When preparing for a move, you may have realized you won’t have room for some of your antique furniture in your new home. Selling these prized pieces to an antique shop can give the belongings a new life, allowing you to put the profits towards moving costs. Safely transport your furniture pieces to the dealer with the following tips.

3 Tips to Prepare Antique Furniture for Transport

1. Clean the Furniture 

Over time, airborne particles might have settled on your antique furniture. When disturbed, a layer of dust can scratch and scuff surfaces and dull the furniture finish. Before you pack up the furniture, go over surfaces with a microfiber cloth or feather duster to lift and trap the abrasive particles.

Avoid using oils and waxes, as ink from packing materials can transfer to the coatings and stain the pieces. These substances will also make your furniture slick and difficult to grasp, increasing the risk of dropping and damaging the furniture.

2. Use Plenty of Padding

Even on short trips, furniture and other antiques can shift or slide around in the trunk or backseat. The impact of items falling into one another could cause significant damage. Keep your antique furniture scratch-free by double-wrapping table and chair legs, chair arms, chair backs, and other vulnerable areas in bubble wrap or furniture padding. You can also drape moving blankets over larger pieces to keep them protected.

For smaller items that will be transported in boxes, place extra cushioning of bubble wrap or packing paper between each layer. The spaces inside the boxes should also be filled with packing peanuts or newspaper. 

3. Pack Fragile Pieces Separately 

If the antique furniture is easy to disassemble, consider taking apart the detachable pieces and packing them separately. This will prevent handles, furniture legs, and decorative embellishments from chipping, cracking, or breaking off.

If you can’t disassemble a piece, put a layer of shrink wrap around movable parts, like sliding drawers, to secure them in place. Place smaller disassembled items like screws, washers, and knobs in a labeled zip-close bag. Tape it to the bottom of the piece before wrapping the item in bubble wrap.

If your antique furniture needs a new home, take your pieces to Forsythe's Antiques & Fine Art in Russellville, OH. With more than a century of combined experience, these honest and knowledgeable antique dealers will appraise your belongings and buy the pieces at a competitive price. View the types of acceptable merchandise online. Call (513) 791-2323 to speak with a friendly representative.