Forum Topic - The Story behind My Vintage Photos

My Husband & I do British Car Shows all over the south to show off his obsession (we have 15). sheesh there should be a pill. Anyhoo, we met a guy in Pensicola Fl. who had a part Dave wanted so we stopped in Mobile on the way home to pick it up. The house was an ole Plantation home downtown & absoulutly magnificent. We had been on the road for about 3 hours & when I walked in met his wife & asked if I could please use the bathroom. She walked me thru the kitchen, formal dining room, into a hall & to the bathroom. I was ooowwwin and awwwin all the way. I got into the bathroom and was just blown away. Old claw tub with original brass swan faucets. The room was huge. She had all these old vintage photos on the wall in the most beautiful frames. I was in there for what seemed like hours lookin at all these pictures. When I came out I assured her I did not stink up the room, I just couldn't get over all the old photos and how great they were. I said what a great thing to have all those old family memories. She says to me "oh those aren't our family Wayne bought a box of old photos at a garage sale for a dollar". My chin hit the floor. WHAT!!!!! WHO DOES THIS, SELL YOUR FAMILY PHOTOS, WHO BUYS THEM AT A GARAGE SALE."??????????????? When we got in the car and left I called my Mom and said I will be at your house next weekend and we are going thru the trunk of old photos. This is so not happenin to my family. We have spent lot's of weekend going thru them, identifying who we can. Her giving me the information she remembers about them all. It's amazing how many there are and what good shape they are in. I was into original paper scrappin back then & didn't know what to do with them or how I could make multiple copies for the whole family. Now that MMS (saved my life) has come along it has been so much fun to do these pics. It is not easy to do them justice and all of you have made me so happy to comment and let me know that I am doin this right. Thanks again for all the support.

Menda

Hi Menda!  I just read the reason you are so into vintage photos.  Totally enjoyed the story.  You should be a writer along with your scrapping!!  Also, gurlfriend... if you & Dave are ever close to Gainesville, Florida, attending or on your way to a car show, PLEASE let us know.  Bob and I would LOVE to meet you both.  You also know, I hope, that you both have a standing invitation to the condo at Daytona Beach.  We are actually just south of the business of Daytona Beach, in Daytona Beach Shores. Like I told you, we were thinking of visiting Ted (my son in Shreveport) so I know you're about 3 hrs away, correct?  Anyway, that plan is on the back burner for now as he is able to get to FL more often than normal.  Would love to get together.  Have fun, Menda.  You bring smiles and delight to all of us on the MMS FB page.  I feel as we are friends already!

Hi Menda!  We were just talking about this over the weekend too!  Someone suggested that maybe there wasn't anyone left in the family to pass the photos along to.  Isn't that sad... made me sad too!

Thanks for sharing your stories Menda!

Lisa J.

I love your story Menda and I love your dedication and emotion behind your work. Your photos are beautiful and priceless. Thank you for sharing. I hope my kids don't sell their photos that I pass down to them...I would have to haunt them!

Menda - great story!  I have one to share with you as well that, as sad as it is, may give you another reason you'd find old pics at a garage sale.  My grandma had boxes beyond boxes of pictures when she was alive and when she passed they were going to be left behind.  My dad lives across the country, so he didn't want them, and my aunts all said they had no room for all the boxes and didn't want to take the time to go through the boxes, so they were going to just leave them to be trashed or taken by whoever came to clean the rest of her place.  When I heard about this, I was so angry!  I told them to hold them there for me and that I would drive up the 7 hours with my 2 little ones (and pregnant) to get the pics.  I sent out a nasty email telling them how sad it was that no one in our family cared about our family history...I had several cousins that lived closer!  But, they all complained about not having time and that the pictures were all old and black and white!!!!  So of course, I have said boxes (these are not show boxes either - they are large moving boxes!) sitting in my craft room.  Ive gone through about 7 of them and had them all scanned, but I have about 8 more to go!  Your story inspired me to get to scrappin these family pics - they are my kids family history!  Thanks again Menda.....that story gave me the kick in the pants to get going on telling our family history!

Menda, my mom used to work at a rare and used book store.  They had a box of photos on the checkout desk labeled "instant relatives" - all very old photographs.  It made me so sad that someone wanted to get rid of the photos, but fun for people who don't have anything like that I guess...

But I liked that.  Instant Relatives... LOL