Gabeh Rugs Gallery holding closing sale

By LIGHT STAFF

After 12 years, Gabeh Rugs Gallery of La Jolla is going out of business and liquidating its entire inventory of fine handmade rugs.

The exotic rug dealer at 7467 Cuvier St. run by father-son team Rasekh and Fasih Siddiqui said a continuing tough economy convinced them it was time to get out of the business. They are selling off the 3,000 to 4,000 rugs they have left between now and mid-July.

“We’ve got one of the finest collections of Persian, Pakastani, Indian, Chinese, Turkic and Afghani rugs in the area,” said Fasih Siddiqui. “Everything is imported and we’ve got some very high-quality silk and wool Persian pieces as well as fine, vegetable-dyed, antique-washed pieces. Our Persian selection is better than anyone else in town.”

“We have deals up to a 75 percent discount on the price,” said Rasekh Siddiqui.

Purchasing an oriental rug is more than a sale — it’s an investment, noted Fasih Siddiqui.

“It’s like buying gold,” he said. “It’s something you buy and keep in your family. Even if you only keep it five or six years, it’s going to be worth more than it was when you bought it.”

The value of an oriental rug varies with the weave, noted Fasih Siddiqui. The finer the weave, the more time it takes to make the rug — sometimes up to three years or more depending on the piece — and the more valuable it is.

“The sale price on our rugs goes from $50 to $120,000,” he said, adding Gabeh does in-home consultations, taking rugs over to people’s homes to allow them to view them over a 24-hour period to make sure they are a fit with the rest of their decor.

Gabeh is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit

www.gabehrugs.com

or e-mail rugs.of.persia@gmail.com.