CAN you spot the hand of Grayson Perry, a former Turner prizewinner, or Tracey Emin, who made her name with a stained bed at the Tate, among these artworks?

If you can, a piece potentially worth thousands of pounds could be yours for just £35.

Art lovers are challenged to rely on their visual sense rather than a label when they visit the Royal College of Art in London next month. The annual “RCA Secret”, now in its 12th year, has given people the chance to buy original works by such contemporary masters as David Hockney, Eduardo Paolozzi and Frank Auerbach.

Each year, hundreds of visitors descend on the RCA in the hope of buying a bargain. Many suffer for their art, camping for nights on the pavement outside the building in Kensington Gore, London. This year about 1,000 international artists, celebrities and students have transformed more than 2,000 blank postcards into works of art. Some are submitting up to four works in a variety of media.

Buyers cannot be sure of the artist’s identity until they buy the postcard: each one is anonymous. The signature is on the back and is revealed only at the cashdesk. The risk is minimal, as each postcard is an original work of art that costs no more than the price of a print.

The exhibition is open for viewing from November 18 to 24. The first sale day is November 25, starting at 8am, and arriving early is advised.

Regulars include Carlito Briones, a foreign exchange manager from London, who two years ago survived three days of torrential rain and biting wind huddled under a tarpaulin. It was worth it: he went home to a warm bath with two drawings by Emin.

Peter Sargeant, of London, has been going since 1997, although until then he had not been particularly interested in art. The sale inspired him to find out more and, at 75, he enrolled for an Open University degree in art history. He said that the event had opened his eyes and “created a passion”.

Postcards already delivered to the RCA include images by the fashion designer Sonia Rykiel; James Dyson, a former RCA student and creator of the Dyson cleaners; the photographer David Bailey; Olafur Eliasson, whose dazzling installation at Tate Modern, The Weather Project, attracted two million visitors; and the illustrator Quentin Blake.

Money raised goes to the Royal College of Art Fine Art Student Award Fund, which helps to support emerging artists during their time at the College.

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