The Art of Shipping Art

From galleries to museums, from the casual collector to the aficionado, being sure that fragile and precious art gets to its destination safely, without damage, is an enormous challenge. Combine the fragility and intrinsic value of art objects and find the reason most knowledgeable dealers and connoisseurs choose professional services to transport their art objects. Pak Mail Centers offer an array of packaging, shipping, tracking and declared value choices to fit the most demanding and discriminating art transportation needs.

"The type of art, its value, its destination, the time requirements are all variables in a successful art shipment," said John Filipek, a six year Pak Mail veteran. "We handle each situation based on the set of variables we receive from our clients."

For example, a statue made of metal and of a simple construction and of lesser value might travel well in a double corrugated cardboard container if adequately protected with bubblewrap and packaging peanuts. The same sculpture made of ceramic material with a high value could require a solid wood crate lined with Styrofoam to assure that it arrives in perfect condition.

Alex Zai, Pak Mail's Vice President of Store Operations and International Development, recounts an art shipping story where several ornate porcelain masks were to be transported. Some of the masks had very complicated feather work on them and had to be carefully mounted on boards then packaged for shipping. All arrived safe and unruffled. Zai added, "In Memphis, Tennessee, we were asked to move a large limestone statute from a backyard to the homeowner's new home which required the use of a crane, crate and truck. We are happy to report that it arrived in its new backyard safe and sound thanks to the expertise and ingenuity of the Pak Mail owner and operator in that area."

Pictures present a whole different set of challenges. If a picture is an original painting, wrapping first with acid free paper will assure that the plastic packaging material does not stick to the paint on the picture which would result in considerable damage. Heat, humidity and carrier selections are all elements of a proper shipment decision scenario.

The careful selection of a carrier is essential to ensure safe transportation of precious art. UPS and FedEx may be ideal carrier choices for smaller objects; for larger artwork, a network of truck, ship or air cargo transporters provide solutions. Pak Mail maintains national accounts with all of the leading carriers to assure safe, economical and tailor-made art transportation.

The nationwide Pak Mail Declared Value Program provides coverage in the event of loss or damage. John Filipek says, "We can provide coverage up to $50,000 per package for any art shipment on our own, and with a simple phone call, our coverage options are virtually unlimited. An essential component when offering full service art shipping services."

The industry term "Museum Quality Shipping" was never more appropriate than in regards to a recent museum closing in New Zealand. The Pak Mail Franchise there shipped over 3,000 pieces of cultural treasure. The entire project took nearly 2 months to complete and was totally successful.

There are more than 360 Pak Mail Centers operating in North American and 60 international locations in sixteen countries.