Protecting the priceless: Moving your customers’ valuables and fine art

Protecting the priceless: Moving your customers’ valuables and fine art

Moving day. It’s one of the most stressful days in the life of your customer. Often that stress is compounded by another life event such as a job change, divorce or family death. And customers who have high value antiques or artwork to be moved have yet another layer of stress.

When it comes to moving antiques, fine art and other high value items, it’s all about the packing. Even if pieces are handled with the utmost care, they can still be damaged in a move if they’re not properly packed with the right packing materials.

Below are some best practices for moving your customers’ high value items:

Antiques

When you’re preparing to move antiques or any fragile or valuable piece be cautious and carefully establish expectations with the customer, with these points in mind:

1. Antiques should not be disassembled, and definitely not by the mover.
2. Most antique furniture items are actually put together with original wooden pegs and glue, and likely are going to fall apart during shipping.
3. Any change in climatic conditions will cause swelling and/or shrinking of the wood, and this is considered inherent vice that is NOT covered by the insurance.
4. Original glass on antique items is NOT replaceable with antique glass, only NEW glass.

For these reasons, among others, it is recommended that ONLY third party companies specializing in these items should actually attempt any disassembly/reassembly if it is necessary, along with crating. Most antique furniture is fragile and delicate and smaller furniture items such as chairs and end tables should be boxed, after careful wrapping using soft blankets – not plastic.

High Value Items

1. Secure any loose or removable parts to reduce the chances of damage in transit.
2. Secure doors with strings or rubber straps.
3. Remove fragile handles and tape them inside drawers.
4. Remove or tape and secure glass panels and mirrors with padding and stretch wrap.
5. Put all hardware and other components in labeled plastic bags, and store those bags in a designated box.

After properly wrapping items, consider using wooden crates for more protection of especially delicate pieces like a crystal chandelier. Many moving companies offer to make custom crates for pieces of an unusual size or shape. And savvy companies reduce the risk of damage further by using decking in their trucks to keep items from coming in contact with others during transport.

Collectibles

Packing dolls and figurines requires several steps as follows:

1. Carefully individually wrap any delicate extended parts in tissue.
2. Then, tissue wrap the entire item.
3. Then, place bubble wrap around the tissue or pack in peanuts.
4. Pack a small amount of collectibles inside a book carton.
5. Pack two book cartons inside a dishpack.

China, crystal and delicate porcelain should be individually wrapped in tissue paper and placed in specially designed, compartmented containers. Plates should be positioned standing on their edge, and stemware should be packed in individual corrugated cylinders.

Fine Art

Fine art which is valued at $5,000 or more must be put into a custom wood crate. Fine art valued at $10,000 or more must be packed by a certified third party.

A good choice for wrapping artwork is Dartek, an interwoven, plastic, acid-free archival material that lets the artwork breathe, which is important with oil paintings. Sculptures and paintings should never be wrapped directly in bubble wrap. If the bubbles pop, they can leave marks on the artwork. Once wrapped, artwork can be packed into cardboard boxes, one way shipping crates, or custom-made crates for transport. Marking packages “This End Up” is crucial for framed paintings and sketches, especially charcoals, pastels and watercolors. Since these are often hinge-mounted and secured in the top two corners of their frames, turning one upside-down can cause the mounting points to become dislodged, which might wrinkle the piece or require reframing.

Moving Company Insurance  

As always, it’s important to make sure that your moving company insurance is adequate and that you follow FVP regulations when communicating with moving customers. To learn more about the added protection of our all-new FVP Insurance, download our Get Started Kit today.

Safely transporting antiques, artwork and other valuables is obviously more tedious and time consuming than moving furniture. But with proper precautions and proper packaging materials, you can assure your customers that their valuables are being handled with the greatest care. Helping them keep their valuables intact for years to come will give them peace of mind. And it’ll no doubt bring you repeat business.