AFTER queueing for three days and nights to get in, a young Farnham man struck it lucky at this yearÕs RCA Secret exhibition at the Royal College of Art in Kensington, London.
William Hackman (22), who is studying Business and French at Brighton University, bought two postcards for £35 each. A little steep, one might say.
That is until one of the postcards was revealed to be an original by Sir Terry Frost, and the other was in fact by maverick artist Damien Hirst.
If Mr Hackman decides to sell, the Hirst card could fetch up to £4,000.
Mr Hackman, who studied at Lord Wandsworth College and at Farnham College, has always had a keen interest in art.
When asked why he stood in the cold and rain for so long, he said: ÒIt was such a good opportunity to buy original works by artists that I would not be able to afford otherwise.Ó
He continues: ÒQueueing was a good laugh. I went with a few friends and we amused ourselves by playing football in front of the Royal Albert Hall. That was an experience.Ó
The RCA Secret exhibition features hundreds of postcards by famous artists and designers, including fashion designers Prada and Manolo Blahnik, Nick Park - the man behind Wallace and Gromit - and of course Damien Hirst.
The secret is that the buyer does not know if he has bought a pocket-sized masterpiece until the signature on the reverse of the card is revealed.
The sale attracts serious art lovers who, like Mr Hackman, are prepared to queue for days to get their hands on a bargain original.
Even if you are not lucky enough to find yourself with a postcard by a famous artist, chances are that you will have picked up a piece by one of the RCAÕs students, who are the stars of the future.
Mr Hackman has no plans to sell the cards at present.