MOVING YOUR TREASURES:
10 Questions You Have To Ask!

by: Michael Boyd

As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, June, 2005

Whether it’s a family heirloom passed down over several generations, a rare find from an antique shop in Seaside, Fla., or Hollywood memorabilia purchased from eBay’s online marketplace, everyone has items they treasure.

In fact, technology unveils a new world of opportunity for collectors. Internet auctions, digital photos, overnight delivery and advanced communication tools are revolutionizing the consumer buying experience; making it possible for a collector to find the perfect piece that captures their heart or completes a collection.

Regardless of these advancements for finding treasures, there comes still the age old challenge of safely and soundly moving something from point A to point B. Whether it’s across town or across state lines, transporting fragile and often expensive family heirlooms and antiques requires extreme care and cautious work. So who can you trust?

Many traditional movers will not want to get involved with transporting specialty or hard to handle items; it’s simply outside their realm of expertise. Some won’t even consider transporting a single item, while shippers such as FedEx and UPS will not handle an item that is too large or cumbersome, such as a grandfather clock. Some movers may accept smaller loads, only to subcontract services to other handlers that may not be trained to handle irreplaceable or extremely fragile collectibles. Moreover, their trucks may not be equipped with proper packaging equipment. While these shipping and moving companies are great for day-to-day business transactions and moving the ordinary contents of your home, they may not be ideal for transporting your antique curio cabinets.

Fortunately, there are movers that only specialize in handling fine art, antiques, expensive instruments, or family heirlooms. To better ensure the safe pickup and arrival of your treasured items, do your homework, it’s worth the effort. Research companies that will meet the level of care and expertise your item(s) require as this will pay dividends. And be sure to consider the following before signing on the dotted line to move a valuable or fragile item:

1.    Does the company ask ahead of time about the size, weight, and location of the item in your home? This will be a tip off that they will treat your valuables gently. Are there any narrow hallways, curved staircases or other potential obstacles that may be encountered when removing items from your home? This information will help the mover to pinpoint any extra costs associated with the move and to determine what materials may be needed at time of pickup.

2.    Are there any special considerations for the fragility of the item?  Does the item to be moved have any unusual characteristics, such as glass, marble, scrolling or knobs that lend themselves to breakage? Will the item need to be taken apart and reassembled? In some cases, the mover may request a photograph, which is a sign the mover in interested in getting the moving bid right.

3.    What kind of materials will be used to package your item? Movers should ensure that all items are blanket-, bubble- and shrink-wrapped, at minimum, with additional packaging precautions and materials available when needed. If items require extra protection, movers should offer adequate sized boxes, cardboard and foam to encase your item. Without this extra level of protection, items may be damaged during transport.

4.    Will the item be moved by forklift or other machinery? Here it’s important to ensure the equipment being used matches the level of care your item needs. Equipment such as a forklift used to move timber won’t do for your great grandmother’s hand-tooled, antique glass display cabinet. While forklifts make warehouse work easier, they also increase the risk of damage, especially with fragile items. Over the years, we’ve either built or had special moving equipment created for us that is specific to certain items, such as pianos, to ensure we don’t damage these expensive, heavy instruments. Our company uses a special piece of equipment which easily moves pianos up and down stairs, even across gravel. While expensive, we find it is the most effective, safest tool available today.

5.    Will the company use its own trucks and drivers, and be responsible for the item from door-to-door? A mover that employs its own equipment, warehouses and highly trained staff ensures that your item will be handled with care and will arrive at its intended destination on time and intact. Some companies share the risk and costs associated with moving by subcontracting services to other carriers. As a result, these subcontractors may not be equipped or trained to handle irreplaceable or extremely fragile items, and more importantly, may not be aware of the fragility of their cargo. Specialty items require proper handling and deserve round-the-clock control by dedicated delivery specialists from door-to-door.

6.    Is the company a licensed mover with a good reputation? Ask the mover for a list of customer references, preferably those with similar circumstances as your move. This is a must, as good references offer a third-party endorsement of their work. Confirm that the company is licensed and check for complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau or the state department of commerce. If you have trouble finding the mover through these consumer resources, steer clear or you increase your risk.

7.    Does the company take a professional and customer-service oriented approach? Properly trained, courteous, and professional staff will add to the success of your move and clue you in as to how a company handles itself. From the person who answers the phone to office personnel to the drivers who deliver your goods, employee training should be efficient and uniform, giving customer service representatives and shipping handlers proven skills to ensure that customers receive the highest service and care. While much of this will be transparent to the customer, follow your instincts and value companies that demonstrate proven customer service-it will show up later.

8.    Does the company offer insurance on your items? Most movers cannot offer insurance beyond the industry norm, called standard valuation, which is based upon the weight and NOT the value of an item. A good mover should provide competitive, reliable resources for acquiring additional insurance at a fair price should you need it.

9.    How quickly can the company deliver your items? Traditional moving companies make money by rapidly moving larger loads, not individual items. Due to the nature of how specialty items are moved they may take longer-sometimes up to several weeks. Movers willing to go the distance with your specialty item will not be going for speed. If time is of the essence, don’t use a specialty mover. While you may sacrifice time, you won’t sacrifice the integrity of your item. For example, we use proprietary server-based software, which enables a more rapid and logical dispatch of trucks. Among its many features, it provides trucks with driving directions and maps directly to clients homes, tracks progress of company trucks, includes all customer and vendor correspondence, and even displays photos of items to be shipped.

10.    Do they guarantee a final and complete price for the delivery service? This is one of the most common complaints against moving companies. Get your estimate in writing and ascertain that it’s "binding" -  you don’t want any of surprises on moving day. The binding estimate should only change if you change the parameters or number of items arranged for delivery. Any changes and the additional costs associated should be discussed before the move is initiated.

Specialty movers fill the void between FedEx and UPS for delivery services for small packages and standard moving companies for large household moves. Moreover, they offer specialized service, which most moving companies cannot offer: hand pick up and hand delivery of large and fragile items from living room to living room, using only specially trained staff, their own trucks and warehouses.

Whatever your moving needs are, it’s important to know that your treasured items will be handled with the utmost care-whatever the distance. The time invested upfront choosing the right mover will be realized when your item is safely delivered on time and intact.