Shipping high end art

[BleekerBob]

Has anyone ever had a piece lost in the mail? I usually overnight all my art because i figure the less time in the hands of others the better. Anyone?

[spider9698]

Yes. I have had Fedex lose an expensive piece of art (over 5 figures). It has been 8 months. Still holding out hope. Had one package turn up over 18 months from the time it was lost.

S

 

[NelsonAI]

Fortunately no (shipping or receiving). I have used different carriers without incident.

 

Most carriers will lose some percentage of packages but you can only pray that the tracking number is intact.

 

I always like to have a mailing label inside the package with the art as well in case the outer label gets ripped off or damaged. Unidentified boxes will eventually get opened so it helps to have contact information inside the package. I learned this early on when an airline lost my luggage.

 

Cheers!

N

 

OT: The key thing is to package the art securely with a lot of layers so it is thick enough to withstand drops, icepicks, etc. Whether it's one day delivery or longer, the packaging should be able to withstand any beating it gets. There is an older thread specifically about packaging art.

 

 

 

 

[Eric Seffinga]

I always like to have a mailing label inside the package with the art as well in case the outer label gets ripped off or damaged. Unidentified boxes will eventually get opened so it helps to have contact information inside the package. I learned this early on when an airline lost my luggage.

 

This is brilliant. In all my years, I never thought of doing this, but I'm going to start.

Good one. It's always the little things...

 

I always take photos of the piece with the shipping materials, pics of the piece being packaged and the final package, just so I have backup of what the thing looked like before shipping, in case it ever came up. Never has. Better safe than sorry.

 

-e.

[Artemaria]

This is a good and helpful thread for all collectors. Nelson's advice is something I've never considered, but will start to implement whenever I ship art from now on.

 

Interestingly, I've not had anything that I shipped become damaged during shipment.

 

Over the years, however, exactly three pieces of art that were shipped to me were damaged during transit. Apparently the parcel carriers here use the boxes for tryouts or props in WWF matches or survivor NYC, or something like that.

 

The first damaged package was shipped by Fed Ex. It had been set on fire - I am not making this up. The package was closed, but the damage had been done to the interior, it was all brown and singed. In addition, wherever they set it on fire, they apparently also dragged it through mud because somehow dirt managed to get inside the package.

 

The second damaged package was shipped by USPS. It had not been shipped all that securely, just a single piece of cardboard in an envelope. Needless to say, that was folded up and shoved through the mailbox.

 

The third damaged package arrived by UPS. It was a single page inside a box. It looked like the box was used for a tryout in the Olympic Javelin tossing contest, as one half of the box was intact, and the other half of the box was smushed and rippled like an accordion. Maybe a piece of furniture fell on it or something, but the page was pretty ruined.

 

Happily none of the pieces were particularly expensive (three digits) and in each case, either insurance or PayPal resolved the issue. But, even though money is nice, I would rather have had the art in my collection (hence my purchasing the art in the first place). So, I always insist on insurance, and I always mention to the shipper to send the page securely.

 

You can never be too careful in packaging and shipping your art securely and asking for full insurance.

 

Best of luck.

 

- A

[Sonofahungryghost-migratio]

So, I always insist on insurance, and I always mention to the shipper to send the page securely.

 

You can never be too careful in packaging and shipping your art securely and asking for full insurance.

 

Best of luck.

 

- A

 

Hi all,

 

How do you fully insure expensive comic art? I am asking because I have been told by Fedex and UPS, a few times now, that their cap on insuring collectibles was $500 and the cap with Canada Post (I am Canadian) is CDN$1,000.

 

Obviously not an issue for less expensive art, but what about the high-end stuff? I am with Bob on this when I buy - I have recently been asking sellers to ship overnight Fedex because I want to diminish the time during which other people have their hands on my art...

[spider9698]

Whenever I ship Fedex or USPS Express Mail I am covered with my Collectible Insurance Policy. They will cover up to $50,000 per package. When Fedex lost my package, CIA was right there with a check once I filed a claim. They will not cover UPS shipping.

