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Oakland—September
16, 2007—Internationally-recognized antique rug expert Jan David Winitz
today said that the market for investment-quality, art-level antique
Oriental carpets has increased dramatically during the past
decade. He warned, however, that the best rugs from the 19th
century were far less frequently available for purchase by collectors.
“Having
experienced in our nearly three decades of the business that the
availability of great antique rugs has been steadily decreasing,” said
Winitz, founder and president of Claremont Rug Company, “we have
strategically created a network of access to the finest collections and
estates in the U.S. and Europe, as well as maintaining an inventory of
a minimum of 3000 rugs of our own.”
Adjunct
to this, Winitz has noted that many of the finest pieces that he sells
are being stockpiled by a growing group of connoisseurs and even going
into private museums. “A number of our clients are asking us to
hold many of their rugs in our warehouse for future use or for
investment,” he said.
Winitz, author of “The Guide to Purchasing an Oriental Rug,”
manages an international team of expert buyers who continually review
private collections and estates, purchasing rare rugs for the inventory
of his two galleries.
His main
Claremont Rug Company gallery, called by the Financial Times of London
“one of the world’s best sources of antique carpets,” houses his vast
inventory. However, he notes, that two-thirds of his clients are
“not local” to his San Francisco Bay Area location. “Even some of
our most active clients have never been to our gallery,” he said.
“An unprecedented amount of wealth has
been created starting in the 1990’s.” Winitz said, “and this has
drastically reduced the number of outstanding antique rugs available
internationally. This has progressed to the point where many
companies have switched over to primarily offering reproduction
carpets.”
“To our long-time customers,
we propose rare rugs as soon as they become available,” he said.
“Because of the trust that they place in our expertise, it is not at
all unusual that they purchase them from the photos, without even
having seen the actual rugs.
“Our
clients are very busy and very art-savvy. They have multiple
residences and are always on the move. For this reason they often
purchase even extremely rare rugs from us by using our Internet
gallery, our extensive catalogue and the home presentations we do all
across the country.” he said. “We complete many full-home
furnishing projects without the clients ever having come to the store,”
he added.
Also see:
FINANCIAL TIMES - "Treasures You Purchase to Hold on to" (3/29/08)
Download printable version 
MARKET WATCH / THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - "Global Leap in Best Antique Rugs as Major Works of Art " (7/14/08)
Download printable version
MARKET WATCH / THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - "Domestic and International Connoisseurs Embrace Antique Rug Sales Event in “Next Frontier of Art Investing” " (6/2/08)
Download printable version
THE MERCURY NEWS - "Rare rugs" (5/30/08)
Download printable version
YAHOO FINANCE - "Claremont Rug Company Announces Additional Hudson River Valley Collection " (4/30/08)
Download printable version
REUTERS.COM - "Claremont Rug Company Holds Globally Significant Exhibition… Rare, 19th Century Caucasus Rugs" (12/17/07)
Download printable version
FORBES.COM - "Claremont Rug Company Acquires “Mother Lode” Collection of 19th Century Art Carpets" (2/12/08)
Download printable version
FORBES.COM - "Increasingly Savvy Clients and Decreasing Availability Combine with Internet To Create Perfect Storm in Rare Rug Market" (10/24/07)
Download printable version
FORBES.COM - "Leading Antique Carpet Dealer Cites Boom in Internet Sales" (9/5/07)
Download printable version
WORTH MAGAZINE - "Masterpieces Underfoot "
Download printable version
CALIFORNIA CEO - "Putting
Out the Red Carpet: The Claremont Rug Company has woven a close
relationship with its customers thanks to a wise use of the Web."
Download printable version
CIO Magazine
- "Carpetbaggers: The Claremont Rug Co., purveyor of antique carpets
made centuries ago by Southwest Asian nomads, has benefited doubly from
the great leap forward to the Internet."
FINANCIAL TIMES - "How
To Spend It: East bay passions. The sit-ins are long since over, says
Holly Finn, but Berkeley has plenty to shout about...The Claremont Rug
Company - one of the world's best sources of antique carpets - is here."
Download printable version
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - "Art At Your Feet: Antique or copied oriental rugs express their weavers' inspirations"
Download printable version
OAKLAND TRIBUNE - "Web Helps Rug Store Clinch Sales"
BEL AIR ARTICLE - "What Hotel Bel Air (Beverly Hills, CA) says about Claremont Rug" |
