Auction buyers are some of the most frequent clients of fine art logistics companies. The reason for that is simple: once you have made your purchase, you need to ensure safe transportation of the item to your place. You might be participating in a sale in person and only require a local delivery service, or you might be bidding online from another part of the country, meaning you need a long-distance shipping service. Regardless of your location, nothing should compromise the security of your valuables. Let’s discuss the process of fine art delivery from an auction house to help you better understand it and feel more comfortable entrusting your prize possessions to strangers.
The Necessary Steps of Fine Art Delivery from an Auction House
Packing/crating
The first thing a professional art logistics company must do before proceeding with art delivery from an auction house is packing or crating valuables properly. To decide whether your newly purchased work of art requires regular packaging or something a little bit more secure, like a custom-made wooden crate, art handlers assess its size, weight, shape, and condition. Art shippers sometimes perform crating onsite, but more often, they take the item to their specialized warehouse first.
Transportation
This stage is easier said than done. Loading artwork into a truck and driving it to the destination is only simple if you disregard everything that needs to be considered during transit. Art handlers must ensure that their client’s valuables are securely fixated inside the vehicle to prevent them from moving and that climate control and security systems function properly. They vigilantly watch over your belongings until they finally arrive at the final destination.
Unpacking/uncrating
Unpacking might seem like an obvious step, but it is worth noting that it is much better when it is done by professionals. Opening a wooden crate wrong or rushing the process might result in a catastrophe, rendering the efforts of an entire team of art handlers pointless.
Installation
Some art collectors and almost all art institutions prefer to store their artworks in art storage facilities. There, pieces can be stored for years without needing to be released from their crates. However, when a work of art needs to be displayed as soon as it arrives, an art installation service can help.
There is a lot more nuance to art delivery from an auction house than it might appear. If you require assistance shipping your valuables after an auction locally or nationally, consider contacting a fine art logistics company to ensure a smooth and stress-free art transportation experience.