One of the perks of being a sameday courier is that we get to deliver some amazing works of art for art galleries and for people who 
have made private sales. Art is fairly easy to deliver and goes on a dedicated vehicle as they are the only ones to have enough insurance normally to cover the value.
Art delivery by courier services include:
- Paintings, portraits, canvasses
- Sculpture
- Equipment (we have delivered a cement mixer for an artist once!)
- Materials
Frames can be the most awkward part. Too fragile to go via the post and not cost effective enough to go via a dedicated delivery.
The secret to almost all safe courier deliveries is the packaging and if you skimp on the packaging you are going to have problems.
People think that by saving money on the packaging and recycling they are doing the planet some good as well as saving some money. When packaging frames or small paintings, you need strong rigid packaging and recycled card has lost some of that strength. The frame or painting will need support, rigid polystyrene is best but poly chips will suffice. Rigid tubes should be used to provide support and bubble wrap to hold it all together.
When your frames or paintings are wrapped, send it by the best service you can afford. The better the service the more likely you are to get your item to it’s end destination.
- Remember, glass is not covered by any courier and not by any postal service that I have come across yet, despite what they say – check the small print or you will be out of pocket.
If it were down to me, I would advise the galleries and framing shops to send the paintings/frames out weekly and to send them via a dedicated vehicle for the day. It may work out more than the post, but the savings made on packaging and breakages will more than make up for it.
Kevin
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