Posted by Fred Mushkat on March 28, 1999 at 06:28:57:
I suspect that the majority of serious rug and textile collectors buy one object and pass over many others because that particular piece "speaks to them." Perhaps this is the voice that was previously discussed. I, for one use this as my main criteria for purchasing a textile. As a beginner, I bought rugs that I thought were pretty, or, on the advice of a dealer, because of a certain aesthetic. As I became a seasoned collector, I started buying only if a piece touched my heart. If I don't feel passionate about a textile, regardless of rarity, beauty, or relative importance, I simply pass on it. Except for the collectors who feel a need to collect one of each kind, or those who try to create collections that will be their legacy to the field, most of the collectors I know buy based on this emotion of passion.