I am guessing the best way to do the most good with them is to auction them off and donate the proceeds to charity. and advertise the auction that way....and perhaps you can find an auctioneer who would donate his time.
Figure out a charity that would please your mother, contact them and see if they would arrange the sale and do the advertising.
Linda C

Ok now read line one again....I nearly spit out some lovely Pinot noir.

Anyhoo....our local habitat for humanity store would love a donation like that. Perhaps a little larger town is nearby? I'd kill to add something like that to our home and I do often find wonderful treasures like that at the habitat store. Call a few charities and ask if they have retail stores. Childrens hospitals tend to have nice stores as do habitat charities. I'd avoid the goodwill or salvation army with something like that. Or contact a historical society or Victorian society who might have members who would be interested in making a donation in exchange.

They sound lovely. What a treasure!

Igloo--thanks for not letting me be alone in a twisted sense of humor.

Why not sell them on Etsy and donate the money to a good cause? People don't always value what's free.

Contact various shelters: Homeless; Mothers with children; Youth without homes; Salvation Army; Protection agency; Orphanage; Day care; Food Pantry;

If you town is small and these needs are already filled therein, look to larger towns in your county.

They do SOUND lovely but they might not be. Avid doesn't = well done or tasteful. Not that I mean to disparage them, but just keep things in perspective. The certainty that one has a treasure that is worth thousands keeps a lot of people loaded down with a lot of old things. I honour your ability to forgo making money off them; that will make it a lot easier.

I don't know why anyone would consider shelters though. That's not a population that (a) does a lot of decorating or (b) treats stuff with respect.

It's true they would be most appreciated where people pay something for them, so I wonder if you have any friends in a larger centre where you could find, say, a large church that holds a large annual bazaar or something like that? Or someone who would take a few to several different thrift shops or vintage stores in a big city? Box 'em up and ship them over there, and they will find their way to appreciative homes. Bon Voyage. Otherwise, the wonderful internet can indeed be a help through Etsy or Ebay where you could always sell them for a nominal amount if you have the time.

You can post for free or small price on the craigslist of a nearby city if there is one.

In truth, the real value of these rugs was that they gave your mother something gratifying to do that she enjoyed. In that sense they did their job the moment she finished each of them, and you could use them for garden paths and not devalue them in that sense. Plus, the ones you keep give you something that keeps her in your thoughts. Which is lovely. I think I would put aside a few for the grandchildren too (with cedar or something for moth protection, of course), and ship them to a larger centre.

KarinL

Some shelters have fund raisers with rummage sales or auctions--that's how they might use them (I think). Many churches and other worship houses do the same. My local high school just had one.