Wednesday, July 9, 2008

How to Get Real Kodak Pictures From Your Digital Camera and Camera Phones





Welcome to The Kodak Experience Retail Photo Center at 30 Minute Photos Etc. and ScanMyPhotos.com

It’s so quick and easy. You will be amazed and delighted when they you try the KODAK Picture Kiosk for the first time. It was designed to make sure you get great results your first time, and every time you print. Get true KODAK Quality Prints. Rich, vibrant colors. Crisp detail. Simply better, brighter pictures. You can do it yourself. Beautiful pictures are right at your fingertips. Just touch the screen to get started.

Three Easy Steps to Real KODAK Pictures at 30 Minute Photos Etc. and ScanMyPhotos.com

Step 1: Upload Your Pictures
Insert your digital media card, CD or disk.
Transfer pictures wirelessly from your phone.
Scan your print.
See all input choices.


Step 2: Preview & Select Your Pictures
Select all pictures with just one touch, or print only the pictures you want.
Make quick and easy edits to improve your pictures.
See your pictures on screen before you pay.


Step 3: Print & Go
Touch the screen to indicate how may prints you want of each picture.
Enlarge favorite prints in just one step.
Choose a print package for pictures in more sizes.

You Can Create Great Kodak Prints. We’re Here to Help at 30 Minute Photos Etc. and ScanMyPhotos.com at our Irvine, Calif. Kodak Experience Retail Photo Center.

Special goof-proof on-screen tips and even helpful audio instructions guide you every step of the way. You preview your pictures onscreen before you pay. Make prints by yourself in just seconds. Need a hand? Our friendly and professional staff are here to help, as we have been since 1990.

ALL NEW: Make Prints from Your Phone

Got BLUETOOTH™ Technology? Make real KODAK Pictures from your phone or PDA in just seconds. We detect the resolution of your device and recommend optimal print sizes. Get wireless printing
information.

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Kodak Photo Kiosks

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KODAK: The Future of Photography

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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Make Your Own Photo Albums: How to Organize Your Scanned Digital Photos Super Fast


Photo Albums You Make in Minutes, Order Online and Mailed Back the Same Business Day









From all your digital images, including newly scanned pictures, create hardcover photo books, perfect for sharing your favorite photo memories and creating beautiful stories


    Great way to remember every special occasion, parties, vacations, get-togethers, summer fun. All new! Organize your photos in minutes and use our 24/7 Live support with any questions.
    Click here to order right now from ScanMyPhotos.com

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Saturday, July 5, 2008

APS FILM SCANNING CUSTOMER REVIEW: "Click. The Good News Blog"

Repost below from blogger review by Amanda. Thanks for the raves!

Little Clicker Blog

While recently scanning more old photos and albums, I ran across this little gem of a photo that I instantly loved. Me & mom cuddled up. Christmas decorations out. Hideous old orange curtains. Matching red nightgowns. Polaroid photo laying around. Box fan to keep cool- even in winter.
Camera in my hand.

I also recently dug out all my APS photos- which were circa mid-high school days though college. I would love to have those digitally and be able to share them and write about the stories behind many of them. Last week, I sent 58 rolls of APS film to Scan My Photos to turn them into digital files I can share with everybody. They offered a great deal for $5/roll plus free return shipping. Can't beat that price for priceless memories ;)

I received all my photos back in less than 2 weeks- all photos burned to a disk and scanned at high resolution. They even included a little note explaining why they couldn't scan 3 of the rolls. I'll be spending the next few weeks strolling down memory lane and hopefully sharing some fun, old photos from days gone by.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I love, love LOVE digital photography!


Posted by Amanda at
4:49 AM
Labels: ,

5 comments:
Rocket said...
Hey thanks for the link to Scan Photos. I've got a big box full of APS from my old Canon Elph camera along with some 35mm stuff. What a great idea.
July 2, 2008 6:37 AM
Dennis the Vizsla said...
This post has been removed by the author.
July 2, 2008 8:44 AM
Dennis the Vizsla said...
I'm doing the same project, but all of my old pictures are 35mm prints and goodness knows where the negatives are. So my scanner is going to be busy for a while!
July 2, 2008 8:45 AM
Amanda said...
Thank thank you for this post! My husband has tons of APS from his camera he's been wanting to do like this. We thought it would super expensive. Yay!
July 2, 2008 9:47 AM
Christy said...
Thank you so much for this post! We definitely need to have our rolls of film scanned. Do you know if they do 8 mm?
July 2, 2008 10:57 PM

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Friday, July 4, 2008

Free* Photo Album Coffee Table Books - Ready in Minutes* Online at ScanMyPhotos.com



SAVE $24.95
FREE DUPLICATE PHOTO ALBUM COFFEE TABLE BOOKS

There are hundreds of new ways to share and save your special photos, but one of the most popular products are photo album coffee table books that you design in minutes, online or at retail photo centers.



