GUEST: This is wonderful.

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: To come over here, and someone educate me as to what I have.

(laughs) APPRAISER: Okay, so you don't know anything about this?

GUEST: I know almost nothing, other than that I like it very, very much.

APPRAISER: Yeah?

Can you tell me about where you, you got it?

GUEST: Yes, um, this was bought in Oklahoma, of all places.

(laughing) APPRAISER: Yeah?

Okay.

GUEST: A lot of wealth came into Oklahoma in a hurry in the oil boom.

And those people wanted to furnish their homes with Oriental rugs and, and other... APPRAISER: Antiques, yeah.

GUEST: Other beautiful things.

APPRAISER: Well, it's a Kazak rug from the Southern Caucasus, made by nomadic people who roamed around the mountains, in the Caucasus Mountains.

They are rugs which are very thick.

They have very thick pile, long pile... GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: ...um, probably for warmth.

GUEST: For, for cover.

APPRAISER: They would use them as on, on, on divans, on beds, and also on the floor.

Okay?

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: Um, they're not particularly finely knotted... GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: ...and they have thick, thick wool.

The colors are generally a primary color palette, and they have very geometric designs.

This rug is probably from the 1880s.

GUEST: 1880s.

APPRAISER: And it's-- yeah.

It's been very well-preserved.

It's in wonderful condition.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: And... You were about to tell me a story about how someone's been hounding you to buy it, right?

GUEST: No, um, a dealer has wanted to buy this for a number of years, but he's always been very pleasant about it.

But he would drop by my house... APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: ...and we would talk about it.

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: And so finally, he decided that he had to have it.

So he called on me.

(laughs) APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: And, and offered me, um, money for it.

He said, "How much longer are you gonna tease me with this rug?"

APPRAISER: Uh-huh.

GUEST: And I said, "I'm not teasing you at all, "'cause I've never called you.

You are the one that's pursuing me."

APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST: And that was a very interesting, interesting thing to see.

APPRAISER: Are you interested in knowing what this rug is worth?

GUEST: I would like to know the... APPRAISER: Yeah?

GUEST: ...the value of it, uh-huh.

APPRAISER: It's a good Kazak, in wonderful condition.

So you're probably looking at $8,000 to $12,000.

GUEST: $8,000 to $12,000?

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

Well, I'll be sure to tell him.

(both laugh) APPRAISER: Has he offered you more or less than that?

GUEST: No, much less.

APPRAISER: Ah, okay.

See?

There, you're s... GUEST: Much less.

APPRAISER: You're very shrewd.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: Very smart of you not to sell it outright.

GUEST: Well, I, I wasn't ready to sell it.