Shipping items overseas has never been an easy task, but when it comes to art, things become even more complicated. Artworks – be they paintings, sculptures, fine art prints, or antiques – always come across as hard-to-deal freight. Whenever you need to ship art internationally, you would rather be theoretically prepared because the practical part might seem quite challenging. However, even the neatest preparation cannot guarantee you a 100% success.

Let’s look closely at some common mistakes that many people tend to make regularly. Knowing them is essential; avoiding them is mandatory if you want to get a positive experience during the shipping process and end up with undamaged artworks in the end.

6 common mistakes to avoid when shipping art internationally

1. Ignoring customs regulations

When you are shipping artworks to another state or across the country, the process is pretty straightforward because you shouldnot worry much about any regulations and necessary documents. However, if you want to ship fine art outside your country, the situation becomes much trickier. The thing is that every country or even specific region has its own regulations and customs in terms of shipping and freight forwarding.

Do your homework and conduct research regarding the rules and regulations of the country where you want to ship your art. If you fail to do that, you risk finding yourself in a sticky situation. It will either result in delayed delivery or a returned shipment. In case you have problems, you can also reach out to a trade consultant or a freight forwarder, who will help you go into the matter.

2. Poor quality packaging

Artworks are priceless. That is why their safety is your top priority. There are lots of reasons why a shipment may get damaged during transportation. Of course, you can opt for air shipping, which is considereda safer option as compared to sea shipping, but the problem here is of another kind.

The quality of the packaging is what really matters. For this reason, if you are going to pack your art pieces yourself, it is highly recommended that you use only proven techniques and quality materials to minimize the risks. You can also avoid this mistake by hiring professional art handlerswho will pack everything for you.

3. Choosing an unreliable shipping company

There is a tendency to choose cheap or most hyped shipping companies, but that is inherently wrong. If you love to face problems, then it is okay, but if you go for safe and secure art transportation, then it is better to choose other criteria for estimation.

First and foremost, it is better to hire specialized fine art shippers proficient in shipping art internationally. How to check their experience? Just look at the number of transactions and clients that the company has.Second, do not be afraid to ask questions. Try to learn about the shippers as much as possible before entrusted them with shipping your valuables.

4. Neglecting art insurance

These days, people insure almost everything in their lives, so why not insure art? Art insurance is never redundant because it guarantees coverage if anything awful happens to your precious works of art. There are two ways to get insured: standard insurance(do not confuse it with comprehensive one),which isfrequently provided by freight companies, and third-party art insurance provided byspecialized insurance agencies.

In a nutshell, the latter is markedly better. Although private insurers ask a higher price for their services, they are going to offer a lot more beneficial and reliable coverage than it would be in the first scenario.

5. Mislabeling a package

Putting wrong shipping labels on your package is the easiest and fastest way to have your artwork(s) mixed up with other items or even lost. Well, you can get away with delays and increased shipping costs, but the end can be far more dismal.

Labels have to reflect the relevant information, such as postal code, country, date, package quantity, and specification of content, especially if you are shipping something fragile like fine art or glass items.

6. Miscalculating the time

Timing is everything when it comes to shipping abroad. If you do not calculate total transit time correctly, things can simply go awry. This is a common mistake for those who ship art to customers or art galleries when some important matters depend on the arrival. In such a case, you have to be as precise as possible because this is something influencing your reputation.

To plan everything right, you have to include all the factors affecting the procedure when analyzing the time expenditure. Then, it would be wise to calculate time under normal and unfavorable circumstances to prepare yourself for any delays.

In conclusion

Hopefully, these mistakes will serve you a lesson if you need your artworks to be shipped overseas. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Learn from the mistakes of others…”Everything that remains is to embrace them and put the knowledge into practice.