Before you can buy a real zebra skin rug, you need to know what to look for. There are many scams and fakers that will try and sell you a fake or bad grade hide. For this reason, it's important to do your research before making such a purchase! The following steps will help make sure that when you buy a zebra skin rug, the one you get is a genuine Burchell Hide:
1) Check the supplier: When buying a zebra skin rug, make sure you choose an experienced and reputable dealer. Price should not be your primary concern when searching for such an esteemed item; quality should take priority over price when looking for real zebra skin rugs. A dealer with years of experience in the field will be much less likely to sell you a bad rug.
2) The Dealer's Reputation: When buying a zebra skin rug, you'll need to consider the dealer's reputation. Make sure that your chosen dealer is trustworthy and reputable with a lot of reviews; otherwise, you may end up with a bad quality zebra hide! It might take some time for you to find an honest dealer; it can be difficult to tell one apart from one who is full of talk. But if you do your research, you'll be sure to find what you need.
3) The Rug's Description: When buying a zebra skin rug, it is especially important to read the description and product details! Remember that if something seems like too good of a deal to be true, it probably is. A low price usually indicates lower quality.
4) The supplier's location: Where was your dealer located? If possible, try and buy from someone close by or within your country; this will make any exchanges or returns much easier! You'll also be able to tell if they're reputable by picking up the phone and calling them or visiting their store. Also note, importing a hide yourself might appear easy, but in the case you hate your Zebra hide, it is near impossible to return it as you will require a lot of permits.
5) The Rug's Age: When looking for a genuine zebra skin rug, you'll need to look at its age. Newer hides 1-5 Years will have a clean and unique shine to them which is common once due to the sheen they receive at the taxidermist once all tanning is completed. Avoid sellers claiming a zebra rug is new, only to find out that its a decade old.
6) The Hide's Quality: Trophy and grade A Hides should have minimal to zero scars or markings. Grade B and C hides will typically have imperfections and this is something to keep in mind. One will sell you a grade C claiming its a grade A. Again do your research well.
7) The hide's origin: It is one thing to buy a Zebra hide rug and another to run into legal issues. Make certain that you are purchasing a Burchell Zebra species. These are the only species permitted for import in the US and can be found in South African, Tanzania and Kenya. If someone is trying to sell you a different species of Zebra, stop and turn away as you will definitely get into legal issues when that hides is reviewed by US Customs and border patrol. Buying within the U.S eliminates this headache and we have received many calls with people asking for advise on why their rugs were denied or confiscated by customs.