Consignment
You keep ownership until it sells. We photograph it, price it honestly, put it in front of the right buyers, and hand you a cheque when it moves.
Who consigns with us
Pieces that have sat on your floor for two or three years while paying retail rent. We move them through channels you do not have, without you discounting in your own showroom.
Executors and attorneys who need documented value and an orderly sale rather than a liquidator's flat offer. We can appraise first and consign after.
You have a rug from a grandparent, no idea what it is, and a house that no longer has room for it. We tell you what it is before anyone talks about price.
A client changed direction and you are holding a rug nobody budgeted for. It goes out through us instead of into your storage unit.
Terms
Consignment goes wrong when the terms are vague. Ours are a split, a floor price and a term length, agreed in writing before we touch the rug.
Standard rate on the sale price. Drops to 30% above $10,000 per piece, and to 25% on trade consignments of 20 pieces or more.
We never sell below the floor you set without written approval from you. If we think your floor is unrealistic, we say so up front rather than letting it sit.
Renewable by agreement. You can withdraw a piece at any time with 14 days notice, subject to shipping and any work already performed.
| Item | How it works |
|---|---|
| Payout timing | Net 15 after cleared funds. Not on delivery, not on a 60 day cycle. |
| Listing and photography | Included. Six angle capture set, written description, condition disclosure. |
| Cleaning before sale | Quoted separately, always optional, and always your call. A washed rug typically sells faster and higher, but we do not do it without approval. |
| Repairs before sale | Same. Quoted, optional, deducted at settlement rather than billed up front. |
| Getting it to us | Yours to arrange and pay. We publish packing guidance and will advise on any specific piece. Pickup available inside our radius. |
| Storage during the term | Free for the full 180 days. After that, standard Rug Cellar rates apply or we return it. |
| Price reductions | We recommend, you approve. Nothing moves below your floor without your signature. |
| Unsold at term end | Ship it home at your cost, roll into storage, relist at a revised price, or accept an outright purchase offer from us. |
Channels
Certified listing on the marketplace, in front of buyers who came looking for hand knotted rugs specifically.
Physical placement where customers walk on it, which is still how most expensive rugs get sold.
Designers and dealers who buy repeatedly and know what they are looking at. Fastest channel for the right piece.
Optional. While it waits for a buyer, it can earn rental income from staging and events, with your approval.
Honestly
If you need money this month, consignment is the wrong choice and we will tell you that on the phone.
| Option | What you get | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consignment with us | Typically the highest net | Weeks to months | Good pieces where patience pays. Anything above $1,500. |
| Outright sale to us | Lower, but immediate and certain | Days | Estates on a deadline, quick liquidation, low value pieces. |
| Auction | Unpredictable. Sometimes excellent, sometimes a loss | Weeks, on their calendar | Rare or collectible pieces with competing bidders. |
| Selling it yourself | No commission, but you carry every problem | Unpredictable | Confident sellers with time, photography skills and patience for tyre kickers. |
| Local dealer offer | Usually the lowest number you will hear | Same day | When you simply want it gone. |
What we accept
Apply to consign
Front, back, a corner and the fringe is enough for us to tell you what you have and what it should sell for. No obligation, no fee for the conversation.