think about it. I'll give you a call later on." When the

gallery sees you're about to leave, most of them will make

an effort to `make an exception this one time, just for

you' and offer an accommodation. If you find they really

stick to their policy (which is a rare case) you should start

doing some research to find a gallery more open to working

with you.

However, there are other values you can ask for

known as freebies or additional accommodations. For

example, if the artist has a book about them, ask for a

signed copy of the artist's book. This is a must-have for all

collectors, because you want a book by your favorite artist,

you want to be able to read about their works, their

thoughts, and have it out on display for your friends to

enjoy. Another great request is a letter of dedication, either

on the back of the painting or on a separate paper, from the

artist to yourself congratulating you on your new purchase

or commemorating a special day in your life.

A less known and not so obvious freebie is

smaller artworks by the same artist you can negotiate to be

part of your purchase. If you are in a gallery and you seea

small work catching your eye, one which is not expensive

and of lesser value, say three hundred dollars up to maybe

five hundred dollars, it's a good idea to ask the gallery to

make it part of the whole discount package you're

negotiating for. This gives you the ability to acquire one

artwork for free and receive the other one at a discounted

price.

Many market savvy artists will already have free

works available for clients buying a significant piece. Quite

often when you purchase an original painting or sculpture

the artist has a maquet or sketch of the sculpture available

as an extra gift. These gifts are there for you, and the

gallery is more than happy to give them to clients. The

only issue is whether you know to ask for them,