(1) eed a change of scene? CARPET page 14 in QUALITY CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL - COMMERCIAL DESIGN INRECON BUILD 1-800-421-4141 We specialize in design & build for Americans with Disabilities. ADA... Barrier free construction. Regional "CONTRACTOR of the YEAR" NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of the REMODELING INDUSTRY A Tapper's Special Occasion Exclusive... A gift with special meaning. The "Tree of Life" engravable pendant and keyring are specially priced and *engraving is included. Sterling Keychain & Pendant, just $79.00 Two-tone 14 kt. Gold & Sterling Pendant, just $99.00 14 kt. Gold Pendant, just $193.00 Chain, sold separately, C9o4r &eat* $69.00 and 4114) Lk 411 iffy love *Allow 3 days for engraving. Some items may not be available but can be ordered. well as the $35-an-issue Hali magazine, for the dedicated fan.) But the real clincher came when David was about 11, and he chanced to see a documentary about the Qashqa'i, a nomadic tribe in southwest Iran. The program focused not only on the beauty of the carpets but on their history — everything from how they are made to how they reflect the everyday life of a tribe. `That's when I knew there was a real scholarly aspect to the rugs," Mr. Morrison says. By the time he was 12, David had made his first big purchase. It was at Hudson's. "I thought I knew everything," he says. "So I go in with my fa- ther and I start looking at the prices and announce, 'I'm not go- ing to pay that. Let's bargain.' "You can imagine — this is the kind of place where everybody is wearing a suit and tie and my fa- ther couldn't believe what I was doing; he used his hand to cover his eyes." In the end, the Morrisons bought some carpets, pieces "I wouldn't even want around the house now." As David matured and his ex- pertise increased, he came to re- alize that estate sales are the real Shangri-La for any collector worth his weight in Oriental car- pets. That's where he gets most of his treasures today, though he secures some from his mentor and rug dealer, Hormoze Al- izadeh of Azar's Oriental Rugs in Birmingham. A dealer you trust is vital, Mr. Morrison says, because carpet col- lectors are a savvy, passionate bunch who will do anything, any- thing, for a great carpet. "Making a rug deal is like a dance," he says. "Rug dealers are some of the sharpest traders go- ing, and you have to know what you're doing. "Half the battle is learning to competently identify what a rug is. You've got to consider age, ori- gin, quality and whether you even like it." And whether you can afford it. This is no hobby for the down and out in metro Detroit. A decent Oriental rug can cost anything from several hundred dollars to more than $150,000. And natu- rally you will need to go to Ori- ental rug auctions, few of which are in the United States. But none of that deters Mr. Morrison — who does not own any $150,000 rugs — from mak- ing good use of his collection. He has a Tibetan treasure on the floor in the dining room, and a Kurdish rug and 50-year-old Chi- nese carpet in the front hallway. There are three carpets on the floor in the bedroom and three hung on the wall, "and it's not enough." One of his favorites is a mys- terious small rug, which 15 years ago he picked out of a pile at a store in Royal Oak, showing the Tomb of Rachel with unreadable Hebrew writing at the bottom. "Many rugs have identifying marks," he says. "Not this one. That's where the whole Sherlock Holmes thing comes in. Where did this come from — it could be from virtually anywhere because Jews have lived everywhere — and who made it and why?" Although Mr. Morrison says his dream job would be dealing all day with carpets (in real life he's the vice president of the Bradley Marketing Group), he admits there are those who can become a little, well, compulsive, about the whole thing. "I heard of a surgeon who was so into this that he had carpets everywhere," he says. "I mean, bits and pieces of them were even in his drawers. You couldn't go anywhere in the house without seeing rugs. `That's all this guy did. He was obsessed. Finally, his wife left him." 0 Early Deadlines The Jewish News will have an early classi- fied advertising deadline for the issue of Nov. 25, and an early local news deadline for the issue of Dec. 4. rf Diamonds and Fine Jewelry (810) 357-5578 • Order Toll-Free 1-800-337-GIFT Nov. 25 classified ads Deadline is 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21. Dec. 4 local news Deadline is 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23.