In any event, if you start hearing from a dealer "this

a solid investment, which is going to get you a 30% return

in two years or "I'll buy it back," or you feel a strong

pressure to purchase right now, these are danger signals

that you are dealing with the wrong person. If the artwork

seems to be a lot of money, be very cautious about checking

into the values and reputation of the artist because this

dealer may be trying to sell you a bill of goods.

There are some art galleries, especially in tourist

destinations, which have perfected "The 5 minute art

presentation." These presentations will include statements

such as "Oh well--he sells out immediately, her artwork

never lasts long and you better buy it right now or else

tomorrow we won't have one." Sometimes the art dealer is

telling you the honest truth. But in most cases, this is an

art market high-pressure sales tactic, which you can

ignore. Remember you are only buying this piece because

you felt a connection to it.

A good way of making sure you're not going to lose

out on the piece you love while doing some deliberate

research is to leave a deposit. This gives you 1-2 days to

think about the work after your research. Make sure the

gallery writes you a deposit receipt with the words Fully

Refundable Deposit on the receipt.

And if they happen to sell the work you love and it

becomes lost to you, please don't call me to complain.