When using an art courier, the security and safety of your valuable paintings and antiques will be the first thing you want to know about. How secure are courier services? What do they use to protect your pieces from both damage and theft?
In this article, we answer the question of how secure art couriers are so you can decide how to transport your items.
How Are Antiques, Paintings & Art Protected From Damage?
The first security questions you will have are about how your precious goods are protected against accidental damage. Transportation can be a tricky business when old and delicate pieces of furniture, for example, are transported. This can especially be true if you try to do it yourself, use a regular moving company, or a ‘man with a van’ service.
That’s why in the first instance, we always recommend using a professional art courier service.
The best way to ensure your art, paintings or antique furniture are kept secure during transit, is to ensure they are properly packaged. Particular care must be taken when packaging pieces that are delicate, such as furniture with fine details, mirrors, or paintings that are already fragile.
There is a wide range of packing materials that can be used to transport antiques and paintings, which will vary depending on the materials your piece is made from, and what condition it is in.
When you use our art courier services, you can package your items yourself or we can do it for you. Many customers opt for the latter as it gives them additional peace of mind that their goods will be secure.
The second part of keeping items safe during transit is how we load pieces onto our vans. Thankfully, the vehicles we use have been specifically adapted to transport art and antiques – your items don’t just get piled on top of each other and mixed in with other deliveries. For additional security, we also use crates for each larger item.
With us, your items are protected from damage as well as they can be and we’re happy to report we never have any losses or accidents! Our staff are experts at handling art and other valuable items so there is no throwing boxes around here like you might find with traditional courier services.
How Do Couriers Protect Art From Theft?
The second issue on many people’s minds when it comes to transporting antiques and art, is theft. Or maybe it’s not but it has to be for us! Unfortunately, the theft of antiques and art is common, so it is a topic that has to be on our radar and is a scenario that we plan for.
To reduce the risk of theft, our custom art transportation vans are unmarked so they don’t draw attention – we don’t have our company name or anything on our plain white vans. Because believe it or not, thieves do specifically target art couriers.
A notable example of theft during transportation was that of the painting, Children with a Cart by Francisco de Goya. The painting was on its way to the Guggenheim Museum in New York, when the van carrying it was targeted by thieves. Thankfully, the painting was recovered!
A second security measure we have in place should the worst happen and an entire vehicle is stolen, is the satellite tracking devices our vans are fitted with. Would-be thieves would soon be traced and apprehended.
Luckily, this type of theft is rare but it is always best to be prepared, and we want our customers to have complete peace of mind when using our art transport services.
Aardvark Art Services
Established in 1998, Aardvark Art Services has been transporting art up and down the nation for over 20 years.
Whether you’re wanting to relocate fine art, antiques, or sculptures, our exceptionally specialised team will travel almost anywhere in England, Scotland, and Wales. Our services also include storage facilities as well as expert packing facilities to ensure your antiques and art is being transported securely and safely.
Plenty of our customer and client base is made up of museums and galleries, exhibits, and private collectors. If you have any artwork, commissioned, bought, or self-made, that you want to relocate – don’t hesitate to contact us!
Your pieces will get from point A to point B in tip-top condition! Still got questions about our services? Just ask!