily used decoratively - no human feet have worn down so much as a thread.

As lovely as they are, I have no use for them. I prefer the hardwoods of my home, and old rugs are not valuable enough for me to store them up for the children I may or may not ever have (especially as I myself have no connection to the Navajo - my grandparents may have lived in close proximity years ago, but I've never even so much as been to the Southwest).

I do, however, have a need for some money. I am so broke that it has gone beyond being not funny to being downright tragic. I am sure that these rugs would bring in a little money for me and bring some joy to someone who is more into floor furnishings than I am.

I have no experience with selling anything of this kind. Or anything at all, really. I have never used eBay. I do not want to be that idiot who puts up something potentially valuable at an absurdly low price, nor do I want to assume that the rugs are worth more than they actually are. While these are "antique," for all I know there could be a squijillion of them, bringing their market value down to like a dollar or something. Still, this is a dollar that I could very definitely use.

How do I go about getting the rugs appraised and selling them for a reasonable price?

posted by grapefruitmoon to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

OK, I remembered that people are constantly bringing these things into the Antiques Roadshow. So I googled antiques roadshow navajo rugs and got the name John Buxton. I'm certain other people appraise on the show and a similar technique will work wonders. Contact him and he might know someone in your area that could do a good job.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:11 PM on May 20, 2007

Best answer: I was going to suggest something similar: Douglas Diehl is an appraiser specializing in American Indian items, and based in Boston. You might call his company and ask if they know anyone in Providence, or if it would be worth you coming up to Boston with the rugs.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:15 PM on May 20, 2007

I've seen new Navajo rugs selling for $ 600 to $ 1000 for a 3'x5' to 4'x6' rug on the Navajo reservation. Older ones are probably worth more, I would guess. You probably won't be selling them to someone who intends to put them on the floor.

Chances are they are fairly valuable, there are several books on Amazon about Navajo rugs if you want to find out more about them. The various patterns usually indicate where the rugs were made in ones from that era, I believe. Even if you were to sell them on ebay, it would be worth having them apprasied by someone who can tell you more about the provence of the rugs. I wouldn't refer to them as "floor furnishings" in the auction, serious collectors wouldn't dream of putting them on the floor.
posted by yohko at 10:23 PM on May 20, 2007

Contacting antiques dealers in Arizona or New Mexico might also be of use to you. I grew up in the Southwest and while newcomers gravitate to that horrible peach-and-teal approximation of "southwest decorating", quite a few people are historically minded and seriously collect pieces of actual local history.

Scottsdale and Santa Fe, specifically, are centers of wealth and artistic interest.
posted by padraigin at 10:24 PM on May 20, 2007

Response by poster: I have contacted Douglas Diehl's company, SkinnerInc and hopefully they will get back to me. I'd imagine they'd have at least a passing interest in looking at the rugs as their website mentions an auction of Native American items coming up this fall. Thanks, LobsterMitten!
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:50 PM on May 20, 2007

Best answer: Keep one if you're not too desparate. I have some everyday items I got when my dad said to me a while after my Grandma's death to more or less raid her house. They're both useful/decorative and a nice reminder. Hang it on a wall or something.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 11:17 PM on May 20, 2007

I would be interested in checking them out and perhaps taking them (or at least 1 or 2) off your hands - could you send photos? - I have some experience with navajo rugs, their value and care.
posted by specialk420 at 11:18 PM on May 20, 2007

Great - let us know how it works out!
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:20 PM on May 20, 2007

Response by poster: On further inspection, I am saving one of the rugs that does have a lot of emotional significance to me (it hung above my grandfather's couch in the most used area of the house) - I spent a lot of my childhood contemplating that rug. It's also, on a closer look, frayed and faded in a few places. The other two are in perfect condition and photos are being sent to specialk420.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 11:28 PM on May 20, 2007

After getting the aprasal, you might want to let other family members know what you're doing. Even though you don't care about the rugs, someone else might and would be willing to buy them from you.
posted by sbutler at 7:02 AM on May 21, 2007

Got any photos? I'm in the market for a rug. I'm particular but if it's something I like...
posted by dobbs at 7:48 AM on May 21, 2007

Response by poster: sbutler: Just to let you know, the reason the rugs came to me is that no one else wanted them. I'm last in the pecking order when it comes to these things.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:55 AM on May 21, 2007

Just making sure you thought of it, grapefruitmoon. I know it would have sovled some problems in my own family if people had just been more open about what they were doing.
posted by sbutler at 1:40 PM on May 21, 2007