Large companies like Amazon have made shipping consumer goods seem like a relatively quick and easy process but that doesn’t necessarily translate the same when it comes to shipping fine art products.
Realistically, it can be easy to ignore questions about how to ship fine art until it gets to the point where you have to actually do it. But it doesn’t have to be something that’s difficult. It just requires plenty of planning and thought.
Knowing the basics of shipping artwork safely, both domestically and internationally, will help you. Whether you’re new to buying and shipping artwork or have been in the business for years now.
Shipping Artwork: What You Need to Consider
When you’ve purchased art that needs to be shipped, or have just made a commission that you need to send, there are things you should consider.
- Dimensions / Weight of the art piece
- Condition of the artwork
- Distance the art needs to travel to the destination
Dimensions
Seems obvious but it really is an important aspect to consider. Small works of art are lighter and transported easier in comparison to those larger projects. Plus, the size of an artwork needs to fit in the space you have so you really need to consider it’s dimensions before the purchase is made.
This aspect of an artwork affects both how easy it is to transport and the cost of shipping it. When quotes are made for shipping artwork, they’re often based on easy access which comes from the size. Smaller artworks are easier to get into buildings, rooms, in smaller spaces. On top of that, they’re also usually lighter which means carrying them is easy.
A heavy and large piece that requires more people to get it to its destination which will put the costs up.
Condition
Up-to-date condition reports are crucial throughout the process of shipping artwork. From point A to B if the journey is silent, no party involved will want to take the brunt of the responsibility for a damaged piece of art.
Consistent and regular reports on the condition of the piece during its shipping journey will help to put liability on the transport service if care is not taken during transportation.
Distance
One of the other factors that affects cost is the distance that the artwork is going. Of course, the closer the destination the cheaper the shipping cost.
International and overseas shipping costs will always be the more expensive option out of domestic and international. That’s something you need to prepare for if you’re allowing non-nationals to purchase artwork.
The Costs of Shipping Artwork
Regardless of the purchase price, shipping artwork is expensive. Truthfully, it is hard to cut the costs of shipping, especially where irreplaceable or fragile fine art objects are involved.
There are a few things you can actually do, however, to minimise your shipping costs when it comes to transporting fine art.
Ship Pieces Together
There are times where you get charged for each piece you ship, even if they’re all being sent within the same shipment. Fortunately, this is usually on the low side as many transportation services charge based on the service. There may be a slightly increased price simply based off the fact that there’s more cargo, but this can end up being cheaper than if you were to ship the art pieces one by one.
Self-Packing Artwork
If you have the right materials or have trained staff that are capable of packing an artwork to professional standards, then feel free to self-pack everything. When it comes to transporting and shipping artwork, many companies out there also offer a packing service. Unfortunately, not every business offers this service for free.
Having the ability to do it yourself will save you money but if you don’t know how to do it, it is worth paying for the service. It ensures that your art pieces are well protected and sustain as minimal damage as possible throughout the transporting journey.
Aardvark’s Transportation Services
Aardvark Art Services has more than 20 years of experience when it comes to safely, securely transporting fine art and antiques. And we provide first-class courier services. Services that bring peace of mind to many – artists, private collectors, art dealers, museums and galleries, and even auctioneers.
Our Fine Art Courier Service
For every single one of our customers, we offer a nationwide door-to-door service. All-day deliveries start from 8AM and last until 7PM – plenty of time for our team to get your art to you efficiently.
We also use specially adapted vehicles. They are unmarked and satellite tracked to ensure safe arrival of any and all art pieces, whether that’s just one piece or a whole collection. Aardvark Art Services’ team will get it to where it needs to be and they’ll do it with care.
The Antique Courier Service
Do you have irreplaceable, fragile antiques? We can help you transport those, too! Our transportation services extend to all art objects, including antiques of all shapes and sizes so don’t worry about a thing.
Everything will be professionally handled by us, including the packing of your antique before transporting it in our custom vans.
Trust Aardvark Art Services
With a reputable transportation service, Aardvark Art Services is an expert and professional art transportation service. You can trust us to move your pieces from location A to location B easily, without hassle and sustaining no damage.
Simply get in touch with our team here at Aardvark for more information about our antique and fine art shipping services.