I came to this country in 1975. The only son of my parents, I was very spoiled. I had never worked hard or studied at home. My first job was as a stock boy in Walgreen's at $2.25 an hour. And my wife, Rita used to work and get $5 an hour. That bothered me a lot. Also, there were no servants. I wanted to give it all up and go back to India. But my ego wouldn't let me. I had no long term plans to stay in Chicago. All I wanted was to make a few dollars and prove to my family that I could do it, then return to the big business we had in India. I even had a return ticket.

Meanwhile, my father had good contacts with some rugmakers in India, a good source of supply, so he sent me a small shipment of carpets in 1977. The first rug I ever sold was to the owner of the grocery store where I used to work. It was an Indochinese Aubusson rug. Nine by twelve, with ivory and rose colors, for $950. The same rug was being sold in the big stores for around $2700. The first shipment I received from my father was only about 40 rugs, but I had to store them in our one-bedroom apartment. We were literally living with them. If we had a prospective buyer, I would have to take all the furniture out of my living room and put it in the kitchen to display the rug.

Sometimes I would have to take the rugs home to the customer. If I took three 9-by-12 rugs and not a single one was sold, it was very discouraging. Even my father eventually said I should abandon everything and come home. But I didn't, because it was my father's hard-earned money. Besides, then all the relatives would call me a failure. Then I remembered how Kashmiris - people from that part of India where the best rugs are made - used to sell the rugs. They used to load the rugs on a horse-drawn carriage called a tonga and take them to a friend's home. Not only would they give the host a good price if he decided to buy, but if he invited his friends and they bought one, they would also give him a percentage of the evening's sales.

So I tried the same technique here with some friends and designers and it was very successful. Sort of like a Tupperware party. The first evening, I took nine rugs and sold seven. I also went to antique shows and flea markets and advertised in the classifieds. I tried everything.

Gradually I got a break when I started supplying rugs to the large department stores as a wholesaler. And by 1980 I opened my own place and went into retail. Things really picked up in the early '80s. My father started his own manufacturing unit in India and started supplying directly to me. And I found a very good buyer. At one point I was selling carpets worth $250,000 every month.

The worst mistake a buyer can make is go by price alone, because there are many factors on which price depends. Just as housing costs in the city of Chicago are different in different neighborhoods, so also the price of a 6-by-9 Bukhara rug will depend upon the color combination, the wool, the design and the execution. You can even have a rug designed to your specifications. That is called contract merchandise. But it is obviously more expensive than stock goods.

In this country, I find people really get taken in by the 50-percent-off symbol. They are very sale-minded. If they don't see a higher price on the top, they don't think they are getting a good price. Some people buy Oriental rugs at auctions. They don't realize that a lot of that merchandise has been rejected by retailers. Also, the auctioneers have their own people sitting in the audience to jack up the price.

Shopping around is the best way to protect yourself. Also, never buy a rug as a final sale. You should be able to take it home for a few days, look at it in the light and surroundings and then make up your mind. The first things people should keep in mind when they go out shopping for a rug is the size of the room. You don't always need a 9 by 12. Sometimes a 6 by 9 is adequate. Secondly, good yarn is the backbone of a rug. If the wool is not of good quality, the carpet won't last.

The next factor is color. Buy traditional colors that will outlast the current fads. Purple, pink, mauve are all trendy colors that go in and out of fashion. The last factor is design, the architecture of the rug. No matter how pretty the color or how good the price or wool, if there are flaws in the design, you shouldn't buy it. Always inspect the rug on the floor. Make sure it doesn't have bubbles, bumps or crooked edges. Make sure it lies smooth.

Many people feel they should accept imperfections in a handmade rug because it was handmade, but that's not true. Instead of buying a cheap hand-made rug, it is better to buy a good machine-made rug. With care, an Oriental rug can last anywhere from 60 to 100 years. They should always be proffessionally cleaned and never beaten. The rug should also be rotated to ensure even wear. It's advisable to put felt pads on furniture bottoms to protect the surface.

Many people who can't invest in an Oriental rug will buy a dhurrie rug. That's a flat weave from India. It's inexpensive and looks nice. Like a starter house or car. Others start off with small 2-by-3 and 3-by-5 rugs. That size is very popular for college students for their dorm rooms.

People are beginning to buy rugs as gifts. For big occasions, such as a golden wedding anniversary or a wedding. Unless you are a collector, don't even think of investing in an antique rug. Because if it is of good quality, you will have to pay an arm and a leg. And you should like it. Don't buy something simply because it is old. Because if it has holes and repair work on it, the value diminishes considerably.Many of the rugs from the palaces of Kuwait are supposed to have been looted and are now in Europe, where they will eventually find their way into the international market.

I don't have many rugs at home and my wife has stopped asking me to get any. Because what used to happen in the past was that I would bring a nice rug home, she would like it and if I got a customer I'd take it back and sell it.