I think rugsdirect.com is pretty reputable. I'd search for the color you are looking for or color combinations. I bought an area rug from a local furniture store but researched the brand (checked the price) etc. online. I got a better deal locally but not by much. I'd look for a wool rug. In a dining room I'd look for one that allows your chairs, when pushed out, to remain on the rug -- typically I've seen about 6-12" of wood/tile under the rug in a dining room but more is fine if your room is large.

Have you thought about going to a local store to educate yourself? Someone from the store may be able to come to your house and then pick out 3-4 from which you ultimately will choose, and then you are done.

I have not bought online so take my words for what they're worth.

Good luck.

I have purchased a number of rugs online and I have to say it has been the least successful internet shopping I've done. For some reason, the colors in a catalog or on a website have never quite been true enough to reality. I am usually looking for clear colors and what shows up as clear online is actually muted when it comes out of the box.

That said, I think Garnet Hill has some wonderful rugs, both traditional and more contemporary. I suggest ordering small sizes to check the colors and then exchange them for the size you need once you've settled on something.

I have bought a few from homedecorators.com and been very happy. Unfortunately, you just missed the ~70%-off clearance sale (I just got an 8x10, a 2x3, and a 2.5x8 for $272, woohoo!) but they've had many good values in general, especially over on the outlet side. There are also usually coupons on the web, google "homedecorators.com coupon" or "homedecoratorsoutlet.com coupon". I've also heard good things about the rugs at overstock.com, too.

I haven't purchased from them because my budget is extremely modest, but peerlessrugs.com is supposed to be a very reputable seller as well. I spend a goodly amount of time drooling in the clearance department - there are some real beauts in there, including big names like Karastan. :-)

I will not buy from most eBay rug sellers because I think they behave unethically in circumventing the eBay fee structure with very cheap selling prices and outrageous shipping charges. Why eBay permits this I have no idea.

I ordered one rug online through rugman but was not happy with it. The colors were entirely different from what I saw on our monitor. And even after talking with customer service about the colors, it was not right.

I also visited the warehouse of the eBay rug seller 1-800-getarug (S&H Rugs) and found that the real rugs did not look like their online counterparts. Buying rugs online is an iffy proposition.

That being said, if you order smaller rugs, you can get a better idea of the actual colors. Just know that the scale of the rug will change as it gets larger. For example, if there's some green on the smaller 4x6 rug, there will be larger areas of that same green in the 8x10 version.

Have you searched craigslist? You might find just what you're looking for there, and you can see it in person before you buy (at a reduced price). You can take it to the dry cleaners on your way home. It might be worth a look.

....I don't know how to shop for them - don't know what material to look for, thickness, if where they're made matters....

Considering the above comments, online purchasing is not the best option for you.

First let me say as a disclaimer, though I am a dealer, I do not sell rugs, and am not soliciting any business, ok? I'd be happy to weigh in on a good vs bad purchase if you see something you like online.

However, you would truly benefit from finding a local merchant that can help you. If you caught Mimi's thread way back, she was looking for rugs too, and her local person went above and beyond bringing rugs to her home for her to try. I believe Deborahnj had someone local helping her as well. You cannot beat that type of service if you are not rug savvy.

If you see something, please post back.