Vintage or Contemporary (newly made) Moroccan rug? Know the difference so you can choose better !

Almost a century ago, reknowned interior designers Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Frank Lloys Wright made the Moroccan rug popular outside its birth country. Since then, with the mid-century modern, global and bohemian styles in the rise, the demand for these tribal berber pieces has only increased.
There is no way to know exactly how many types of Moroccan Rugs there is. I asked a rug dealer he told me 30. Then a weaving cooperative manager counted 40 and online some articles state up to 90. But whatever the real number is, there are many. However, only a few are sought after in the west Among them, the famous Beni Ouarain, Beni Mrirt, Azilal, Boucherouite and Boujaad. In this blog I am going to concentrate in the difference between a newly handmade rug and vintage one, no matter the type. I will try to outline the pros and cons for choosing a vintage vs a newly hand-knotted Moroccan rug, and I hope it can help you decide the type to invest in.

First, lets start with vintage rugs. By definition, vintage means the rug is aged between 20 years and 100 years of age.

Pros
Its a true investment. Buying a piece aged between 20 and 100 years and keep in it in a good condition for years to come will only gain its value. 
They have a unique history: If you are lucky to get the history behind the rug, the piece become truly soulful 
They have imperfections and signs of wear that truly add charm and character to the rug and make them not only unique, but also very hard, if not impossible to duplicate

Cons
The right. They tend to be pricier than a new hand-knotted rug. and unless you are an expert of you bought from trusted expert, it is hard to assess if they truly deserve the price. 
They could be in a bad condition 
They could have a different smile that might bother you 
The

My love for Moroccan rugs goes beyond measure and my new life revolves around them more than I could off imagine. But loving something is not enough to be an expert of it and I could never pretend to know more or as much as the women who have been weaving them for decades and grew up sitting by a loom watching their mother and grandmother doing magic with hands. 
But luckily, through Amazigh House, I was lucky to meet some amazing knowledgable people. From weavers to rug dealers, rug washers (yes it's a thing) shepherds, dyers, retailers in the rug business... they all thought me something and gave me the confidence to not make a small business out of this passion, but talk about them and their features with confidence. 

First lets start with Vintage rugs. In short, nothing will ever compare and they are my favourite) yet, I dont sell any