When it comes to choosing a fine art shipper, there are a few things you should look out for and some questions you should ask. In this post, we are going to show you what to look out for when choosing the right courier to handle your fine art, antiques, or other art pieces.
Shipping Fine Art
When you are looking for services from any business you need to know what green and red flags to look out for and shipping fine art or antiques is no different.
When it comes to handling, moving, and shipping fine art this can be especially important as high-value goods are involved so customers which can include collectors, galleries and museums, and artists, need to feel confident they are choosing the right company.
It goes without saying that shipping fine art isn’t as simple as popping your painting in a bubble wrap envelope and using a standard courier or the postal service.
Shipping fine art needs to be undertaken by specialist art shippers who know what they are doing, how to get your art from A to B in good condition, and who know how to instil confidence in their customers.
So, without further ado, what are ‘green flags’ to look for in a fine art shipping company and how should you choose a service?
Green Flags When Choosing A Fine Art Shipper
Here are some of the good elements you should look out for when choosing an art shipping service.
Experience
When you are looking for an art shipping company check what sort of experience they already have. For example, how many years has the business successfully operated? What sort of clients have they worked with? What value of goods are they used to handling?
Here at Aardvark Art, we have been shipping fine art for over 20 years, our long track record gives clients confidence that we know what we are doing when it comes to moving art around. Our clients past and present include galleries, museums, artists, and of course collectors and auction houses.
We are also confident handling high-value goods thanks to our track record of safe delivery and security procedures.
Accreditations
Choose a fine art shipper that has relevant qualifications and accreditations. For art shippers, this needs to include certifications within the art industry and also the delivery/road haulage industry.
Shipping art is a specialist job because service providers need to be reliable as a delivery service but also have experience specifically in the art world.
At Aardvark Art, we seek to reassure our customers of our experience by being an approved LAPADA Service Provider. So, although we are not dealers or sellers ourselves, our LAPADA membership demonstrates we specialise in this area.
We are also members of the Road Haulage Association and operate our service under the RHA Conditions of Carriage.
Staff Training
Are the staff that work for your fine art shipper suitably trained and experienced in handling art? Moving art needs additional exceptional care and the right people to handle, wrap, and transport valuable pieces.
Our team at Aardvark Art are experienced or has received lots of in-house training to ensure they handle all the pieces we transport with the utmost care.
Facilities
Shipping fine art is more than putting pieces in a van and sending them on their travels, packing and storage must also be considered. Choose an art shipper that has its own secure premises for storing art and a team experienced in packing fine art.
Of course, you can always wrap your valuable paintings for shipping yourself, but paying professionals to take care of such an important job is the best option for many dealers, galleries, and artists.
Safety & Security
Finally, when you are choosing an art shipper you must check out their safety and security protocols and credentials. Unfortunately, art theft is a thing and choosing a supplier that is prepared is better for the long run. Art shippers should have their own procedures and insurance for theft and how to minimise the chances of this occurring.
You can read in a previous post just how we keep our customer’s paintings safe and secure when shipping, and why we take security seriously!
Choose Aardvark Art
We hope this post has been helpful in giving you a few pointers when it comes to choosing a fine art shipper – making a choice can be tricky when there are several providers out there but hopefully, we have pointed out some of the key reasons our art transportation service is so reliable and many choose us to handle their precious pieces.
If you want to ship fine art, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your needs, answer any questions, and provide a quote.