People ask us this before almost anything else, and we get it. You can’t plan a project around a number you don’t have. The honest answer is: “it depends.” Don’t you love that answer? First, we need to understand the volume of your project, and secondly, what level of organization is in place. Is your project scanning only or organization plus scanning? It’s easy to underestimate how many photos you have, yet we regularly hear people say, “This must be the biggest, messiest project you’ve seen, right?” It’s likely not. We’ve seen a lot.
Small collections (up to about 70photos). If you’re dealing with fewer than a few hundred photos that just need to be scanned, the Archive Essentials Package will work for you. You know the cost before you commit, and there’s no guessing involved; we can get started right away. See our pricing page for those details.
Medium organized collections (70-599 photos): If you’re bringing us a shoebox collection that’s pre-sorted and “scan-ready,” we can generally provide an estimate when you drop off. If you already know the number of photos, that’s easy peazy. A 1-inch stack of photos is about 100 photos. The final cost will reflect the Archive Legacy Package and the actual number of photos scanned.
Large organized collections (600+ photos): Once you’re over 600 photos, negatives, or slides, the cost scales with the number you actually have. Printed photographs, slides, negatives, photo albums, and oversized images or scrapbook pages are priced differently because they require varying levels of handling to digitize properly.
Collections that need organizing get an estimate: Whatever the size, if your collection isn’t scan-ready or organized, for example, photographs, negatives, and albums across multiple boxes, we don’t guess at a number. We build a project estimate instead, and while that estimate carries its own cost, it’s work we’d be doing anyway if you move forward, so you’re not paying twice for it. That process typically includes some initial organization, which means when we provide the estimate, you’ll also get a clear picture of what you actually have. That’s useful on its own: it lets you prioritize which parts of the collection matter most if you prefer to pace the project. A well-organized collection on the front end also creates a well-organized, searchable digital collection on the back end. The consultation at the start of your project means no costly surprises when the project’s done.
So what happens next: If your collection is small, check our Pricing page, and you’ll find the package that fits your needs. If it’s larger, or you’re not sure what you’re actually working with, call us, and we’ll build a scope that fits your collection, not a generic one. We’ve got digital tools to help you through the process, and we host organizing workshops from time to time. Preparing your collection and building an organizational structure before photo scanning will help you control the budget, but not everyone has the time or desire to do so, which is exactly why we offer organizing services. Who wants to clean before the cleaning lady comes? We love creating order from boxes that haven’t been touched in decades. Either way, we’ve got your back.
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