If you want something done, do it yourself, but if you want something done well, hire a professional company. Moving is no different, especially when it comes to valuable and priceless items. Art is an investment (often a very expensive one) that tends to appreciate (increase in value) over time. The same goes for fine wines and other valuable items like priceless inheritance pieces and vintage cars. The value of these investments is contingent on them being preserved in pristine condition, or at the very least preserving the superior condition they were in when they were first obtained.

When these items get damaged, their value declines rapidly, which could cause significant losses and financial harm to the owner of the item in question. It is therefore important for your chosen removal company to ensure that every possible step is taken to preserve these items and keep them safe, especially when moving them or placing them in a storage facility when they are not on active display. This article considers some of the valuable items you may have in your possession, what gives them their value, and how your moving company will take steps to ensure their safety during a move.

A List of Valuable Items and How Your Moving Company Keeps Them Safe

Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to moving can be a risky gamble. On the one hand, you can save money (and possibly time) by stuffing your most valuable belongings in a shoebox or wrapping them in your fluffiest blankets, but, on the other hand, you most likely risk damaging or losing them. In the case of valuable items like fine art and vintage wines, which should be preserved and taken care of, any kind of loss or damage could be catastrophic in a financial sense. It is thus exceptionally important to ensure the safety of these kinds of possessions. Below is a list of these items, as well as an explanation of what is needed to keep them safe when moving or storing them.

• Fine art and sculptures
• Vintage wines
• Historic or foreign currency
• Collectables (like stamps or card collections)
• Priceless minerals and fossils
• Vintage vehicles

When moving or storing these goods, it is important to protect them and to ensure they arrive at their destination in the same condition as when they left their previous location. Measures that need to be taken to guarantee the process runs smoothly include climate- and temperature-controlled storage, careful and specialised package methods, increased security arrangements, and, most importantly, insurance.

Why Art and Other Similar Items Increase in Value Over Time

Fine art (and other similar goods) tends to increase its value over time, making it a lucrative investment. Besides the technical and artistic skill of the creator in question, other things factor into the pricing of these items. These factors include background, rarity, and the name of the creator.

• The background of a piece is its story, from creation to purchase. Richer backgrounds and more interesting stories are worth more because they place more focus and emphasis on the work itself, which is a valuable attribute on its own. The longer an artwork exists, the more extensive its background becomes and the more people can appreciate it.
• If, for example, a famous artist only produced a handful of paintings or sculptures (making them rare either by accident or design), they would be worth far more than if they were mass-produced.
• Your name is your signature and your identity, but it is worth a lot more for creators of valuable goods. A reputable creator who is revered in their industry and celebrated for their work will produce creations that are worth much more than those created by an unknown person.

Elliott Is a Registered Member of ICEFAT – Why It Matters

ICEFAT (International Convention of Exhibition and Fine Art Transporters) is an internationally recognised network and authoritative body that specialises in the moving and storage of fine art and other priceless collections. Elliott’s membership serves as a guarantee that we hold ourselves as a company to the highest possible standards on both a local and international level and that we have the expertise and capabilities to package, handle, and relocate all manner of valuable and priceless goods.

If you need our expert team to take extra care of your valuables for moving purposes, contact us by clicking here.