Now you can easily order your own albums that you design in minutes and get a free extra copy with each purchase.

Gather your shoeboxes of photo memories and have ScanMyPhotos.com digitize everything in minutes. Then, use your new DVD data disc and jpeg files to byuild your own photo album coffee table book online at ScanMyPhotos.com, or visit their southern California retail photo center.

* This buy-one-get-duplicate-one free only applies to standard 20 or 40 page photo albums you design online or at our retail location; not valid towards custom photo memory books from your scanned pictures, which are thumbnail images bound in a special book with all your scanning images, rather than just the ones you choose.


FREE* PHOTO ALBUMS YOU DESIGN ONLINE IN MINUTES FROM ScanMyPhotos.com

Click here to go directly to the ScanMyPhotos.com Web site

Smart way to preserve and share your recently scanned photos and digital images stored on your computer. To redeem, when placing your order, mention this FREE PHOTO ALBUM OFFER, or copy and bring in this printout to automatically get an extra, duplicate photo album ($24.95 value) with each order, limit 8, online and in store orders. Discount cannot apply to prior orders, no cash value and you must mention this promotion to receive the free duplicate album(s).*Get a FREE photo album with each one you purchase. Limit eight.Do-it-yourself photo albums now available (these are different than the custom thumbnail photo memory books that display all your scanned photos). Holds about 75 of your favorite pictures. Professionally bound in hard cover albums and includes same day return!






  • BUY ONE-GET-DUPLICATE-ALBUM-FREE - Online and in store retail orders only



  • Choose from 17 designer styles



  • Variety of colorful backgrounds



  • FREE preview to see online prior to ordering



  • Select custom layouts for each page



  • Add and move pictures where you want



  • Zoom, crop, remove "red-eye" and more



  • Add captions and journal messages to each page



  • Just $24.95 (buy one duplicate free, limit 8)



  • Instant Tracking, 24/7 Support!



  • 24/7 Live Support free help desk



  • Price compare: with discount, effectively just $12.48 per photo album



  • All orders completed and mailed back same business day



  • Must mention this offer when placing your order!



  • Hurry, this buy one-get-duplicate-one-free offer expires on August 30, 2008 and saves you $24.95 for each extra album




Click here for more info and to design, preview and order your albums right now




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Thursday, July 3, 2008

How to Scan APS: Unlimited Advantix - APS Film Scanning, Now Just $4.98 Each Roll: (Save 50%) How Can I View My APS Advantix Film on the Computer?



SAVE 50% ON APS FILM SCANNING - Free Return Shipping - Free Kodak Index Prints


Just $4.98 per roll to CD With Copy of this Notice


Now is the perfect time to have all your APS film cartridges professionally scanned and digitally preserved as jpeg files


Although APS (Advanced Photo System) film is analog, you can easily have it converted to digital images and stored on your computer. ScanMyPhotos.com are experts in professionally preserving, photos, slides and film, which includes APS film formats.




Save 50% On All APS Film Scanning, Plus Free Return Shipping


  • Pay just $4.98 to scan previously developed 25 or 40 exposure APS film cartridges to jpeg digital files. ScanMyPhotos.com provides same day service and archives up to 6 rolls of film onto one CD and you also get a free index print to organize your files. (Regular rate is $9.95)


  • If you have boxes of Kodak Advantix and other brand APS film, this is the ideal time to have everything digitally scanned for this low price.

  • Includes color and density corrections


  • Kodak Digital Ice Software enhancements for color APS film


  • Same day scanning service applies. Free domestic U.S. return shipping included*


  • Your APS film negatives are scanned at 2000 dpi which outputs at 500dpi @ 4x6 (2000x3000 pixels, or 6MP)
To validate and order: Click on this order form to print and include with your order. Mail to ScanMyPhotos.com for same day service. *You must include a copy of this blog posting to validate this 50% discount and get free return shipping. Pay just $4.98 per roll of previously developed APS film to disc. No limit. We archive about 5-6 rolls of film per disc. Save 50%. This 50% discount applies only to APS film scanning to disc. Cannot be applied to prior order. Copy of this posting must accompany order. Use our 24/7 Live Support help desk to instantly answer any questions. Not applicable for regular film, slide print scanning or any other service; just valid for APS film scanning to CD only.


keywords: recommend photo scanning services, review photo scanning services, directory of photo scanning services, top rated photo scanning directory, how to scan photos slides negatives, APS film, Kodak advantix APS film, what scanning service do you recommend, review photo services, digital imaging labs, online photo service, top scanning,

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Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Photo Reporter: "When Analog Meets Digital, Profits Follow: Mitch Goldstone And ScanMyPhotos.com"



[By Ted Kritsonis - Photo Reporter ]

Woodbury, NY— Mitch Goldstone knows a market when he sees one, especially when analog meets digital.

