Move over Wal-Mart
Fine Art Shipping began working to develop an affordable Rfid asset tracking system back in 2009. Having looked around and found nothing “off the shelf” that was within reach of our essentially small business, we decided to build our own, hiring a programmer and integrating this new software with existing hardware and available labeling. It’s no surprise that Rfids are making their way into art handling in 2010 — the technology is a natural fit for use where valuable commodities need to be accurately accounted for on a daily basis.

Seeing is believing
Like a barcode, the Rfid is a machine readable tag that, in concert with a database, identifies a specific object. Unlike a barcode, the Rfid reader does not require direct line of sight to the label or tag. The transponder tag emits a radio signal that is picked up by the reader and instantly identifies the item as present or “seen.” The beauty of this is that multiple items within a crate, bin, or on a shelf, or even in a truck, can be scanned at once, without moving them around to expose the tag. There are some limitations — metal may block the transmission, and there are limits to the “reach” of the signal –but for the majority of daily inventory tasks an art handler performs the system is ideal.

What, where, how
In a working warehouse knowing what is where and finding it quickly is critical. Every art handler has experienced the frustration of counting and recounting inventories, and unpacking packed crates to re-verify contents, not to mention the “all hands on deck” call to find an item temporarily mislaid. Eliminating this wasted time and effort directly feeds the bottom line. Items coming or going from storage can be scanned in using either a handheld device or put through a “portal” which reads the tags as the artworks are carried by. Because the tags are discrete, there is no confusing one Hockney or similar size with another, or transposing an inventory number when a an art handler is reading from paper labels. And no physical moving of objects to read paper labels on the far side or uncover a barcode. The system will also question any duplicates and, if an expected inventory is uploaded into the system ahead of the shipment’s arrival, will compare what is actually received to what was expected and display any extra or missing items.

Is that crate really empty?
Was any art left in the truck?
How many pieces are in that bin?
Did we deliver at stop 2 everything we picked up at stop 1, as requested?
Did we “pull” all 83 items accurately from the client’s storage?
What’s the package count for this shipment?

These are the types of everyday issues that the Rfid system addresses, and solves.

Where’s my stuff?
The other major benefit is the inventory management system it enables: we call ours SMI (storage maintenance inventory) for short. Using portable computers in the warehouse and in the field, each RFID tag is read and then related information identifying that item – artist, title, art dims, package dims, client name, job number, date in or out, warehouse location, and, yes even photos — is keyed into the database and saved. The database is accessible from any computer, which means our customer service reps and our warehouse crew can access inventories instantly to answer questions, locate items, or process delivery requests.

Show me the money
Billing is also streamlined, as SMI shows volume on hand in real time and does all the computing of cubic and square feet occupied by any inventory. It can further compute the storage charges for a given month, assuming a rate per CF or SF is entered for that client. The time saved by this application alone would likely pay for the system. Storage is the backbone of most art handling operations; having the billing done quickly and accurately is money in the bank.

Send in the clouds
Storing the SMI system data “in the clouds”, i.e. on a third party maintained internet-based bulk server, offers striking cost and efficiency benefits. First and foremost, we access our data in real time from virtually any computer anywhere, with security, backup solutions, and privacy issues all managed by the host. Information entered into a remote computer on a jobsite or secondary warehouse can be seen virtually in real time back at the office by a manager or client representative who can provide feedback as needed. And soon we’ll be offering clients the ability to log in under a private ID and view their storage or exhibition inventories online at their convenience.

And the future goes to….
Building and managing inventories using barcodes was a major advance over paper only labeling and manual input inventory systems. Rfid technology builds on that model and is a tested technology. Aside from use by major “big box” retailers, Rfids are already implanted in numerous products and medical devices. The basic technology is poised to take off with prices sure to drop for equipment and supplies as usage increases. Always a technology leader, FINE ART SHIPPING is pleased to offer the benefits of Rfid inventory management to our clients, not because it is the latest thing, but because it is the latest, and now affordable, best thing.

Betsy Dorfman

Recent news reports have detailed the upcoming sale of artworks from the Michael Crichton collection, currently on display at Christie’s in London. The paintings to be sold include a seminal work from the Jasper Johns “Flag” series, as well as works by Picasso, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg . Old friends all.

