Tips for Moving Antiques

When it comes to art and antiques, moving a priceless treasure is no small feat. There are many considerations to make when moving a painting, piece of pottery, tall case clock, or other precious object.

Paintings need special care. First and foremost, avoid scratching the surface of the painting. If the painting comes into contact with another object, you may puncture the canvas, flake off some pigment from the surface, or damage the frame. To avoid serious damage, wrap paintings in a white cotton cloth or a soft blanket. If you are moving a painting to another location outside or your home, wrap it in a soft blanket first, then wrap the wrapped painting in bubble wrap or place it carefully into a custom made crate. Once it is properly wrapped, then move it. In addition to protecting the canvas, you also need to protect the frame whose job it is to protect the painting.

If you are relocating a print that is framed under glass, be prepared. If the glass breaks in transit, you’ve got trouble. Many people think that the glass will protect the work of art, but actually the glass can cause serious damage to the work of art if it breaks. A good way to prevent the millions of tiny shards of broken glass from puncturing your print is to place a checkerboard grid of blue painter’s tape over the glass before wrapping it. This protects the art if the glass breaks. The tape will adhere to most of the glass shards and will deem them immobile. And, blue painter’s tape is easy to remove from the glass thus leaving only a little bit of adhesive residue on your framed print.

Clocks are more difficult to move than you might think. Many people find that once they move their family tall case clock to a new home, it doesn’t keep time as well as it had in its previous home. Clocks are home bodies. Once they find a place that they like, they work better if you leave them alone. Clocks need to be level and the environment (temperature, climate, humidity) of a home can impact their timekeeping, too.

If you must move your clock, remove the pendulum and wrap it with care. Keep track of the clock’s key. For small mantle size clocks, it is wise to remove the pendulum first and wrap the clock in a white cotton cloth or towel or small blanket before wrapping it in bubble wrap. If you are trying to move a tall case clock, be sure to secure the works before you move it. If you are concerned about damaging the clock in transit, look into hiring a professional.

Insurance is a no brainer. If you don’t have it, get it--along with a certified appraisal so you can protect your antiques in your new home, too. Remember to take your time when you unwrap the heirlooms too.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events nationwide and antiques themed cruises. As seen on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, watch Dr. Lori on Lifetime Television. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010. To learn more about the value of your antiques, follow Dr. Lori on www.Facebook.com/DoctorLori or www.Twitter.com/DrLoriV.