Any antique can be ruined by an unsightly mark, blemish or crack. Besides their sentimental value, damage decreases the antiques worth and repair can be costly. Whether you’re taking your antiques to a roadshow, selling them on or moving house, simply follow this guide to put your mind at rest whilst your (hopefully) valuable antiques are safely transported.
How to prepare
With fragile goods of this nature it is important to describe your antiques to your chosen transport provider or man with a van courier. Always let the transporter provider know what the dimensions and weight of the items is. If there are any provisos when it comes to the handling and transportation of your antiques, let it be know to the courier beforehand. Always mark your boxes as fragile as well as writing down your name, in case any confusion or complications arise. It could also prove beneficial to photograph your antiquities from all angles to prove whether any damages occurred during transit. Write an inventory of all your antiques if know you are going have more than one moved at a time; you can then tick them off the list upon arrival (after checking for damages of course).
Ask your antique couriers as many questions as possible. Have they had experience moving antique goods? Does their insurance cover the damage of your antiques? Is the equipment they use best suited for the transport of antiques, including loading and unloading? These are the types of questions you should ask before committing yourself to a transport provider. Check past reviews of any courier service to make sure they have not got a history of damaging goods.
In some cases it may be best to hire a professional antiques courier to keep peace of mind when moving specialty goods and items.
Wrapping your antiques
Newspaper and bubble wrap will be your best friend when it comes to packaging your antiquities. If you are transporting glass or porcelain make sure to wrap and double wrap; cracks and shattered glass are hard to repair!. Scrunch up the newspaper as much as possible and place it inside your glass or porcelain items. Any items that are highly valued, hold a lot of sentimental value or are delicate should be packaged with bubble wrap and foam sheets. Whenever you deliver your antiques you will need to use blankets. Remember, thicker blankets will generally be needed for larger and heavier antiques. Use softer material when working with scratchable surfaces.
Never attempt to stuff many items into one box, especially if they are mismatched in shape and weight. For example you would be playing a very risky game if you transported fragile items with particularly heavy goods. You will want to use packaging filler such as styro-foam peanuts or humble newspaper to fill out any space inside your boxes.”
If the item is light or small, it makes sense that it transported on top of heavier goods. Transport providers are there to help you out, so if you spot something being done incorrectly, let them know.