One decent equivalent to the expensive Oriental rugs is the “tufted rugs” made in China, India, and some other parts of Asia.  Tufted rugs are still made by hand, but are not individually knotted the way real Oriental rugs are.  Because of this they are much cheaper than real Oriental rugs – that same twelve by nine foot section in a tufted rug would only be around $700, and would appear almost identical to the $1,500 variety.  Keep in mind, though, that the Oriental rug would have a much greater resale value (tufted rugs depreciate quickly) and would last much longer.

Oriental rugs are always handmade.  If someone offers a supposedly “quality made” Oriental rug – made by a machine – they’re lying.  It’s not a real Oriental rug if it was made by a machine.  Other red flags to look for are in the materials – if the rug uses polypropylene or nylon, it’s not a real Oriental rug.  Get online and research the kinds of Oriental rugs out there – if you know your market, you’ll be able to avoid getting the wool pulled over your eyes.