27/10/2017 - MOOSEY ART - SHIPPING AND HANDLING

The next area Frazer at Moosey wanted to train me in was his particular way of safely packing and shipping artworks from head office. I thought this could be invaluable experience to me as a developing artist, as knowing how to properly present and transport my art to clients would be extremely valuable.

Frazer told me how he is frequently complimented on the security and proficiency of his shipping methods, with many customers specifically noting how much they trust him to get their work safely transported. This was a big part of having repeated customers and trusting clients. First he began to demonstrate how he transported paper originals. Across the road from head office at Capitol House was a material yard where he sourced large MDF boards, and suggested he would set me up a personal account with them, allowing me to go and source the boards without him being present and not pay directly. He suggested that for lower value prints roll tubes could be used to ship them easily, as was traditional elsewhere, however sandwiching flat higher value originals between two boards was the best way to guarantee safe shipping. Using lots of layers of tissue paper, with either boards of tubes, seemed to be the tried and tested way forward however.


He also had a meticulous protective method for securing the original between the boards, using layer of tissue gently masking taped down and small corners of grey board to tightly hug the paper without applying too much pressure. (see right)

Next he briefly taught me how to sign and finish a certificate of authenticity; an important part of any professional art sale to certify that the artwork is in fact genuine and by the artist. Moosey had it's own custom emboss stamp to appear in the corner of each. Working through this process really made me realise that professionalism is not some unattainable level, but is in fact a collection of gradually learnt techniques applied with knowledge and skill. Professionalism is gained with the consistent application of those techniques and skills.

With that this piece was ready to ship. The next step was to pay for shipping and tracking. Frazer used 'Interparcel', a website allowing postage and tracking to be organised entirely remotely, labels printed and then dropped off to a courier pickup point for a dispatch. This service streamlined his postage system, allowed him to manage and track multiple shipments at once, and also allowed him to compare different services for benefits and better deals. In 30 minutes we were able to pay for and label 4 items for shipment to different locations internationally. The versatility of the site really impressed me. Once this was complete everything was ready and all that remained was to drop them off at the depot with a nearby cornershop.