Delivery and Shipping

Click-and-collect services from non-essential retail will now no longer be allowed in Scotland.

Deal or no-deal, logistics firms are as prepared as they can be for any eventuality for Brexit post-December 31

A number of changes will affect the import and export of goods from January 1, 2021, when items moving between the UK and the EU will have to undergo customs formalities and border control, like any other country.

Fitting delivery vans with showers and toilets was just one of the innovative solutions that haulage and logistics firms had to improvise to keep their vital services running for the art and antiques trade.

Given the government’s strict guidelines on social distancing, what delivery options can art and antiques buyers use during the lockdown period?

MADAM – I am a regular user of various online sites that facilitate distant bidding. I have noticed a huge disparity between auction houses that recognise that the bigger the audience, the greater chance of higher prices for the lots on sale – and therefore the chance of increased buyer’s premium earnings – and those that seem to regard bidders using delivery services as a cash cow to be milked through ‘shipping costs’.

Whether it’s delivering a 12ft long model ship or taking a dining table from Paris to London, getting a prized item from A to B safely is vital. We also report on latest developments in art insurance.

An update to the offensive weapons bill (2017-19) could have a negative impact on the shipping of antique swords and knives.

How can art and antique buyers ensure their purchases arrive in the same condition as when they were bought, at a competitive price? ATG explores some options...

ATG asked the experts for general advice and tips they would give a first-time buyer new to art shipping.

On Twitter last week, auctioneer and TV pundit Paul Laidlaw vented about a high quote for delivery that far exceeded the cost of the object he was buying.

The New York-based art shipping firm Arta is in the process of raising its second round of funding – this time to help it expand in the UK and Europe.

Delivery of art and antiques is highly competitive as suppliers vie to provide customers with a better, faster experience. But there are still complexities to iron out, not least expectations on cost.