Annual price changes in design provoke last-minute shopping

In spite of the markets´ recent roller-coaster ride, January has shown an increase in sales for art and design at PicassoMio.com. While art is often acquired for investment early in the year, the recent sales for design seem to indicate that shoppers are becoming savvier than ever before. For when else to finally acquire that beloved piece of design than just before the annual price change? “Particularly one Dutch manufacturer, whose collection includes works from designers Marcel Wanders and Bertjan Pot, has garnered much attention in the past two weeks,” muses Allan Majotra, co-founder of PicassoMio.com. “Our clients are aware of the aesthetic and financial value of contemporary art. We’ve been pleased to note that this awareness extends to contemporary design.”

And while clients around the world are eager to make the most of the last remaining seven days, Allan Majotra is quick to comfort those who choose to wait. “Not all designers and manufacturers have chosen to change prices in 2008. Ultimately, the best deal you can make is purchasing works of art and design you love.”

At PicassoMio.com, one can also find curated, one-of-a-kind or limited-edition works, including paintings, graphic prints, photographs and sculptures, by modern masters, such as Matisse, Chagall and Miro; contemporary masters, such as Hirst, Hockney and Wegman, and hundreds of extraordinary emerging artists. The current online-catalog includes more than 50,000 different artworks valued at $200 million, with prices ranging from $100 to $100,000. In 2007, PicassoMio opened PicassoMio Design, featuring design, furniture and jewellery to become the one-stop gallery for the complete range of curated high-end arts.For more information, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] or visit the website at www.picassomio.com.

About PicassoMio.com/PicassoMio Galleries¼br> With a presence in Europe and the U.S., PicassoMio.com / PicassoMio Galleries is an art company that operates the leading online gallery. In operation since 2000, PicassoMio.com has sold contemporary art by over 4,000 artists to clients in over 50 countries. The gallery’s sales are growing at a rate of over 50% per year. At PicassoMio.com, one can find curated, one-of-a-kind or limited-edition works, including paintings, graphic prints, photographs and sculptures, by modern masters, such as Matisse, Chagall and Miro; contemporary masters, such as Hirst, Hockney and Wegman, and hundreds of extraordinary emerging artists. Their current catalog online includes more than 50,000 different artworks valued at $200 million, with prices ranging from $100 to $100,000. Every month PicassoMio.com receives approximately 1 million visitors and serves over a hundred clients. The average order size is approximately $1,500. Clients include private parties, businesses and trade companies, including interior designers and galleries and dealers. Customers are served by art consultants, all of whom have significant art business and art history experience. The website’s powerful art search engine allows buyers to find the artwork of their choice by selecting from medium, style, theme, colour, price, etc. All clients are also assured of a 7-day, no-questions-asked return policy. The company contributes 5% of its gross profits, in cash or kind, back to the art world. In 2005, El País called PicassoMio Gallery “the world’s biggest gallery”, Emprendedores magazine selected PicassoMio.com as one of the “100 Best Companies”, the Wall Street Journal’s Smart Money magazine selected PicassoMio.com as the only recommended art website, and Financial Times called PicassoMio.com the “Amazon.com” of the contemporary art scene. In 2007, PicassoMio Europe was ranked as one of the Top 50 companies by the European Tech Tour. In 2004, the company was nominated as a finalist for FAST50, organized by Fast Company magazine, and was selected for the Gate-2-Growth forum, sponsored by the European Commission. In 2001, PicassoMio Europe was nominated as a finalist in the pan-European “Milestones” Business Awards. PicassoMio has also been recommended by the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Real Simple magazine and ArtsWorld TV, amongst others. PicassoMio was founded by Allan Majotra and Nicholas Marchalleck and has offices and galleries in Miami and Madrid.