FINE ART SHIPPING has moved, installed, shipped and stored many of these works over the past decade-plus for the Crichton family. Packing and crating these recent few to send off for display in London was an exercise in nostalgia to be sure. We have softpacked the Johns for Mr. Crichton to carry on an airplane, installed it at residences in New York and Los Angeles, and each time we handled it was a thrill. The office emptied out, art handlers mysteriously appeared as the crate was about to be opened — there are artworks which claim their own audiences, and this is one.

On September 11, 2001 our Los Angeles based crew was packing art at the Crichton residence in upstate New York, some 90 miles from ground zero. We were immediately invited to stay in the home for several days, allowing us to give our hotel rooms to our NY based crew, who were unable in those early days and hours to return to the city. So this goes beyond a business relationship, to what has been a partnership of care and concern for this art over many years and circumstances.
Following the current exhibition at Christie’s the artworks go on sale in New York in May. To the new owners we can only say: may the vibes, all good, be with you.

Betsy Dorfman

Like many small businesses, especially in these times, our margins are tight and it is difficult to make cash contributions to charities and other worthy cultural organizations. Happily, however, we are in a line of work – moving & storage — which enables us to provide in kind services to organizations at reduced rates or at no charge from time to time.

Since 2006, for example, FINE ART SHIPPING has supplied storage services at no cost for the Los Angeles Ballet. In addition to a prominent thank you in their programs, they have provided us with complimentary tickets, allowing many of our staff and their friends and families to experience the ballet and become fans. Talk about a “win-win”!

A bit closer to home, my daughter works for one of the Paul Newman charities, a camp called The Painted Turtle which serves children with serious diseases on a year round basis and at no cost to participating families. These are kids who otherwise would not be able to attend camp due to the nature of their illnesses. The Painted Turtle operates out of offices in Santa Monica, and maintains the camp in Lake Hughes CA., roughly 90 minutes northwest of Los Angeles. It is one of a network of affiliated camps around the world offering hope and fun to kids whose “out of camp” lives often consist of one medical challenge after another.

When one of our storage customers retired an array of costumes, wigs, hats, props & even a couple of fog machines from their inventory, we were able to donate these to The Painted Turtle and deliver them up to the camp in our truck at no charge. They were apparently used immediately in skits and sketches and were a great hit with kids and staff alike. Smiles all around! The website of The Painted Turtle shows a list of items the camp needs on a regular basis. Anyone wishing to make a donation can drop items off here at our facility near LAX airport and we will see that they get to the camp. (Please call first!)

On other occasions we are able to contribute to organizations by discounting costs on transport services.  Most recently we completed a shipment for Doctors Without Borders at a rate well below market value, essentially converting what would have been our normal markup into a contribution instead. This is a great way for small businesses to donate as it conserves cash but gives real value to the organization in question.

 Betsy Dorfman

BEST BUY stores recently retracted an errant ad offering big screen TV’s for $9.99. Hey, stuff happens.  And so, with apologies for any inconvenience, we take this opportunity to issue a few clarifications of our own:

FINE ART SHIPPING is not offering for $500 or best offer “your choice of any stored artwork belonging to someone who has not paid their bill.” This offer was posted in error on a now deleted blog. We are sorry for any confusion.

Nor are we prepared to “tie any such painting or artwork onto the top of your car for transport at no cost, provided you haul it away same day.” This was printed in error as well.

FINE ART SHIPPING assumes no responsibility for artworks tied or bungeed to the tops of vehicles, nor will we lend you any rope or string for that purpose. It has always been our policy that high value artwork should be transported inside vehicles wherever possible.

In addition FINE ART SHIPPING is not offering an alliterative “painting-plus-pet” discounted storage option. Somehow this language slipped into a recent email marketing campaign by way of a search and replace glitch. We do store paintings; we do not store pets. Whoever dropped off the Baldessari and the beagle,  the Georganne Deen and the gecko, and especially the Thiebaud and the tarantula, please be advised that the pet portion of your storage account will be available for pickup behind our warehouse weekdays between noon and 4 PM. We will return any unused puppy, reptile, or spider chow at that time.

Thank you.

Retractions & Clarifications, 29^th floor

 Rule 1 : The condition of an artwork is never “good.” … Or you should at least approach an inspection in this frame of mind. Keep looking until you find the exceptions. An “exception” is just an instance of possible or apparent damage – any imperfection worth noting. 999 times out of 1000 they are there to be found.

 Sample condition report format:

Rule 2:  Report what you see. The most important quality of a condition report – and what allows it to function at all – is clarity. Photography, drawings and verbal description should be employed effectively to document any exceptions that you find. Identify the exception, locate it on the artwork and indicate its scope. Strive for short and precise notes, and limit your use of relative terms; such as bad, small, severe, etc. The standard industry jargon should help you sidestep generalities and lengthy descriptions to address specific conditions concisely.

