Thanks to all on this site for your invaluable information. I posted about a week ago regarding a rug I'd purchased at auction. The feedback I received from KAD and traditionalrugrepair reassured me that I hadn't gotten a bad deal, so I returned to the "scene of the crime" and purchased a second rug. This time, a much larger Iranian Kashan. It's pretty big--9x12 or so.
It isn't a first-quality rug (I don't have the budget for that!) but it's a nice rug that I can use in the living room without worrying too much about pets, people, and wear-and-tear. I'm not too worried about what it's worth as I'm not planning on selling it for years, and I didn't pay very much more than it would have cost to get a new machine-made wool rug of similar size.
Thanks again for such a great site! I've definitely been bitten by the "rug bug"!
Pictures:
http://picasaweb.google....ashanRug?feat=directlink