When I travel, I love coming home with pieces that I know have a story. it is not necessarily the item I cherish as much as how I acquired it or from whom. I want the overall experience to be meaningful.

Upon leaving for Morocco, I had my mind made up, as many tourist do, as to what I wanted to bring home. I’m buying an authentic Moroccan rug for my living room, and when friends come over they’ll say, “oh my god! That rug is so amazing! Where did you get it?!” and I’ll casually reply while serving fabulous hor d’oeuvres and exotic drinks, “Morocco.  It was passed down from generation to generation as a wedding gift in a Berber family of the High Atlas Mountains. More Cachaça anyone?”

I, and every other tourist, go to Morocco with the same shopping agenda, and guess what? Moroccans have caught on. Shopping for a rug in Morocco is overwhelming. If it is truly that important to you to bring home a valuable rug, do your research beforehand.  There are some beautiful gems out there, but there are also some middle-of-the-road synthetic fiber/dye rugs pushed by some incredibly savvy salesmen.

I’m by far no expert, but I did learn a few things in the process.

Know what you want, and be able to ask the salesmen good questions about the rugs to narrow down the overwhelming selection.

Do you want natural wool rugs? Do you want natural color, or are you okay with synthetic dyes? From what region do you want your rug?  Do you want a rug with symbols, which is very common in tribal designs? Do you want an old rug, or new? You will not find cactus silk rugs anymore or rugs dated 100 yrs or older. They are considered antique and government does not allow their sale in the co-ops.

During my experience, I was swooped into shop after shop and men pulled rugs from large heaps, offered me mint tea, showed me to a nice place for dinner, introduced me to the family. Whatever it takes. The more you accept their generosity, the more you feel the obligation to buy.

I thought I knew what I wanted – an all natural fiber rug with natural dyes – indigo, maybe, or almond, whatever! But ultimately while I stared at the rugs lying all over the store pulled just for me with my specifications from the tops of large stacks,  I realized something rather important. They were old, and they looked it. I didn’t like them. The synthetic ones are pretty, I thought. But doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of buying a valuable Moroccan rug? Aren’t they supposed to be like nothing we can get at home? Ugh.

I came home rugless. I never had that moment where it felt right to buy. My experiences felt a bit too contrived by Moroccan salesman that were skilled in the art of persuading tourists and saying the right thing. I found it difficult to learn anything about the rugs and distinguish between honest information and sales tactic.

This obviously does not mean it cannot be done.  I just realized as I trekked around with a backpack and other interests, that purchasing a valuable rug at a good price and getting it safely shipped home diminished as a shopping priority. I devalued the experience, and ultimately lost interest in the rugs.

With my deepest apologies, I excused myself from the store feeling horrible for taking up his time and not spending the large sum of money on a rug I felt indifferent about.

“Don’t worry, here is my card,” the Moroccan salesman stated. “We have a website, and deliver to America all the time if you change your mind.”