Above: A comedic portrayal of the rug industry (due to the prevelance of these scams)

Every day, dozens of people are virtually "robbed blind" at fraudulent Going Out-of-Business and Liquidation sales that offer wildly inflated discounts off of equally inflated prices. When it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

These types of sales are typically very profitable for the seller. They often succeed by intentionally or deliberately deceiving the consumer with gross exaggeration about the true value of the rugs they sell. Before beginning the "sale" a dishonest operator might tag rugs with prices that are hundreds (or even a thousand) percent more than their regular retail prices. For example, a rug that would normally sell for $2000 is re-tagged for $8000. The dishonest dealer gets the consumer to believe the rug is worth the inflated amount. The consumer walks in thinking they are getting a great deal at 60% off and pays $3200, or $1200 more than they should have paid!

"Probably 95 to 99 percent of all oriental rug liquidations are scams.  I often see the same merchandise, supplied by the same importer, with the same sales staff, all around the country."
-James French, Rug Appraiser, "Antiques Road Show" on PBS

Look for headlines with quasi-legal jargon. Although sometimes (rarely) legitimate, the vast majority of advertisements use slogans that will enable them to get around county permits and still lure you in. Some popular headlines include:

:: Lost Our Lease Sale
:: Quitting Business
:: Liquidation Sale
:: All Rugs Must Go!
:: Retirement Sale
:: Auctions
:: Bankruptcy Sales, etc.

Don't want to be a victim? Only purchase from reputable retailers who are committed to their communities and their businesses.

At Rugs As Art, we are proud of our reputation and stand behind our products. We price our products with honesty and integrity and don't play the games that are prevalent in the oriental rug industry. This breath of fresh air is why we have grown to the size we are today and why we have been awarded the Best Area Rug Store in America (by AmericasMart Atlanta and the Oriental Rug Importer's Association) and received the Insignia Award for Best Customer Service (by The Sarasota Chamber of Commerce), as well as countless other awards. We have been in Sarasota since 1986 and still offer the best selection at the very best prices! Stop in today and let us show you why we have been voted #1 time and time again!

Rugs As Art proudly serves the west coast of Florida, including Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Port Charlotte, Naples and Fort Myers.