There are numerous guides and sample condition reports only a web search away. You can reference several of them for guidance in formatting your own report, and gathering inspection tools such as special lighting and magnifying lenses. That being the case,  I’ll limit the following to a short glossary of exceptions.

These are the most common bogeymen of art objects:

Abrasion – a type of erosion often caused by the friction of rubbing or scraping the surface.

Accretion – the accumulation of foreign material on the surface, not always dirt.

Blanching – a milky stippling in a painted surface, often caused tiny faults puncturing the surface.

Bleeding – a post-production migration of pigment, often caused by exposure to water.

Bloom – a milky area where the clarity of the paint or varnish has been compromised, but more superficial damage than Blanching.

Blush – like Bloom, but in lacquer.

Check – a gap along the grain of a piece of wood, smaller than a Split.

Chip – a Dent that involves a broken piece of material.

Cleavage – a type of Crackle involving the separation of a material’s strata.

Cockling – a set of small parallel waves in a sheet of paper, in which the surface is not creased.

Corrosion – a chemical reaction between a surface and a foreign agent, accompanied by a slow process of Loss.

Crack – a linear or planar fault in a surface or a form that does not involve Loss.

Crackle – an area of perpendicular cracks that does not involve Cleavage.

Craquelure – a fine network of Crackle often caused by a material’s reaction to climate changes.

Crevice – a narrow but deep type of Crackle

Dent -  a concave distortion in the surface that does not include Loss.

Dig – a Dent that includes Loss or Displacement.

Discoloration – any change in color.

Dishing (aka Draw) - a distortion in the canvas of a painting caused by unequal tension around the stretcher.

Disjoin – a separation of elements or portions of an object, in which the separation can be complete or incomplete.

Dust- self-explanatory

Embrittlement- self-explanatory, a loss of plasticity in the object, often caused by exposure to heat.

Erosion- a loss of material, usually due to Abrasion or Embrittlement.

Fading – this type of Discoloration is the loss of saturation or value.

Fingerprint- self-explanatory; Grime in the form of a specific kind of Smear.

Foxing – the Corrosion of a paper element, often caused by mold or iron rusting within the pulp.

Gouge – a Dig where material has been lost in a scooping action.

Grime – dust sticking to the surface with a oily medium.

Lacuna (aka Loss) – a specific depression where a portion of the surface material is missing, such as a painting’s varnish.

Rift – a wide but shallow type of Crackle.

Run – a dried rivulet of a foreign liquid.

Smear – a specific instance of grime, such as a fingerprint or other contact with surface.

Spatter – a type of dried splash from a foreign liquid.

Split – a Check in wood grain that runs the entire length of that element.

Stain – this type of Discoloration usually involves both Fading and a darkening of the surface.

Stretcher Crease – a literal crease or line of fine cracks along an edge of a painting’s stretcher.

Tear- self-explanatory, usually applied to cloth or paper.

Chris Barber

Besides being the rumored title of a forthcoming Thomas Pynchon novel, inherent vice is a legal term of importance to shippers and insurers of fine art and antiques. The term refers to items which, by the very nature of their composition, are subject to degradation or deterioration over time and/or in handling. Most insurers and fine art policies specifically exclude coverage for loss due to  inherent vice, so it is important to understand what types of materials and fabrications can fall into this category. The disclaimer also applies to hidden defects not visible to the carrier but which are found to be the cause of damage or loss.  You don’t want to think you have coverage only to find that you have tumbled into the black hole of this clause.

Some examples of inherent vice we have run across include:

– sand paintings where the sand dislodges from the face or edges of the artworks

– artworks  with “glued on” elements that come loose during handling or transport

– artworks or antiques made of old wood which can crack or where existing cracks can extend or widen

– marble & limestone slabs or artworks which can shatter along internal fault lines

– wet paintings where the paint runs or pools

– weak soldering at joins in metal sculptures

– “hinged” works on paper which are not declared as such at the time of shipping, and so are subject to slippage within the frame

– top heavy fabrications where a heavy top crushes the level below due to insufficient support

– artworks incorporating liquid or other unstable elements which can expand or leak in shipping

– sharp folds in textiles or fabrics which suffer deterioration or breakdown at the folded edges

