Some people love fashion. When it is time to relocate, everyone knows how to pack clothes and shoes. But what about people who love art? They might have a great many pieces of art and won’t have a clue how to move them. Fortunately, some NYC moving companies offer fine art shipping services to their customers. If you hire such a reputable team of movers, they will make sure your artwork is moved safely and without difficulties.
What are the best fine art shipping services?
Most sculptures and paintings are really valuable. No one wants to part with such stuff. They bring esthetics and a unique philosophy into place. Therefore, the service of moving artwork should include packing that piece of art, preparing it for shipping, and then shipping, storing in storage facilities in Manhattan or elsewhere, insurance, and unpacking. Depending on the type and characteristics of the piece of art, the methods can vary. Needless to say, this is not a service you should save money on.
Packing before moving artwork
Fine art is usually fragile. You can’t simply put it into a moving box and send it away. It requires special attention and handling with care. Prior to transporting fine art, we must make sure it is packed well and safely. It is recommended that professionals should do that.
Packing paintings as part of fine art shipping services
Wrapping paintings with paper or clothing is not the right way to prepare them for shipping. It may be practical when you have to pack and move paintings locally, within a short distance. However, for longer journeys which include fine art shipping services, it is not a good option. So crating is the best way to pack paintings. That means a wooden crate is built and placed around the painting.
Crates will protect the painting against numerous dangers. Some of them are as follows:
- other boxes, furniture, and cargo containers that can slide and hit the painting
- humidity and harsh temperatures that can occur when transporting fine art
- improper and careless handling of the painting during the move
Packing sculptures for shipping
Sculptures vary in size, shape, and weight. For that reason, every sculpture requires an individual way of packing. Before moving artwork, such as sculptures, it is essential to do the crating right. The safest way is by using a foam-padded crate. In order to take all prevention measures, you should get a crate that has built-in frameworks, padding, cushioning, and custom cribbing.
You can dismantle some sculptures into parts. That can also be a good solution, especially if it is really large. However, when that is not possible, fine art shipping services professionals should pack it and take it out of the initial place. Sometimes, cranes are useful for moving sculptures.
Before you move anything, you ought to check if the sculpture will fit the new place. You should measure the doorway, windows, walls, etc. There is no point in transporting fine art, such as sculptures, if you can’t bring them inside once the shipping is over.
Fine art shipping services by air
Traveling by airplanes is the fastest way of transportation. So it is the fastest when it comes to transporting fine art as well. However, it is the most expensive way. People generally use those services when it is really urgent to have a piece of art transported to a place far away. To illustrate, lots of artists pay for such services when they have exhibitions worldwide. For a distance between Europe and the USA, it usually takes several days to prepare, pack, transport, and unpack a painting or sculpture.
Fine art shipping services by sea
This way of freight forwarding is much more inexpensive than by air. On the other hand, it takes much more time when moving artwork by sea. Its greatest advantage is that ships are extremely practical for moving oversized items and tons of sculptures at once. Certainly, the price depends on the volume, weight, and mileage. Yet, shipping by sea, you can save money. For instance, you might have to rent two planes for your gigantic sculptures, which may fit only one ship.
Mind the customs when moving artwork abroad
If your pieces of art are being moved to another country, your freight forwarder or moving company should help you deal with customs clearance. Pay attention to all the laws and regulations of the country those items are going to. Some countries can still forbid the entrance with an item that may not respect the laws or promote some forbidden ideas. Censorship may affect the whole situation. Besides, check the paperwork that is necessary and get all the obligatory certificates.
Invest in insurance for fine art shipping services
The thing of the utmost importance is paying for the right insurance. Even with the most reputable and top-rated moving or freight-forwarding companies, unexpected things might happen. Without insurance, dealing with fraudulent movers can be very hard. With good insurance, you will have all guarantees. While transporting fine art, the hired company will be completely responsible in case of any damage or loss. Thus, you will be entitled to indemnification.
What about other specialty relocation items?
There are many more items that are either oversized or too fragile to be moved as usual. Apart from fine art shipping services, a lot of moving companies deal with pianos, antique furniture, billiard tables, etc. What is more, you may be thinking of preparing your car for shipping if you are moving abroad. Therefore, this is nothing strange or unusual. The most important thing is to find some good movers. Only the real professionals will take all necessary steps in order to protect all your belongings and transport them well.