Goldstone and partner Carl Berman have been running a retail photo lab in Orange County, California, for 18 years, along with the company website at 30minphotos.com since the late 1990s. Where his business was once 100 percent film-based, he now handles zero film, having made a full transition to digital. But, all those analog prints people have festering in their photo albums or shoeboxes still represent a huge market.

It’s estimated that the average consumer has as many as 5,000 analog prints, accumulating to an overall figure of 3.5 trillion prints worldwide. A vast majority of those may have never seen a scanner, and thus have never been digitized.

In 2005, Goldstone pioneered a high-speed photo scanning service in his photo lab by commercializing Kodak technology. He launched a new website called ScanMyPhotos.com and recently began using Kodak’s Adaptive Picture Exchange (APEX), a modular dry lab, scaleable photo system. APEX dramatically increases the speed of workflow management, which partly explains how it enables ScanMyPhotos.com to scan tens of thousands of prints in a single day. And this is the key reason they can turn orders very quickly, Goldstone says.

ScanMyPhotos offers the scanning service in three options. The first, and most popular, is the prepaid service at a cost of $124.95. The company sends the customer a postage-paid box they can fill up with as many as 1,800 prints of various sizes (from 2x3 to 11x14). Customers then have up to one year to fill up the box and send it back for scanning.

“Once the customer receives it, they can fill it up at their convenience and put as many pictures as they can into it, then bring it to the post office to ship it to us,” Goldstone explains. “The day we receive it, we digitize every single picture and send the box back to them the very same day.”
The scanned images are saved as JPEGs, with a resolution of 300 dpi, and burned to a DVD. Each DVD can typically hold about 3,000 4x6 images, but the number can shift depending on how many wallet-size or enlarged photos are part of an order.

The other two service options are live support through the phone or real-time online chat, along with simply walking into the store and dropping off a box of prints. Customers walking in with an order of 1,000 prints typically wait just 15 minutes to have the job done.

Sometimes, walk-in orders can be far more substantial. Goldstone recalls one customer who came to his lab from San Francisco with 26 boxes containing 22,000 pictures. He dropped off the entire order and left for the day to Disneyland, returning five hours later to pick up the boxes and the DVDs containing all the scans.

Having so many photos digitized creates additional profit opportunities. Goldstone says some customers create albums, mugs, cards and other gift items using those photos.

“Digitizing analog images is the gateway to invite consumers to create all types of products from the generations of photo memories,” Goldstone says. “Once they become familiar with sites like ScanMyPhotos.com, they start ordering the ancillary products as well.”

This is equally true for converting old home movies on VHS to DVD. ScanMyPhotos.com offers this service in a similar format, where customers can fill up a prepaid box with up to 14 tapes at a cost of $249.95. Individual tapes can be digitized for $24.95 apiece. Just like the photo scanning service, ScanMyPhotos won’t digitize any copyrighted VHS tapes. And, the service is meant only for VHS tapes, so the company won’t take 8mm or movie film. “The poor quality of VHS means they start to deteriorate within 8 to 10 years, so most people’s tapes from the 1980s are almost destroyed,” Goldstone says. “That means there’s a 100 percent market out there for transfer to DVDs.” He cites the recent fire at the film and video vaults at Universal Studios as one example to remind consumers to back up VHS tapes and DVDs by making multiple copies and keeping them in separate locations.

The service has been a hit since the company launched it, particularly because consumers from all over the world are paying for it. The only catch 
for foreign customers is that they have to supply their own boxes and pay for shipping both ways. The prepaid boxes are only for U.S. customers because of agreements ScanMyPhotos has with the USPS, FedEx and UPS. The same is also true for photo scanning services.

Goldstone’s company has no membership program in place, and he says there are 
no plans to start one. Instead, they will randomly include Chevron gas cards valued at $5 up to $25, or chocolates, cookies and other gift cards, depending on the time of year.

