I CONTINUALLY CHECK THE EBAY LISTINGS FOR "WILLIAM MORRIS". TO DATE,  NOT ONE SINGLE CARPET I HAVE FOUND ADVERTISED AS WILLIAM MORRIS HAS ACTUALLY BEEN IN A MORRIS DESIGN!  THE MAJORITY OF THESE CARPETS ARE LOW QUALITY INDIAN IN A DESIGN CALLED "THE FINTONA", WHICH IS AN ARTS & CRAFTS DESIGN, BUT VERY POORLY RENDERED. THE SITUATION IS WORSENING.

     SINCE ANYTHING MADE BY HAND IS TECHNICALLY "ARTS AND CRAFTS", SOME FIRMS
ARE FRAUDULENTLY EXPLOITING THE CONFUSION BETWEEN THESE TWO TERMS AND   MISREPRESENTING COMMON MIDDLE EASTERN DESIGN RUGS AS ITEMS PRODUCED OR DESIGNED DURING THE "ARTS AND CRAFTS PERIOD".
   
    DOZENS OF THESE APPEAR ON EBAY DAILY ALONG WITH WORSE GARBAGE. SOME DEALERS ARBITRARILY CALL WORTHLESS OLD MACHINE MADE RUGS "MORRIS", "TIFFANY", "ARTS & CRAFTS", "DONEGAL", ETC. SOME OF THE MISREPRESENTATIONS ARE TRULY OUTRAGEOUS. ADDITIONALLY THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF UGLY, POORLY DESIGNED ARTS & CRAFTS RUGS PILED UP IN NYC WAREHOUSES. THEY CANNOT GIVE THIS JUNK AWAY, SO THEY SELL IT ON EBAY USING UNSCRUPULOUS  DEALERS AS "FRONTS".
    
    I HAVE COMPLAINED TO EBAY WITH - NO RESULTS. I HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS IN THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND AS OF JANUARY 2, 2003, THEY HAVE BEGUN TO TAKE ACTION!!  KUDOS TO THE FOLKS THERE .

 UPDATE - 7.30.03:
AS OF THIS DATE THE NY STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS DONE NOTHING EXCEPT FORWARD CORRESPONDENCE. THE VULTURES ARE STILL LURKING!

 UPDATE - 4.03.06: NO IMPROVEMENT
STATUS QUO: LET THE BUYER BEWARE!

UPDATE - 6.01.07: NO IMPROVEMENT
WE NOW HAVE AN EBAY STORE, BUT I AM EMBARRASSED BY THE GARBAGE AND IGNORANT "BS" THAT ABOUNDS. CHEAP "GABBEHS" FROM IRAN, WORTHLESS JACQUARD WOVEN, AND RAG RUGS PAD THE SEARCH LIST TO THE POINT THAT IT ALMOST NEGATES THE VALUE OF EBAY. TOO BAD.
STATUS QUO: LET THE BUYER STILL BEWARE!

    PROTESTS BY ME HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN GIVING ANYONE ELSE A CONSCIENCE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, ARTS AND CRAFTS PERIODICALS ARE ACCEPTING ADVERTISING FROM DEALERS WHO ARE NO BETTER THAN THE PARASITES ON EBAY AND THE INTERNET.

    YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT ME FOR ADVICE IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN.  ADVICE IS FREE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUY A RUG FROM US. WE ARE ONLY CONCERNED THAT YOU, OUR FELLOW ARTS & CRAFTS ENTHUSIASTS,  GET AN AUTHENTIC PIECE.

                                                                                           Del & Jerri Martin