Who is "Coty"?
Coty is our small Pomeranian who inspired us from way back
when we first kicked around the notion of this business.
How long have you been in business?
Interests in old photographs goes way back with us but the
idea of seeking out old identifiable photos, documents, etc,
stems from the times when my sister ran an antique mall back
in the early 90's when I would notice so many old photographs
in dealer booths and no way to find out how to reconnect them
with long lost family members who would treasure these images.
Then as the Internet progressed to what it is today, it only
made sense to make them available for those seeking out the
same surnames and possibly hook up with a previously unavailable
image of their ancestor(s).
Why should I have to pay anything for a copy of my ancestor's
photograph?
In the beginning, we would buy a photo or two, and as a
hobby, try to find descendants using the genealogical websites
and simply gave it away for fun. After awhile though, it
became too impractical, expensive, and overloaded us with
seemingly unconnectable photographs. Then on top of that,
if we passed along a photograph, we would ask in kind that
they consider donating the cost of what we paid for it in
order to help us go out and buy up other photographs for
others to discover and enjoy. We never received any such
donations from the original recipients of our efforts. In
a few cases, we were lucky to get so much as a "thanks".
Speaking for ourselves here, if someone found an old
photograph of my great-grandparents whom I had never seen
before and simply gave it to me, I'd at least reimburse the
person for going out of their way to buy it in the first
place, not to mention their time, gas money, packaging &
mailing costs. The money we charge for our work goes to
reimburse us for expenses mentioned in addition to website
hosting and maintenance expenses, listing and updating each
photograph, and reprinting those originals which have previously
sold. Any surplus money we generate allows us to go out and
dig up more old classic images. More often than not, we still
lose money but it's not killing our budget as it once did a few years ago.
Why can't I have my ancestor's original photograph?
You can! That is, if you are the first one to seize the opportunity
to buy it up front when we first present the photograph. After we
sell the original, we still offer reprints of the carefully scanned
original in order for other distant cousins and descendants to have
their own copies.
Why are all the photos shown in the listings so small?
Given the prevalence of "image swiping" off of the internet these
days, we must protect our property in this manner. In the past, we
explored other options such as low-resolution scanning, watermarks,
and similar techniques but it became more time-consuming for what it
was worth. Although the photo thumbnails are small, the actual print
which we send out is based on high resolution scanning saved digitally
in the archive-quality .TIF file format. Often, the enlarged result
looks better than the original by revealing previously unnoticed details.
How can you be absolutely sure the person in the photo is
the actual person you claim it is?
In all truthfulness, we can in most cases, as well as can't in
others. In all probability however, the majority of photographs we seek out
identify the subject without a doubt to whomever reads the information and
the takes the information in it's presented context. Please read our
disclaimer page for more information.
I want to purchase a photograph. How do I go about purchasing?
First, we do not have our own online purchasing procedure due to
our concerns over identity theft. We do not wish to have that type
of liability hanging over our heads. However, for those who want
to go that route, they can always use PayPal where we have an account
set up. (Please visit our
purchase page for more information.)
Our preferred method of purchase payment is by traditional United States Postal Money Order
but if you wish to pay by check, this is acceptable, too, however as with most
mail order establishments, this method will add clearance time before we can
ship out your order. (Again, please visit our
purchase page for more information.) DO NOT SEND CASH!
Lastly, and most importantly, be sure to provide us with your first/last name, address, city, state, zip,
and preferred email address of contact. (We do not keep your information!) Be sure to email us the name(s) of photograph(s) and/or heirlooms you
wish to purchase, and in return, we will send you a confirmation invoice of your purchase.
Once you reply acknowledging the invoice, and send payment by whichever means you prefer, we will then
process your order upon payment receipt and/or clearance as necessary. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery,
but in most cases, you will receive the parcel within a few days after payment has cleared.
May I purchase a photograph from you through Ebay?
Absolutely! Ebay is a good way to go if you want a more secure transaction,
however, there is an additional 15% charge to the total amount
to cover Ebay fees and the time to create a listing by which you
may purchase one or more of our items. Please contact us if you prefer to
go this route.