He also has no plans to expand or turn the business into a franchise. “The answer is definitively ‘no’ because of quality control,” he explains. “We want to make sure everything is handled exactly the same way perfectly with no variables. It’s a key part of our business model.”

And it’s a business model that’s been successful and can be profitably replicated. When was the last time you scanned 22,000 prints?

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Tuesday, July 1, 2008

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - Save 50% All In Store Photo Kiosk Orders





SAVE 50% on all in-store photo kiosk orders* with the early bird special at Irvine’s 30 Minute Photos Etc. – ScanMyPhotos.com.




*Valid towards anything you can create on our in-store photo kiosks




Click on this link to download the coupon





What should local retailers do to attract customers during off-peek hours, especially when record gas prices are forcing many to limit their driving activities? ScanMyPhotos.com and it’s Irvine-based retail photo center, 30 Minute Photos Etc. is launching something popular with restaurants to attract business during the off-peek hours. The Irvine-based photo scanning and retail photo imaging center, located at the Irvine corner of Jamboree & Barranca Parkway, is now hosting a “Picture This Early Bird Special.” All in-store photo kiosk orders are 50% off when orders are placed between 9:00 am – 11:00 am Monday-Friday and from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm on Saturdays.

If you have generations of analog photo snapshots this is the ideal time to have ScanMyPhotos.com digitally archive each image for you, while you wait; pay just $49.95 to scan up to 1,000 photo snapshots. It takes just minutes and then you get your new DVD disc. Bring your disc, camera memory cards or other digital images to their banks of in-store photo kiosks to then design your own photos, blowup photo enlargements, collage and custom photo scrapbooking pages, custom photo albums, do-it-yourself photo flip-books, photo calendars, custom themed photo greeting cards and 5x7 folded photo announcement and invitation cards, but hundreds of other designs in minutes at ScanMyPhotos.com. Save 50% towards all in-store photo kiosk orders during the posted Early Bird hours, but you do need to first present the coupon which is easily accessible on the ScanMyPhotos.com website under “Online Specials”

More info, call ScanMyPhotos.com, 949-474-7654, email:
info@ScanMyPhotos.com or use their 24/7 Live Support. Discount excludes tax, all online, scanning and non-kiosk generated orders. Must first visit website to download and present coupon before placing your order between 9:00 am – 11:00 am Mon – Fri and 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Saturdays only at ScanMyPhotos.com – 30 Minute Photos Etc. in Irvine.

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Smart idea on what to do with your scanned photos



Once your pictures, slides and film are digitally scanned, you can now order personalize M&M candy from your jpeg files.

Mars Inc., McLean, Va., maker of M&M chocolate candy, has long offered a personalization service for the treat, which lets customers pick colors and have texts and logos printed on M&M's. The new offering, M&M's Faces, allows customers to upload one or two photos, pick their colors and add up to two different texts to be printed on separate M&Ms.Using a simple interface, users can zoom in or out to select which part of a photo they want to use. A graphic specialist then tweaks the photo file, creating a sketch-like rendition that looks good on small pieces of candy. M&M's Faces are available in 7-ounce bags at $14.95 per bag, with a minimum order of 3 bags; a 5-or 10-pound bulk box for $162.50 or $312.50; or a variety of 1.6- to 1.75-ounce party favors for $4.99 to $6.19 per bag, with a minimum order of 20 bags, says the company.

Here are some helpful hints to make your photo come out right.

File Format: Please submit your photo as either a .jpeg, .raw, .bmp or .tiff file.

Use High Resolution: "Resolution" refers to a measure of detail that can be seen in an image; the higher the resolution, the finer the detail that can be seen.

Tips:

Place your digital camera on the highest resolution setting possible.
Most photos taken with a 2.0 megapixel camera (or greater) are acceptable.
Lighting: Adjust your lighting to avoid shadows on the face or background
For Individual or Couple Photos: We recommend that the photo be captured from slightly above the top of the head to the middle of the chest. For a photo of two people, faces must be cheek to cheek or very close together to fit on your M&M'S®.

Composition: Please ensure that all of the face(s) are in the picture and not cropped
Background: For best results, the background should be plain white or off-white. The priority is that hair should be a contrast to the background. It is preferable that photos do not include glasses or hats. Not all photos will print correctly. Remember, we are only printing food coloring on a centimeter of space (about half the width of a dime). Photos that are complex may print illegibly. All photos are printed in BLACK food-grade ink. We can convert your photos from color to BLACK if necessary.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Customer Profile: "Digitized Your Memory"

Thanks to Grace Lin's blog "Syncing up with Reality" and her customer profile on the recent ScanMyPhotos.com experience. After 18-years in business, there is nothing sweeter than comments like this from the "Syncing up with Reality" blog posting with same scanned pictures:


  • "Check out this cool online service ScanMyPhotos.com. You send in your pictures and they scan it and save on a DVD for you. A very simple process! The service is really as described on the website. It is easy, straightforward, and most importantly, very fast. Within a week, I receive my box of pictures back with a DVD. However, expect quality of a scanned image, that is if you have ever scanned a picture yourself. You know the quality is NOT the same as a digital-camera picture.

