Carpet collecting

I believe that carpet collecting is almost inborn. The first contact one has with carpets of any sort is when we are infants crawling around on our hands and knees and digging our little fingers into the pile.

Our next encounter is when we are old enough to play hopscotch on the designs, or cards, marbles or happennies using the carpet as a large games board. I have often wondered whether any collectors recall, in their child­hood days, the first contact that they had.

Many people who have been in the Middle East in military, diplomatic or other services and now have time to spare, find themselves sitting very comfortably in an Oriental carpet store, drinking black coffee and listening to the fascinating stories which can be told. One can spend many days bargain­ing and seeing the different types of rugs to be bought.

The range is so great that it is very hard for the layman to absorb— what a challenge !