“I have a sideboard table I’d like to ship to my daughter in Miami. It’s perfect for her new home,” Anne said. “My only concern is it is pretty old – practically an antique! – and I don’t want it to get broken. What do I need to do to ship antique furniture successfully?”
We asked the best shipping store in Boston for tips for shipping antique furniture. Here’s what they had to say:
Make sure you have a current appraisal for your furniture. For insurance purposes and to protect your investment in the furniture, it’s a good idea to have antique furniture appraised before shipping or moving it.
Clean and dry your furniture before it is packed for moving. It’s important that the piece be dry so no moisture causes issue during the shipping process. For this reason it is a good best practice to clean the piece several days to a week before you need to ship it.
Carefully wrap and secure your furniture for moving. The best practices for each different type of furniture vary, so if you’re not sure how to do this, consult with your local shipping store. The key points to keep in mind is you want to be sure no pieces of the furniture will be moving independently while being shipped, and that fragile pieces are adequately supported.
Pack furniture securely in appropriate boxes or crates. Again, this is an area where your local shipping store that specializes in shipping antique furniture may be a great resource. It’s important to pack antique furniture in boxes that are just large enough for the piece of furniture and the appropriate amount of protective cushioning materials. If your piece of furniture is large enough to require a wooden shipping crate, often the best solution is to have a crate custom built to fix exactly.