Antique furniture and vintage pieces require more care than standard modern furniture — older wood is more brittle, finishes are delicate, joints can loosen, and some pieces are irreplaceable.
How to Prepare Antiques for a Move
Document everything first. Photograph every piece from multiple angles before the movers arrive. Note any existing damage. This protects you if anything occurs in transit.
Remove all hardware. Take off drawer pulls, locks, and decorative hardware. Wrap each piece in a labeled plastic bag and tape it inside the drawer.
Empty all drawers and cabinets. Drawers with items add stress to old joints. Remove everything.
Wrap in acid-free materials first. Before standard moving blankets, use acid-free tissue paper or clean cotton muslin. Never let standard tape touch antique surfaces — it can pull off finish.
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Special Cases
Marble-top tables: Marble must be removed from the base and transported separately, standing vertically. Never lay marble flat — it can crack from vibration.
Mirrors: Large antique mirrors should be wrapped in cardboard and moving blankets and stored vertically. Never lay flat.
Grandfather clocks: Remove pendulums and weights, wrap separately. Transport the clock body without them.
Upholstered antiques: Original fabric is irreplaceable. Wrap tightly in clean cotton to prevent snagging.
Insurance for Antiques
Standard moving liability ($0.60/lb) is completely inadequate. A 20-lb antique worth $3,000 would be covered for just $12. Options: declared value coverage (1–2% of value), your homeowner's/renter's policy, or specialty fine art insurance.
Best Movers LA handles antiques and heirlooms throughout Los Angeles with proper wrapping materials. Call (213) 679-6844.
Related questions
Are antiques covered by a mover's standard insurance?
Standard cargo coverage pays by weight, which is precisely the wrong measure for something whose value has nothing to do with what it weighs. If a piece is genuinely valuable, declare it before the move and ask what coverage options apply to it specifically — that conversation belongs at booking, not after something has happened.
Should I have antiques appraised before moving them?
For anything you would struggle to replace, yes, and photograph the condition too. An appraisal and dated photographs are what turn a disagreement about a scratch into a straightforward claim. It takes an afternoon and it is the cheapest insurance in the process.
What damages antiques in a Los Angeles move specifically?
Heat and the change in humidity more than impact. A truck sitting in a Valley driveway in August gets hot enough to open veneer joints and dry out old wood, and a piece moving from a coastal house to an inland one crosses a real humidity boundary. Early-morning slots and not leaving the load standing in the sun matter more here than in most cities.
Should I remove drawers and doors before the crew arrives?
Leave that to the crew on anything old. Drawers in antique casework are frequently fitted to their own opening and are not interchangeable, and old hinges do not always survive being taken off and put back. Point out the fragile pieces, and let the people who wrap them decide what comes apart.
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