Does anyone know how best to pack/ship antiquities to another country?
Hire professional antiquity shippers. Check with a big city museum or expensive art gallery nearest you.
Thanks. I have not heard back from our local museum. I didn’t know about professional shippers, so I’m researching those.
No idea about antiquities–gotta go with a pro for that one I suspect.
But if you are shipping something that isn’t irreplaceable but you really would like to survive the trip, one tip I have heard is to buy a cooler, pack your object well and place it in the cooler, and then pack the cooler in a proper shipping box.
I’d be more concerned about the legality and paperwork than the actual packing and shipping. Look for an expert on all of these aspects.
I mean, there’s armoires and there’s arrowheads, both old and needing transporation but have little else in common.
I suggest checking with local antique auction places. Some pack and ship themselves but a lot outsource to locals familiar with the risks. It may well just be the local shipping storefront Fedex or UPS franchise. It won’t be inexpensive.
Yes! I have found such a business whose website highlights this. Oy vey! This won’t be as easy/affordable as I had hoped.
First how rare are these antiquities and how much are they worth? eBay sellers regularly ship antiquities internationally and don’t usually hire professional shippers. You might look for some Youtube videos.
There are companies, such as Pak Mail, who specialize in shipping antiques worldwide.
I was thinking that the local UPS Store could probably handle this. Is it something easily breakable, like a porcelain vase? Or is it made of bronze and relatively durable? Either way, they have experience and the right supplies.
Maybe those oil lamps one poster was talking about sending back? In which case, not rare.
They’re independently operated and not all will be equally set up for packing fragile valuables. But a consult with the local auction house might let OP know which UPS location they use. Some auction and antique places put that info right on their web page or within an item listing so a prospective bidder can contact to see what it will cost to ship the lot.
I had to use a service like that once, it was $80 to pack & ship a glass picture frame & enclosed doc that I won in an antiques auction, also for about $80. It was the only way to get this unique item safely from the East coast where the auction was held and the auctioneers don’t do it themselves. I grumbled at the time but it arrived safely and indeed well packed and I just say I got it for $150.
Yep. That’s him / it:
Yes, it’s me. I’ve discussed the items return with the mayor of the village and a lawyer. Now it’s time to figure out how to get them there. In this case the value of the items is not relevant. The point is to return them to their place of origin.
Just go to a UPS store, they will pack and ship. You are making a nice gesture, but not priceless artifacts.
Back when I was first in Japan in the early 80s, I sent over a number of porcelain Japanese dolls and glass cases by surface mail. I used two sets of heavy duty boxes on fragile items.
There is an amount of risk, but it’s likely to be cheaper.
Also make sure they are not made from restricted materials. My nephew sent me a box of stuff from my dad’s house, including the chess set he got on college graduation from my grandfather back in the 40’s. Fortunately, the customs people did not notice it was made of ivory, or it would have been confiscated and destroyed. The same would go for eagle feathers and assorted other protected/endangered species products. Even if the receiving country is happy to get them, there’s a risk that somewhere along the route some zealous customs agents don’t care.
The regulatory situation with ivory in the USA is more nuanced than simply “confiscate on sight”.
There’s a distinction between “old ivory” which is fine to own, rework, resell, etc. And “new ivory” which is not, and is indeed confiscate on sight. You father’s old chess set is “old ivory”.
That must be new. I recall old news stories - the one that comes to mind was the antique piano shipped to the USA from Canada to be restored; they confiscated all the ivory off the piano keys. The point was they confiscated all of it, the logic being how do you tell new from old?
There are ways but the burden is on the owner. But pianos (& guitars, violins, etc) are relatively easy to date vs a carved figurine or billiard ball.
The preferred term for auction listings to describe these white carved items seems to be ‘natural material.’