Digitizing for Saanich
Saanich holds more households than anywhere else in the region, a lot of them in houses that families have lived in for decades. Those are the houses with the full basements, and I digitize what comes out of them.
The Long-Occupied House
The collections that come out of Saanich tend to be the deep ones. A family that has been in the same house since the seventies has not moved, which means nothing has been thinned out at a move, which means the albums, the slide carousels, the reels and the tapes are all still there in layers.
That sounds daunting and it is actually the easiest kind of job to start. There is almost always one clear box to begin with, and once you have seen that come back the rest stops being a wall.
Slide carousels included
Carousels turn up constantly in houses of this vintage, usually with nothing left in the house that will show them. You can bring them loaded. I take the slides out, scan them and put them back in the same order.
I collect the big ones
Nobody should be moving eight bins of albums into a car boot. If the job is $99 or more I come to you, load it myself, and the drive is not a line on the bill.
In stages if you prefer
Plenty of people do this a shelf at a time over a year. That is fine. The prices do not change because you spread it out, and the bulk rates still apply once you get there.
How It Works
Drop-Off in Colwood
Use my online form to book a private drop-off time. This ensures I can review your items with you personally when you arrive.
Approve Estimate
Once I have your project, I don't just process it. I inspect the condition of every tape and page. If I find something that needs special attention, I’ll call you.
Enjoy and Share
You'll get a private link to everything, and a USB drive to keep if you want one. You can finally watch your memories on your phone, tablet, or TV.
What a job starts at.
Bring a collection to the Colwood workshop and a job starts at $49. If the work comes to $99 or more I will drive out and collect it myself, and the drive is not a line on your bill. Either way you get a written figure before I start anything, and looking is free.
The workshop on Metchosin Road. Around half an hour from most of Saanich, and over $99 I make the drive myself.
Questions From Around Here
I have slide carousels. Do I need to unload them?
No, bring them loaded. Emptying a carousel by hand is how slides get scratched and how the running order gets lost. I take them out here, scan them and return them to the same tray in the same order.
Can I do this a bit at a time?
Yes, and lots of people do. Doing it in stages does not cost you more, and once your total reaches the bulk levels those rates still apply. There is no requirement to commit the whole house up front.
Start with one shelf.
You do not need to empty the basement to begin. Book a time and bring whatever is nearest the door.