29 Sep
Organization is the key to a smooth move. If you’re planning to pack valuable sterling silver or silver plated items yourself, follow these tips to protect them during your local or long-distance move.
Begin by taking an inventory of sterling silver pieces and valuable antiques. In the moving industry, items having a value of more than $100 per pound are known as “articles of extraordinary value.” Make sure you list these items on the “High Value Inventory Form” you receive from your Herlihy moving consultant.
Before you start packing, it’s good idea to gather everything you’ll need:
- Sturdy boxes with flaps that can be completely closed
- Packing paper, such as low-sulfur paper or clean newsprint
- Paper pads
- Bubble wrap
- Tissue paper
- Packing tape for sealing packed boxes
- Felt-tipped markers for labeling boxes
Next, wash and polish silver pieces as you normally do. This will help protect them while in storage or moving boxes.
Because air causes silver to tarnish, all silver pieces should be enclosed completely, either in special cloth bags (available from silver retailers) or clean tissue or packing paper.
To prevent scratches and dents, all silver hollowware — including bowls, tea sets and serving dishes — should be wrapped carefully as fragile items and packed like china. Make sure to fill the bottom of your boxes with crushed paper. Wrap all pieces of hollowware individually in clean tissue or packing paper. (Do not use old newspapers, as the ink can cause tarnishing.) Using several sheets, start from the corner and wrap diagonally. Continually tuck in the overlapping edges. A double layer serves well as an outer wrapping. For delicate pieces, you might want to finish with an outer layer of bubble wrap.
Place plates and platters on their ends in a sturdy box. Never pack them flat in the box. Put the heaviest items on the bottom and build up in layers, with the lighter items on top. Separate the layers with crushed paper.
Wrap bowls in the same way as flat plates. Place the bowls in the carton in the same way as plates. Never pack them on the flat side in the bottom of the box.
Teapots, pitchers or other fragile items should be wrapped in tissue paper, bubble wrap and then a paper pad on the outside. Place them upright in the carton.
Once a box is completely full, seal it and label with the contents. When packing anything delicate, be sure to label the carton as fragile and draw an arrow marking which side is up.
Loose flatware may be wrapped either individually or in sets, and in clear tissue or plastic. If silverware is in a chest, you still might want to wrap the pieces individually and reposition them in the chest. Or, fill in all empty spaces in the chest with tissue paper or paper towels. Wrap the chest with bubble wrap or a large bath towel.
Good packing is essential to a stress free move. As an authorized agent of Mayflower Moving, Herlihy Moving & Storage is here to guide you every step of the way.
Looking for professional and reliable Columbus, Ohio movers? Contact us today to experience the Herlihy Moving & Storage difference. Since 1920, we have moved thousands of Ohio families and businesses around Ohio, across the United States, and around the world. As a locally owned and operated agent of Mayflower Moving, we have the resources to move you, no matter where you need to go.
