Winston Publishing

P.46 ~ PORTFOLIO says, "Pottery is always double boxed, and it gets there. I've had one job in 13 years that had a break. That cus- tomer was adamant that it didn't need double boxing." Ship-It learned from that, Marcy adds. Marcy, and her husband and busi- ness co-owner Dave, have been serving artists and saving their work since purchas- ing the business in 2003, after they had worked there since 1983. "We do artwork all year long, estates year round. Their core business happens during Christmas time and after the March art shows close," Marcy says. Art buyers, and even some artists, need an experienced set of hands. "We cater mostly to the artists themselves. I teach them what a difference an inch will make in (packing) an item." From framed art pieces to historical artifacts, Marcy has shipped it all. Most items are fairly typical, but some are com- plicated or down-right off-the-wall. Marcy tells of the time she packed an eight-foot totem pole sold at an auction; it had to ship freight for its size. "That is once in a blue moon" Marcy adds. Many complicated jobs come from antique or estate sales, she says. Marcy has packed age-old furniture and custom wood cabinetry with glass sold during Western Art Week. Animal mounts are often seen in her assignments. "I've learned over the years. We know how to get things from Point A to Point B. We can ship things that are entirely too large to go through the carriers that a normal person is familiar with." But, when an item doesn't qualify for a normal packaging environment like U.S. Postal Service, Fed-Ex or UPS, Ship-It must use a freight service to send items. With all jobs, protecting monetary value is a priority. Through experience, Marcy knows not to use the word "insur- ance." She says, "It is declared-value coverage. You have to be licensed for insurance. … I have to really keep up on that because it can change." Yet the term "insurance" is correct when an art buyer's homeowner's policy or a rider covers art in transit. Marcy also stays on top of inter- national shipping legalities. She says, "Several have restrictions on wood. Sometimes wood going into a country needs to be certified. …In France, I could not send gold jewelry." There is a lot to know and protect in her job. Marcy says, "Pieces talk to me, telling me what to do. My job is to protect it. …Many estates have chosen us as the shipper. They are entrusting me, and (the owners) they are not here to walk me through it." She says her packing theory is the same. "If it is dropped upside down from a four-story building, it won't be damaged." One success story she shares is when a bulk of religious artwork was packed and shipped for exhibit. "That one made me nervous for so many reasons. Every- one one in town knew that art was going back east. I don't know if they were valuable or not. It was its notable historic value, an issue of heritage and culture of the Ursuline Center." With a sigh, Marcy adds, "A lot of what I pack are the memories of people."

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