By Lissa Wyman

Some rugs are so ugly, they refuse to die. Take, for example, this 35 year-old Alexander Smith acrylic rug produced for America's Bicentennial year. We received the following e-mail from Travis Lee, a reader who obviously can't resist a bargain.

"Dear Rugnews.com:

Recently saw your site on Yahoo and thought I'd share a cool story with you. I was at a garage sale the other day and the lady said she had a cool rug that her parents bought in 1976. So being a curious person I looked at it and low and behold it's the rug you're talking about, the 1976 Mohawk Alexander Smith Bicentennial Rug. It's been in storage since the day they bought it, still has the original tag on the bag and looks completely brand new so
needless to say I bought it at a great price and I love it."

Lee later confessed to paying $65 for the rug and asked me if I you would be interested in buying it. I turned him down, noting that the suits at Alexander Smith actually GAVE me one of those suckers back in 1976 and I was too timid to throw it out until 1986 or so when everyone connected with the dang thing had either retired or died.

I suggested to Lee that he donate it to the local American Legion or VFW and take the income tax deduction. (I'm not sure, but I think the original price tag on this Axminster rug was over $200).

The rug was Axminster woven in Amsterdam, NY by Alexander Smith, which was part of Mohasco at the time. The company moved to the Atlanta area in the early 1990's and became Mohawk Industries, parent company of Mohawk Home and Karastan.

For anyone who would like to read two other stories about this beauty  click here. and here.

A story on the restoration of another commemorative rug dating from 1916, click here.

Since this rug seems to be haunting me, I'd still be interested in hearing reader comments on the 1776 rug and other commemorative curiosities. E-mail us at lwyman@rugnews.com

8.17.11