Is it cheaper to ship antiques myself or hire a pack-and-ship store?

Doing it yourself can be cheaper for sturdy, modest items if you already have good boxes and packing materials. The risk is that if your packing is not adequate, the carrier may deny an insurance claim, and replacing a broken item usually costs more than you saved.

Pack-and-ship businesses charge for materials and labor, but they pack items every day, often know which carrier is best for which item, and some will stand behind their packing for claims. For fragile, valuable or oddly shaped pieces, professional packing is often worth the added cost.

A good approach is to get a quote from a professional, then decide whether the savings from doing it yourself are worth the risk. For very large items like furniture, neither may be right, and a dedicated furniture or freight shipper is often a better fit.