The exclusion also applies to damage arising from insufficient packing by the shipper where the customer has released the shipment to the carrier already packed. Here is some language from a case comment by a marine attorney:

The “inherent vice” exclusion is also used to describe a loss that, due to the manner in which the cargo is shipped, is regarded as inevitable. For example, fresh eggs shipped without any packing or protection are likely to sustain damage no matter how carefully they are handled. Chocolates shipped in an ordinary container in the summer are bound to melt. Damage that occurs in the course of ordinary handling and transportation of cargos, without the intervention of fortuity, is due to inherent vice and must be excluded from coverage. http://www.whitelawtwining.com/pdfs/555928_1.pdF

Your best bet is to give the carrier full information about the item to be shipped. If the carrier accepts the item, packs it, and selects the mode of transport then the exclusion may not apply. For example if the carrier packed those chocolates in a sturdy box and then shipped them via climate controlled truck, which then broke down so that the chocolate melted, the claim would likely be honored.  In essence the carrier accepted liability for the shipment due to full disclosure of the inherent nature of the product.

Another example: if the very fine mesh you used to support a heavy bead on your collage gives way in shipping — inherent vice. However if the carrier inspected the artwork and was made aware of this issue, you might prevail if it is shown that the carrier could have mitigated the damage by shipping the package flat, improving the packaging, or other available means.

So, for the best possible chance of recovery declare the precise nature of the item to your carrier or fine art shipper and allow them to inspect it fully. Discuss any unstable elements and have them recommend a suitable packing and shipping approach. Inherent vice may still get you, depending upon the situation, but you will have improved the odds of a happy ending for both yourself and your art shipping provider.

Betsy Dorfman

We get inquiries regularly from customers looking to gift their empty crates to us. With the implication that, of course, the crates are valuable and it is really the donor who is making the sacrifice. So the least we can do is pick them up for free, how about Tuesday? In the past, waaay in the past, we said yes. No longer.

Having accepted and stored an inventory of “used crates” some years back, we licked our chops and waited for the perfect fits to show up. The caller who would need a crate of a certain size, one we could pluck right out of our inventory, spruce up a bit and maybe re-fit the foam interior, and essentially sell again. Thus offering the customer a reduced rate and creating a happy transaction all around. Except that, it rarely happened. It so rarely happened, in fact, that we ceased for the most part storing empty crates.

Why? Well, first, it just wasn’t economical. Crates are built to house a particular artwork or set of artworks. To fit a smaller work into an existing crate, the interior has to be re-done, old materials stripped away, new foam added etc.– this is both labor intensive and involves the cost of new materials. Even removing old labeling and covering outdated stenciling takes considerable time. Often the “feet” of the crate were loose and had to be replaced, or other wood elements in the crate required reinforcement. In addition, the customer has to pay higher shipping rates for a larger crate, so that has to be considered in the trade off re pricing. Customers do not like to see wasted space within crates — and it is very clear to professionals when crates have been padded to excess.

The bottom line turned out to be that the expense in time and materials to refit an existing crate was substantial, and often building a new one was a better deal for the customer, especially when shipping costs were factored in. And on our side, the costs to pickup, handle, store, inventory and inspect crates to find possible matches was not worth the meagre return.

For many sculptures, installation pieces and other dimensional artworks, a retrofit crate was out of the question. With such artworks the interior of the crate is actually the expensive part, as custom supports have to be designed, fabricated, and secured in the crate to hold all elements of the work in place. To start with an existing crate would be a complication to be overcome, not a short cut.

Finally there can be quality issues with a used crate, particularly one that has been stored for a long time or that has been subject to repeated shipping adventures. Screws can work loose, wood dry out, glued elements come unglued, and the stresses of shipping can work loose formerly tight joints, gaskets, and seams.  Some of the crates donated to us way back when were, upon inspection, trash. Some looked new, but upon handling proved rickety and unlikely to survive further freight journeys without substantial refurbishing. Some had spiders and worse, having been stored out of doors — not recommended.

So our rule has become: empty crates? Thanks but, no thanks. There are exceptions to every rule, and here and there we are able to re-use a recently arrived crate if the stars are in proper alignment. If a really amazing crate comes our way we might keep and admire it for awhile, and have our craters learn from it’s design, but sooner or later out it goes. The only empty crates we store now are those held in storage accounts for our customers. These are typically high end crates built for specific artworks that clients have in their collections, or crates being held for artworks temporarily in town on exhibition. Normally only the most expensive museum quality crates and cases are stored long term; it makes economic sense to store these rather than build new ones. In that case, crates are carefully inspected prior to re-use, and any elements that have degraded are replaced, so they are in “as new” condition when released into the arms of the shipping gods.

