You may not think your photographs are important right now, but what you have is a visual record of people who will only exist once, in a location that may not exist for long, in clothing that will become a relic. Every moment we live today is history for tomorrow, because of this we encourage and implore that you take good care of your photographs and videos in hopes that it survives for generations to come.

Store your photographs carefully, there are archival quality photograph sleeves available to help store photographs, or even simpler instead of throwing all your photographs in one box, consider getting smaller boxes to store the images separately. This will help prevent bent edges, tears, folds, and photographs sticking to each other. Boxes can be found at archiving stores, as well as at any large Craft stores.

Display copies of your photograph, and not the original image itself. Things can happen and often will, including theft, flooding, fires, and children who like to rough house. Rather then putting your cherished original out and at risk, consider storing it in a fireproof waterproof safe in a dry area of the house. (Please read how to store photographs carefully) Small fireproof and waterproof safes can be bought at chain stores like Target for under $100 dollars normally.

Day to day handling should be at a minimum, but if you need to handle or examine your old photograph we advise using clean soft cotton gloves to handle the image. The oils that you produce and that can be found on your hands can damage photographs, and the gloves will also help prevent other minor defacing like smudges, and scratches from rings.

Do not leave your photograph exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, this can cause extreme discoloration.

Archive copies of your image, in case the original is destroyed or lost it is ideal to have a scanned copy of the image archived elsewhere. Many times after disasters people return home and realize just how much more important a family portrait was then the widescreen tv. A tv can be replaced but unless your lucky to find someone else with the same images you had, a photograph cannot be replaced. It's because of this that we really encourage our clients to have a scanned copy of their most prized photographs archived at a remote location.

With the popularity of genealogy rising, there has also been a rise in private collectors of vintage photographs. These collectors often enjoy the historical value of the images, and enjoy researching who, what and when the photograph was taken. The following are tips to help your hunt for forgotten treasures.

Estate Sales - Along with old books, and other memories, one can often locate boxes of old photographs. Unfortunately if there is no family member to inherit these images, there is no guarantee as to where they will end up. This is a major reason why vintage photograph collectors feel so passionately about acquiring these forgotten bits of history.

Second Hand Shops - It's not uncommon for charity stores like Goodwill to be the recipient of a deceased person's belongings. Therefore it's also very common that Goodwill and other second hand stores will have vintage photographs available for purchase or auction.

Garage Sales - As strange as it may sound, albums of vintage photographs will and do turn up at garage sales, it's not as certain a find at a garage sale as it is at an estate sale or second hand store, but it does happen.

Antique Stores - These stores are often riddled with aged treasures, which include vintage photographs. Antique stores can also be difficult to navigation, so it may be easiest if you ask a clerk where the photographs are kept... on the other hand you may want to take your time and explore what the store has to offer.

Flea Markets - There is no guarantee what you'll find at a flea market, and at the same time that is one of it's major appeals. It is more than likely however that there may be a number of booths/vendors that specialize in vintage photographs.

Craigslist.org - Much like a giant online garage sale itself, Craigslist.org is likely to have a listing about vintage photographs available in your general location. Since Craigslist.org is a free online listing site however, you need to be more cautious about potential scams.

Ebay - Unlike Craigslist Ebay has a rating system for sellers so the likely hood of being scammed is smaller. At the same time Ebay has a large online audience so your competition for a photograph will be higher then it would be if you purchased it from alternative source.