 

 

[Jesusjon]

The first damaged package was shipped by Fed Ex. It had been set on fire - I am not making this up. The package was closed, but the damage had been done to the interior, it was all brown and singed. In addition, wherever they set it on fire, they apparently also dragged it through mud because somehow dirt managed to get inside the package.

 

This is easily explainable. Have you seen the film Cast Away?

[Eric Seffinga]

 

What can Brown do for you?

 

http://gizmodo.com/5123563/brown-can-thrash-your-packages-with-a-30+yard-delivery-toss-thats-what

 

 

-e.

[Artemaria]

The first damaged package was shipped by Fed Ex. It had been set on fire - I am not making this up. The package was closed, but the damage had been done to the interior, it was all brown and singed. In addition, wherever they set it on fire, they apparently also dragged it through mud because somehow dirt managed to get inside the package.

 

This is easily explainable. Have you seen the film Cast Away?

 

! I guess I'll watch it again to see if I can pick out my package next to Tom Hanks

 

- A

[slym2none]

out my package next to Tom Hanks

 

- A

 

 

 

 

-slym (apologises in advance)

[slym2none]

Yes. I have had Fedex lose an expensive piece of art (over 5 figures). It has been 8 months. Still holding out hope. Had one package turn up over 18 months from the time it was lost.

S

 

Were you the buyer or seller?

 

Either way, and this is not a put-down to anybody, but if it was me personally that was paying five-figures for a piece of art, I would fly to wherever and pick it up myself. IOW, if I were to be able to afford that kind of art, I'd be able to afford a plane ticket to anywhere.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[spider9698]

I was the seller. I can understand your concern but in over 30 years of Fedex shipments (both as buyer and seller), that was the only package lost. That is why I have insurance. My policy covered my loss 100%

S

 

[NelsonAI]

 

Part of the reason why so many high end OA collectors attend San Diego Comic Con is to pick up their art in person rather than having the art shipped.

 

Cheers!

N

 

 

[slym2none]

I was the seller. I can understand your concern but in over 30 years of Fedex shipments (both as buyer and seller), that was the only package lost. That is why I have insurance. My policy covered my loss 100%

S

 

Good thing you were covered. That was a heck of a time to have a first lost piece of art...

 

 

 

 

-slym

[slym2none]

I was the seller. I can understand your concern but in over 30 years of Fedex shipments (both as buyer and seller), that was the only package lost. That is why I have insurance. My policy covered my loss 100%

S

 

A question - your insurance covered the loss, but what happens if the package containing the artwork does show up a year from now? Do you or the buyer get to keep it, and if so, does the insurance company have to be notified?

 

I am not hinting at a scam (in case anyone thinks I am,) I'm just wondering if you might end up (after WAY too much time) on the better end of the stick.

 

 

 

-slym

[spider9698]

I asked that question to the insurance company. I would notify them that the art has been found. There is a police report logged in the city where the package was last traced. I would then pay the insurance company the amount that they paid me on my claim and I would retain the art.

 

[Nexus]

Either way, and this is not a put-down to anybody, but if it was me personally that was paying five-figures for a piece of art, I would fly to wherever and pick it up myself. IOW, if I were to be able to afford that kind of art, I'd be able to afford a plane ticket to anywhere.

 

That's not as crazy as it sounds. I've flown to pick up art and I just had someone I bought something from fly over from the UK to personally hand-deliver it. In my case, because I was desperate to get my hands on a grail and didn't want to take any chances. In the latter case, because the seller had had a previous bad experience with a courier...and because he didn't want to take any chances.

 

For most people, though, it's not so much a matter of money as time.

[Claudio]

time is money after all

[buyatari]

Ok I had a case were there was a train wreck and UPS said the item was lost. The insurance was paid for the purchase price WAY WAY less than it was worth. A I even able to file a police report in this case and I'd have to do in the city of the train wreck?