Art Tip Tuesday: Cost of Shipping & Insuring Fine Art

Three costs that will affect the price of shipping fine art

by Brittany Goodwin

Moving fine art is a delicate process, and one that needs to go perfectly — both for peace of mind and for the sake of the work itself. 

There are several reputable companies offering fine art shipping in New York City, but not all will disclose fees to the casual shopper. 

There are three main costs that will affect the total price of transporting fine art: crating, shipping fees and insurance. And depending on the piece, any of these could be the largest source of cost.

For example, a highly valuable but small piece of art will have high insurance costs but low crating and shipping charges. A large heavy piece like a statue or installation will have higher crating charges and much higher shipping costs. 

But in all cases, the total cost of properly transporting the artwork will be small compared to its value. 

Crating Fine Art

Fine art should be shipped in a special crate designed for this purpose. It should never be shipped in a regular box, even with padding, nor should it be shipped in a crate that is too large. The crate should match the size of the piece.

Related Story: The Artistry of Moving Art

For standard size paintings and small statues, pre-made crates are available. The price varies and ranges from $150 to $260. For larger or oddly sized pieces, a custom crate will need to be built, which an art mover can build upon request. 

Shipping Costs

Once the art is crated the piece can be shipped through a commercial carrier, including the U.S. Post Office, UPS and FedEx. Another option is to hire a transportation service that specializes in moving unique items. 

Hiring a fine art shipping service means professionals will manage artwork at all stages of the move. Costs can be in the low hundreds for a standard oil painting or the mid to high hundreds for a larger piece. For very large or heavy pieces, costs may run up to $10,000 but this is rare. When shipping within the United States, most art fees are well under $1,000.

Insuring Fine Art Shipment

Insurance is a must for all fine art moving. With the U.S. Post Office or UPS, expect to pay insurance on top of the shipping charge. 

With a professional mover, typical insurance is included in the shipping costs. Expect insurance to run approximately 1% of the total value of the piece. 

The best way to get a more precise estimate is to speak directly to a fine art shipper. Note that exact prices will depend on the piece.

Brittany Goodwin

Brittany Goodwin is a digital marketing professional and freelance writer in the Greater Philadelphia area. She enjoys traveling and loves learning new things. Goodwin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Rutgers University.

Keep up with Goodwin on LinkedIn
Follow her on Twitter @go0dwinbrittany
And Instagram @goodwinbrittany  

The Artistry of Moving Art

3 Methods Professionals Use to Transport Fine Art

by Brittany Goodwin

Whether you're an artist or an art collector, we can all agree that original works of art are irreplaceable and invaluable. Art is extremely precious, whether it is an oil painting, a marble sculpture, or some other creative masterpiece, which makes it important to properly and safely transport it from place to place. And when you live in big artsy cities like Berlin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, or Paris, transporting fine works of art can be chaotic and worrisome because there is no easy way to move them without the risk of damage.

Artists and art curators can all relate to the struggles and frustrations of the delicate process of transporting art. So what can you do if you need to safely move a piece of fine art through a city where unexpected mishaps and accidents can happen? Hire a professional fine art mover! 

The following are three techniques that professional fine art movers use to safely and securely transport works of art.

Custom Built Crates

If you've crafted a piece of art that is more than a painting, you will get a peace-of-mind with a custom built crate, which can house any masterpiece. Custom built crates make it possible to move anything from large sculptures to delicate vintage musical instruments. Trusting the fine art movers to house your work in custom built crates is a sure fire way to get your piece to the next exhibition safely. 

Hoisting and Rigging

As you can imagine, there are major difficulties of getting a large work of art on a platform or a rooftop. To the average eye, the task may look impossible. However, all you need is the right type of manpower and the equipment to get that piece of work into position. Professional fine art movers have access to cranes and hoisting equipment to safely lift and place large works in their next exhibition hall. 

Handle With Care

Professional art movers will take care of your work with delicacy to ensure it will arrive to its next destination intact. Whether it is a framed painting or in a storage tube, you can rely on the professionals to safely handle it as if it were part of their own personal collection. 

With the above points, it is safe to say that you can let the professionals transport and move your art because no artist or art curator would want to risk damaging fine art by trying to move it themselves. Whether you are putting your art up for a public display or you're simply moving to a new location and need to take your work with you, be sure to get help from the professionals.

Brittany Goodwin

Brittany Goodwin is a digital marketing professional and freelance writer in the Greater Philadelphia area. She enjoys traveling and loves learning new things. Goodwin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Rutgers University.

Keep up with Goodwin on LinkedIn
Follow her on Twitter @go0dwinbrittany
And Instagram @goodwinbrittany  

The Media is Not Trying to Distract You

Guest Post: by Felicia Speakes

So, there’s been a lot going on in the media lately. Just about every week, a Black person becomes a victim of a crime. Either nine Black people are shot at church by a racist, or a cop kills a Black person during a “routine” traffic stop. With the onslaught of social media, we’re consuming these stories like food at a buffet line. All it takes is one photo or one headline and BOOM! … a story and the fallacies and opinions that come along with have traveled across the country and half way around the world.

Guest Post: 4 Tips to Launch & Preserve Your Personal Brand

(Created by TC's Views via Canva.com)

Depending on what career path you’ve taken, you’ve probably blended into the culture of personal branding. Artists, bloggers, business owners, entrepreneurs, journalist, musicians and writers are just a short list of people who focuses on their individual trademark in the digital world.

OK, so you may think that having a personal brand may be a bit narcissistic. You may be right but you should reconsider especially if you’re trying to increase your chances of making a career move or launching that great idea you’ve been dreaming about. 

In this guest article, Marsha Friedman, who is the author of Celebritize Yourself, shares four things you can do to get your personal brand up and running.  

Guest Post: Blacks With Money Spotted in Church

American culture tends to focus on material items and how many zeros a person has in their annual salary. One trend I wish I saw more of is advice on how to invest those zeros, especially within minority communities. If more American minorities knew how to invest their money wisely, imagine the positive impact it would have on the U.S. economy. One of the issues facing minorities and investing is that financial advisors don’t know how to approach particular groups.  

In 2011, a colleague of mine brought a story to my attention and asked me to think about it. When I read the article about financial advisors having difficulty tapping into the African American community for new clients I wondered why.