Marni Jameson:

The finer points of carpet-buying.

Let me state my bias up front: I don’t trust rug dealers, those peddlers of foreign carpets from places like Persia and Turkey. Whenever I talk to one, I leave feeling as if I have to count my fingers to make sure they’re all still there.

I admit, much of my suspicion has been due to my ignorance. I know that some rugs, like some wines, are very valuable, and others are not. I am just not sure how to tell the difference — and don’t want to be bamboozled by fast-talking swindlers with black belts in smoke and mirrors. Besides, ignorance can be cheap. I’m pretty happy with a $20 bottle of wine.

My cluelessness — though not my skepticism — began to lift six months ago when my husband, DC, and I were on a bucket-list trip, a cruise to the

Greek Islands, with a stop in Kusadasi, Turkey.

At the port, our cruise line had arranged for those interested to visit a rug shop to learn about the art of carpet weaving. “Let’s go,” I said. I wanted to know, once and for all, why some rugs cost as much as a car.

Because cruise lines don’t want their guests to get burned, they typically vet the merchants they recommend and go with the best companies. That the cruise line had selected this rug seller gave me a modicum of confidence.

DC and I passed through the bazaar in Kusadasi, running a gauntlet of hectoring merchants. The rug shop was directly across from a store with a lighted sign boasting: “Genuine Fake Rolexes.”

Our group, about two dozen of us, entered the rug gallery, a narrow storefront. There our guide, Hakan Zor, a fifthgeneration Turkish carpet seller, led us through towers of rugs piled high, then up a narrow staircase to a room with more rugs and a large open area with a wood floor where rugs could be unfurled and ogled under good light. Around the edges of the room were benches, presumably because once you hear the price you need to sit down.

In the room’s middle, a young woman sat before a loom weaving a silk rug.

We settled onto the benches and watched, riveted, as she meticulously wove a fine, intricate pattern from 20 different colors of handspun silk. She slid the silk threads down the vertical fibers on the loom (the warp), and tied off each one with a tiny double knot, and I mean tiny. This rug, Hakan tells us, has 1,264 knots per square inch. I’ll have to take his word for it.

After she worked her way across the row, she layered in the horizontal thread (the weft) to lock the stitches, all precisely trimmed to a uniform length. The warp and weft form the skeleton of the rug.

As she wove, Hakan explained the finer points of carpet weaving to our seated group as his helpers served us a Turkish coffee so strong I felt my eyebrows sprouting.

The weaver will need 14 months to finish this 18-inch by 30-inch rug, Hakan tells our incredulous group as we watch her painstakingly practice an art that dates back to fifth century B.C.

(I later learn that this pillowcase-sized rug sold to an Englishman for 11,000 pounds or $13,750 US. Wait, what?) Silk rugs are the typically more expensive than wool or cotton, he said, which was a relative relief.

Still, I was glad I was seated when DC leaned over and asked if we should get a rug for our house.

“Have you lost your mind?” I said. Join me next week to see how this visit ended.

Meanwhile, anyone who has bought a piece of fine art, fine jewelry or a high-end antique has good reason to be suspicious. Here are some ways to avoid getting scammed: Study up. When buying high-end furnishings, whether fine antiques, handmade oriental rugs, collectibles or original art, there is no substitution for knowledge. The more you know about a category, the lower your chances that you will get ripped

off. Lack of knowledge puts you at a disadvantage.

Ask questions. Find out what makes the piece special. Get specifics: Where and how was it made? What is unique about the materials, and the making of the piece compared to lookalikes.

Try it in your light. A gifted few people can see a rug in a store, or a piece of art, or an antique, and just know it will work. The rest of us cannot. Area rugs are the most difficult to pick out of context. To get the right area rug for a space, you need to nail style, color, motif, quality and size. The best way to do that is to see the rug in your room. Choose a reputable dealer. That the cruise line had endorsed this rug merchant lent him some credibility. Length of time in business (five generations) also matters. You want to work with someone tried and proven. Alternatively, seek out dealers recommended by someone you trust who does not have a financial interest. Be sure your piece comes with a certificate of authenticity and information about the piece and its provenance. Find out the return policy. Buying investment pieces — like art, rugs or antiques — overseas, though many do it, is risky. Returns are difficult, but again, reputable sellers rely on word-ofmouth and repeat customers, so generally have liberal return options if a piece does not work out. Clarify the policy up front. Paying by credit card will also give you some protection. Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of two home and lifestyle books, including “Downsizing the Family Home – What to Save, What to Let Go” (Sterling Publishing 2016). You may reach her at www.marnijameson.com.

The weaver will need 14 months to finish an 18inch by 30-inch rug, Hakan says.