There are several routes to choose from when shipping artwork: you can either hire a professional art logistics company or handle everything on your own. The benefits of opting for the help of experts are innumerable. But what happens if you decide to forgo getting professional assistance and rely entirely on yourself?
Shipping Artwork on Your Own? Things to Consider
Of course, there are certain advantages of shipping artwork on your own. For example, if you do enough research and closely follow the instructions written by professionals, you can figure out which materials should be used to safely pack a piece of art so that it can be shipped by a regular carrier. This is not a universal solution, but it might work for works of art that do not have special handling requirements.
But what are you losing if you decide not to enlist professional services? Well, first, you will have to buy all the packing supplies yourself. If you are not careful, you risk overspending on things you do not actually need. Besides, if you do not get the correct materials or get ones of low quality, you will put your valuables in serious danger. Plus, even with all the right supplies, you are not immune to making mistakes out of inexperience.
And that is not even to mention that certain packaging cannot be purchased in regular stores. For instance, shipping artwork that is heavy, large, fragile, or expensive without a wooden art crate is a very reckless idea. Nevertheless, you will not be able to get one without having professionals build it for you. Building a shipping crate on your own is also a very tricky task that amateurs should not be attempting to tackle. After all, art crates are not just wooden boxes — they are complex structures that often have more than one protective layer.
Moving onto our last point, we want to remind you that even if nothing has ever happened to your valuables during transportation before, that is not a guarantee that they will be completely safe in the future. Art insurance is essential to ensure that when something does go wrong, your insurance company will compensate you for your trouble.
To make an informed decision, you need to be aware of the risks you are taking. Acting on impulse is your worst enemy, so always keep the advice of experts in mind.