Although it might be common to think that the most significant risk to art collectors is theft, the real danger is having it damaged when on the road. That’s where most claims in art come from: damage or loss in transit.
Of course, there are reasons for moving art. Institutions, artists and dealers use art shipping for loans to major exhibitions, commissions if it’s a business, or sending artwork as gifts. Art is on the move all the time, whether it’s across the country, overseas or to a gallery nearby. Wherever it’s needed, transportation is necessary.
Art shipping comes with many risks. They could be anything from improper packaging, leaving marks, to forklifts puncturing crates to sculptures loose in the back of a truck without proper packaging or improperly secured and damaged for good. Table legs can even make holes in painting while on the move.
When artwork is sitting safely on display on a wall or stand, it’s fine. It’s when it’s handled and starts to move that the complications happen and art is most exposed and vulnerable. Even works by famous artists have come to harm, such as a lost Picasso or a gashed Rembrandt. Very high-value pieces can quickly become valueless.
Sometimes art can go “on approval” to collectors to be reviewed in-person. If the collector sends back unwanted artwork without proper care, it can result in a loss of a buyer/seller relationship and any further sales.
There are no standard procedures or overarching regulators for art transportation. Making sure it gets there means taking an active part in choosing how it will go.
Handling and packing are critical to making sure it arrives intact. Because so many mistakes can happen, even a quick drop, it comes down to experience and knowing the hazards. That’s why so many buyers, sellers, artists and organizations use a professional service.
If you live in New Mexico, Pak Mail is a knowledgeable, professional and dedicated art shipping service right in Santa Fe.
Professionals are friendly and highly-trained experts in packing and shipping to ensure your items get there safely and without concerns. Pak Mail has served millions of satisfied customers and ships 35,000 paintings each year.
Pak Mail offers specialty packing with certified staff who assess dimensions and fragility and create custom solutions for items such as antiques, fine art, furniture, auction items and china and glass.
Pak Mail also works in partnership with truck, air and ocean transport companies, which means it can ship almost any item to anywhere in the world. Transport specialists work with less-than-truckload services, small packages and specialized carriers and look after all paperwork, confirmations and tracking to get artwork where it needs to go and in the condition in which it needs to arrive.
Contact us or get your free quote here!