Shipping breakables from the US to the UK

As the title says - my mother has kindly been storing several smallish antiques for me in her home in the US, but the time has come for me to attempt to liberate her from this duty.  In particular, there is at least one set of very nice old French china (yes actually old, not just old to Americans   The stuff you'd see on Cash in the Attic or something, I just can't think of the name atm) with some serving pieces.  It has monetary as well as sentimental value.  My question is, how on earth do I get something like this over from the US without it arriving as dust?

Also, a bonus question: there are one or two furniture items as well, such as a rocking chair some great-great-etc grandfather made.  Any ideas on shipping that sort of thing?

All help is appreciated!  Thanks so much!

I have a similar situation.  I don't have much that I'm keeping, but I do want to try to move the set of china my grandparents left me.

My plan had been to take it to a UPS store and pay through the nose for them to help me pack it.  If I recall correctly, they have special boxes and packing material to fit those types of objects.  That's my hope, anyway.  And then I'd just have them ship it.  I was going to do the same with a smallish, oak-framed mirror I have.  At least the worse-case scenario there is replacing the glass.

If anyone has better suggestions, though, I'd be glad to hear them.

These kinds of things keep me up at night!

I think I am going to end up going with "Upakweship" for my household contents but I'm stressing about how to pack the breakables! I have an entire set of dinnerware by Lennox (Not anything fancy, but I love my Butterfly Meadow!) that I mostly got as presents for my wedding, but have been adding to in the past four years we've been married - I definitely want to bring it along to the UK, but since I'm likely going to be packing things myself am really worried about things breaking!

Also the numerous picture frames (do you all leave your pictures in the frames, or take them out?)...knick-nacks....etc. Sigh. So much to think about!

Just a thought - you can purchase heavy duty boxes online in bulk at someplace like:
http://www.uline.com/Cls_04/Boxes-Corrugated?pricode=WE434&gclid=COCv6M_dzaACFVrX5wodbgwozg] [url]http://www.uline.com/Cls_04/Boxes-Corrugated?pricode=WE434&gclid=COCv6M_dzaACFVrX5wodbgwozg[/url]

THey have picture boxes and they even have special boxes for furniture.  I'm planning on using Upakweship as well - because of hte prices - but I'm going to upgrade my boxes to help protect.  That's one of the main differences that I could find about how professional int'l shippers protect - they upgrade the box strength.

Just a thought...I should have asked before I shipped Upakweship can you use plastic tubs???

All my pictures frames (glass) I left pictures in them but I wrapped in kitchen towels. I have lennox bowls and BIG picture frames...I did the shove method wrap in bath towels, the big pictures in between my comforter that was space bagged (I folded it around the pictures).
I also had my pots with the glass lids once again wrapped in towels.
Out of 10 boxes my new orleans frame broke (the lil jazz band fell off) which its 15 years old I tossed it.

Plastic Tubs - HEAVY boxes and Towels are your friend! I have more kitchen towels here then every and REAL bathroom towels and sheets and my comforter - all worth it to wrap things in.

I don't know for certain, but I would think you could use plastic bins.  You can when you're shipping with UPS or FedEx.  You just need to make sure that the container fits within their size restrictions, and also that you tape it up really well.

If you do consider using a plastic container,  be picky about the kind of plastic.  Some are more brittle than others, and might not absorb shock as well.  So, they'd be more prone to crack if, for example, they got dropped on one of their corners.