Growing up in Southern California, I have been surrounded by Persian rug stores. There are at least a few if not far more in every affluent city here. While they may look the same from the outside, there are distinct types and categories to these rug dealers.
The first, is the old school aristocratic type. He has an aged classic inventory that is all bought and paid for. While he might also hold some rugs on consignment, he is primarily in the business of buying and holding. He is well capitalized and can afford to hold on to his inventory, paying the rent on his shop for years to come. In no hurry to sell, he welcomes you into his shop with hot Persian tea, invites you to sit down, and takes the time to get to know you before suggesting what he believes will suit your needs. When he does quote you a price, it is not cheap, but fair, and while he’s willing to negotiate, he’s not desperate to sell and will not take any lowball offers.
At the other end of the extreme are the dealers whose entire stock is on consignment. They own nothing and must sell constantly in order to pay rent. To them, time is money (they are always looking at their watches) and they cannot afford to indulge in conversation with customers unless it leads to a sale. They will discount heavily - they will dump at auctions - whatever it takes to make a sale. Always with them there is a deadline. Finally, if they can’t make it they will hold a “Going out of business sale” to attract buyers, pretend to be on the way out, and reopen with whatever is left at a new location.
The third type of Persian rug dealer is somewhere in between. He has some paid for inventory that he’s willing to hold on to, but also a lot of speculative less expensive holdings that he needs to move regularly in order to meet expenses. He’s not in a nervous hurry to sell, but then neither is he able to hold on forever waiting for the right buyer.
Which kind of domainer are you? Into which category do you fit?
The first, is the old school aristocratic type. He has an aged classic inventory that is all bought and paid for. While he might also hold some rugs on consignment, he is primarily in the business of buying and holding. He is well capitalized and can afford to hold on to his inventory, paying the rent on his shop for years to come. In no hurry to sell, he welcomes you into his shop with hot Persian tea, invites you to sit down, and takes the time to get to know you before suggesting what he believes will suit your needs. When he does quote you a price, it is not cheap, but fair, and while he’s willing to negotiate, he’s not desperate to sell and will not take any lowball offers.
At the other end of the extreme are the dealers whose entire stock is on consignment. They own nothing and must sell constantly in order to pay rent. To them, time is money (they are always looking at their watches) and they cannot afford to indulge in conversation with customers unless it leads to a sale. They will discount heavily - they will dump at auctions - whatever it takes to make a sale. Always with them there is a deadline. Finally, if they can’t make it they will hold a “Going out of business sale” to attract buyers, pretend to be on the way out, and reopen with whatever is left at a new location.
The third type of Persian rug dealer is somewhere in between. He has some paid for inventory that he’s willing to hold on to, but also a lot of speculative less expensive holdings that he needs to move regularly in order to meet expenses. He’s not in a nervous hurry to sell, but then neither is he able to hold on forever waiting for the right buyer.
Which kind of domainer are you? Into which category do you fit?
