Shipping Paintings

[mcqueen]

Has anyone had this problem? I've been knocked out of a sale because customer thought shipping was too high I guess, but they need to be crated somehow for safety, and it's not cheap! UPS Stores will even do it, but it is still $$$$$. You cant just throw it in a box. Guess I'll start painting smaller.

[artistonthemesa]

You can save some money by setting up your own UPS account number online or taking it directly to a UPS customer counter (not the UPS Store) and packing the painting yourself. Just be sure it is double boxed, with a minimum of 3" of packing on all sides of the art and an additional 3" of packing between the 2 boxes. If there is glass, you need to pack it separately from the artwork, just in case the glass does break, then it will not damage the art. Do not use styofoam peanuts because they shift too much, use something sturdy like foam, bubble wrap, wadded packing paper, etc.

I paint acrylics on canvas, so I actually use 2 corrugated cardboard pieces the same size of the painting and tape one to the front and one to the back. I place that in the first box with 3" of bubble wrap or wadded packing paper on all sides. Then, place that into the larger box with the 3" bubble wrap/packing paper on all sides.

[robertkernodle]

A twelve-inch thick package for an inch and a half canvas seems excessive. Seems to me like you need to put a surface protecting sheet (wax paper like) on the face of the painting, then place between two sturdy boards, then a waterproofing bag, then put all this in the bigger box with three inches of padding around all edges.

As for a customer balking, well,... I guess that could be a problem, but I'd show them the price chart of the shipper that precalculated the cost, and remind them that you're dealing with an absolute original painting that cannot be easily replaced (if at all), because of the rough handling that routinely goes on in the high-paced, high-volume world of shipping.

There is a standard for protecting items that are shipped. There's a reason for this. Not adhering to this standard gurantees that the items WILL be damaged in transit.