because just like with so many other things in life, if you
don't ask you definitely won't get.
There are some other things you may ask for. If the
artist happens to be living within reachable distance of the
gallery, ask for a visit to their studio to meet them in person.
You may find items in the studio more appealing than the
piece you were planning to buy. If the piece has to be
shipped, you can ask for free freight. And if you are from
out-of-state you may have an additional savings by not
having to pay sales tax. But please consult with your
tax professional to make sure you don't have to pay
the tax and if you have to file with the IRS or your
state for usage tax later.
Your ability to negotiate art also includes arranging
for a payment plan on your artwork, while the art sits in
your home. Art galleries will frequently allow a person to
make payments on artwork, sometimes up to a year, or
even several years for high value items without EVER
charging interest. This can be a very powerful tool to
purchase artwork you would normally consider outside of
your budget.
Usually you will fall in love with something already
within what you can afford, but if the love you seek is just
outside of where you are, having the option to split the
amount into 12, 15, or 20 payments makes acquiring the art
more manageable. Because every one of us lives in the day-
to-day pressure of credit cards, mortgages, car payments,
kids, etc, many galleries, if you negotiate ahead of time,
will agree you can skip one or several payments should you
have to. If the piece seems to be driving you mad, ask
your art dealer about a realistic way of make your dream
come true.