It's been over 20 years since we've bought carpet. At the time, we bought direct from a mill in GA. Was really easy and a great deal. After narrowing down type of carpet we wanted, they sent a sample board with different piles; pricing. We got very high end carpet for about half price (at the time going for $30/yd locally and paid $15/yd from them). They shipped direct, included padding as well. Had a local installer do the installation for a couple hundred. After repeated cleanings, many dogs, etc. this carpet has held up beautifully. Needs to be cleaned again at the moment, but you'd never know it's age. Might want to look into something like this if you're looking for high end carpeting.