 Betsy Dorfman

You may have seen recent news coverage of yacht owners abandoning their boats in these recessionary times, causing a mess for marinas and law enforcement officers who have to deal with the cost to dispose of these in an environmentally friendly way.

Well, less heralded, it’s happening to us here in our fine art storage facility. Owners of high end paintings and sculptures are abandoning these possessions in droves, rather than continue to pay storage fees.

As one collector put it in a recent phone call:

“To continue to pay $125 a month when the artwork is only worth $50,000 – well, you do the math, it just isn’t a good investment anymore. Do whatever you want with the thing, to me at this point it’s just a heartbreak on canvas. And don’t call me anymore!”

Reached for comment, marina owner Fred “Tug” Cruiser, was sympathetic:

“I hear you, believe me. At least yours don’t leak oil. Oh, they do? Never thought of that. Here we have the owners, some of them, deliberately scuttling the boats themselves. Insurance company raises them up to find neat holes drilled in the side etcetera. My advice,  if you’re going to scuttle one of those pictures or statues, first, don’t do it in my marina and, second, don’t make nice little round holes! Get your dog to chew it or something. Have a little imagination for Christ’s sake. Geez, there goes a guy with a drill, sorry, gotta go.”

As you can imagine, there are laws on the books governing the proper disposal of artworks. You can’t just toss them in the dumpster or leave them on the shoulder of the 405 freeway on a dark night, however tempting. And you can’t sell them because, as with yachts, the market is already glutted with people trying to sell better paintings for pennies on the palette and anyway, as a storage facility, you don’t have access to the provenance. Without the provenance, even preschools won’t take them for the nap room. We tried.

As it is today, we can barely get in the front door due to a pile up of Picassos and Pollocks. In the back,  orphaned Boteros have staged a rebellion, shed their crates, and are dancing naked in the aisles. It isn’t pretty.

That’s the situation here on April 1^st, hoping for better days ahead.

Betsy Dorfman

Everyone is looking to trim costs these days, including people and institutions who store artworks. Self or “u-store” facilities, with advertised rates as low as low as $50-$75 per month for a “small” storage unit, are attractive. Rates vary from city to city, and within facilities depending upon “perks” like proximity to elevators, air conditioning, first floor, roll up door, etc.  Some offer free use of a truck on move in, and others discount boxes and packing materials.

Many customers are surprised to find, however, that storing art with a fine art company such as ours can be a cost effective alternative to self storage, and overall is more suitable for secure storage of art and other valuables.

A quick comparison:

SELF STORAGE                                                                           FINE ART STORAGE

-part month occupancy bills as full month                          - weekly pro-ration

-pay for entire unit, including wasted space                      – pay only for volume of items stored

-no insurance available                                                         -  insures into the millions

-no or few related services                                                    - full service art handling

-no racks or shelving provided                                               - customized for art storage

 -most will not receive/release for you                                - receive, ship out, whatever!

-no inventory services                                                               -photo & computer inventory

-temperature variation can be severe                                   - monitored, regulated          

– no carry assistance                                                                - trained art handlers

-variable security provisions                                                  - UL approved central station

-no control over commodities stored, pests, fumes           - screened for suitability

And the price ?  Our climatized area begins at $125 per month.You can store 15-20 paintings of average size for that cost, plus one time charges for pickup, wrapping, and placing into storage.

Self storage is a great way to go for your extra lawn furniture, tools, and durable furnishings — for many “renters” it is in fact the equivalent of a garage. .Or, for you back easters, a basement or attic. And that makes a useful guide: if you wouldn’t want to risk it in the garage/attic/basement, then don’t put it into self storage. Especially since, if you add up the value of your time going back and forth, an art storage facility may actually be a bargain.

Oh, and did you know? — most “art” storage facilities will store other high value and delicate goods as well, not just art and antiques. We’ll do another blog post shortly on the range of items we store and the types of customers who make our work interesting every day.

Betsy Dorfman

FINE ART SHIPPING

The R-bomb has been dropped, and everyone is feeling it. Now more than ever it is wise to consider all of your options when having artworks crated. More economical c-crates, and even slat crates will often do the job on a tight art handling budget. A variety of packing options are also available inside these crates in most cases. We encourage you to take a look at our crating page for more information, or email me at chris@fineartship.com.

Chris Barber