Start
$55
First 25 prints
White Bear Lake and nearby · originals never mailed
Your family photos, digitized here.
The box in the closet does not get safer by waiting.
I scan old prints by hand in White Bear Lake. We meet in White Bear Lake and nearby, the photos stay local, and you get 600 dpi files, cropped and cleaned, ready for a phone or a shared folder.
Start: first 25 prints $55 · Shoebox: first 50 prints $85
Local hands, not a mailing label
I scan old prints by hand in White Bear Lake. We meet in White Bear Lake and nearby. The photos stay local. You get 600 dpi files, cropped and cleaned, ready for a phone or a shared folder.
Mail-in kits often run about 30¢–$1.40 a print, and the box leaves Minnesota. I hand the box back myself.
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Typical mail-in kit
- About 30¢–$1.40 a print
- Your box ships out of state
- You wait for it to come back
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White Bear Keeps
- Scanned by hand on a flatbed, 600 dpi
- Photos stay in the White Bear Lake area
- Box handed back to you in person
How it works
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We meet
Library lot, your driveway, or a coffee shop in White Bear Lake and nearby. We count the box together.
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I scan
Flatbed, 600 dpi, crop, rotate, Epson cleanup. No feeder chewing through heirlooms.
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You get them back
Originals plus a download. USB optional.
Evenings and Saturdays.
Before & after
Drag the handle, or focus it and use the arrow keys, to compare a faded print with the cleaned scan.
Sample images are drawings made for this page, not customer photos. A scan cannot be sharper than the print.
Pricing
Shoebox
$85
First 50 prints
After that
$0.70
Each extra loose print
- Albums and odd sizes are quoted after I look.
- USB copy: +$15
- Payment is due when files are ready: cash, check, or Venmo.
Optional add-ons
Dates written into files
So they sort by year in your photos app.
- $0.25/print if a stack shares a year
- $0.45/print if dated one by one
- $15 minimum
Heads-up: dated files will not sit in Recents on a phone. They file themselves under their year.
AI cleaned / upscaled copy
- $0.25/print
- $15 minimum
You still get the regular 600 dpi scan.
How your photos sort on a phone
Old prints don't come with a date your phone can read. You pick one of three:
Default
Recents / scan date
Files show up by the day they were scanned, so the whole batch lands together in Recents.
Folders
Year in folders and filenames only
Folders and filenames carry the year (for example 1987), so they line up on a computer or in a shared folder. Your phone still shows them by scan date.
Add-on
Written dates
The date is written into each file, so your photos app sorts them by year. They won't sit in Recents. See add-on pricing.
Policies & FAQ
Will my originals be mailed anywhere?
No. Originals are never mailed. I photograph the box at pickup and again at return.
How are the prints scanned?
By hand, on a flatbed, at 600 dpi, with crop, rotate, and Epson cleanup. No sheet feeder.
Do you do VHS, film, or slides?
Not yet. Video is coming soon. For VHS, film, or slides right now, there are local options such as Astound in Roseville.
What about moldy, stuck, or glued photos?
Mold, sticky stacks, or glued album pages may be declined or quoted separately.
Will you take photos out of my albums?
Photos must be removed from the album and loose for me to scan, unless we agree on something else first.
Will the scan be sharper than my print?
A scan cannot be sharper than the print. It can be cleaner, straighter, and easier to share.
When and how do I pay?
Payment is due when the files are ready: cash, check, or Venmo.
How long does it take?
This is a part-time business, open evenings and Saturdays. Plan on 1–3 weeks for a shoebox.
Is my work private?
Yes. Your photos stay private and confidential. If photos show illegal activity, I will report it to the authorities.
Where do you meet for pickup?
White Bear Lake and nearby — White Bear Township, Mahtomedi, Hugo, Vadnais Heights, North Oaks, Birchwood, and similar towns. Customers come to me or we meet in the area; I don't drive an hour out.
If you're happy with the scans, tell a neighbor or share this page. Word of mouth keeps a small local shop going.
Request a pickup
Fill this in and press Send request. It goes straight to my own computer (not a form company or mailing list), and I'll text you back to set up a pickup in the White Bear Lake area. You can also use Send by text or email if you prefer.
Contact
John Kluge
The easiest way is the pickup form above. Or show phone and email below.
If you're happy with the scans, tell a neighbor or share this page.