  • I have been wanted to do this for many years. The need to "scale down" my belongings while packing for the move to Hawaii really pushed me to do this. The deal gets better. If you have a facebook, a blog, flickr or myspace account, you can write about the service (as I am doing now) at those places and receive this special offer of scanning up too 1,000 4x6 pictures for the price of $19.99. That is a great deal. That is what I did. However, I paid extra $19.99 to have my pictures scanned in certain order. Those who know me know that I have all my pictures organized chronically since 1992, the year I first arrived in Houston. I want my digitized pictures in chronological order as well. In addition, ScanMyPhotos will send back your pictures and the DVD via UPSP priority mail but you do need to send in the pictures yourself. I spent about $19.00 for a box of 1,000 4x6 pictures. The total at the end addes up to about $60.00. I think that is the money worth spending!

  • I am very happy with this service and would highly recommend this to you. Of course if you are younger than me, all you know about pictures are all digital. So you don't need this service. This service is for people who still keep old-fashioned photos.(pictures shared are my first and only road trip to Yellow Stone & Grand Canyon in summer 1993)."

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1,000 Free Photo Scans Extended Through September 30th




Click here to go directly to the ScanMyPhotos.com Web site
Click here to view news release.



1,000 Free Photo Scans*

Through September 30th

Many businesses are turning to word-of-mouth marketing to invite personal Web page posting to review, share their experiences and influence what the next new-thing will be. According to ScanMyPhotos.com, Facebook, along with Blogger, Flickr and MySpace are the new way to cultivate buzz and excitement.

Social networking sites are the new, smart forum for reaching consumers. When you have a service that demands great word-of-mouth, forums like Facebook cannot be beat for reaching people with passion. "When they love or hate your service they tell the world; it's critical to always earn everyone's adoration and loyalty," said Mitch Goldstone, president & CEO of ScanMyPhotos.com.

1,000 Free Photo Scans by ScanMyPhotos.com Extended Through September 30th for Members of Facebook, Flickr, MySpace and Blogger

The photo scanning and digital imaging company recently announced it would scan up to 1,000 pictures without charge (pay just $19.95 for return S&H) for members of these leading social networking sites. The nationwide feedback and buzz has justified this extension for 1,000 free photo scans for these social networking members through September 30th.

How To Get Free Photo Scanning - send us your photos and pay just for return S&H ($19.95)

1) If you are located within the U.S. and a member of Facebook, Blogger, MySpace or Flickr enjoy your first 1,000 4x6" photo scans without charge* from ScanMyPhotos.com

2) Send your photos and *pay for return S&H of $19.95. One-time-use per person/address

3) Scanning is free, but, please post a review from your experience with ScanMyPhotos.com

4) To order, fill out this form
and review the requirements for preparing your 4x6" photos

5) Instant turn-around: your photos are scanned and returned the same business day with a DVD data disc, plus any other paid services that you select


6) See website for complete info or 24/7 Live Support





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Monday, June 23, 2008

Free Photo Editing Site Picnik Recommended by ScanMyPhotos.com


Having scanned millions of pictures, ScanMyPhotos.com provides dozens of other photo imaging specialty services, including custom photo restoration and photo enhancements. However, for ordinary photo fixing, we recommend Picnik.com - the online services lets users crop borders, eliminate red-eye and add a range of special effects like blurring, tinting and heat-mapping to any picture.

Photo Editing Made Fun

Picnik makes your photos fabulous with easy to use yet powerful editing tools. Tweak to your heart’s content, then get creative with oodles of effects, fonts, shapes, and frames. It's fast, easy, and fun.

Click here to visit Picnik.com.

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

When Analog Meets Digital, Profits Follow: Mitch Goldstone And ScanMyPhotos.com (via PIR)







Reprinted from Photo Industry Reporter, June 2008; By Ted Kritsonis

Woodbury, NY— Mitch Goldstone and Carl Berman knows a market when they sees one, especially when analog meets digital. Goldstone and Berman have been running their photo lab in Orange County, California, for 18 years, along with the company website at 30minphotos.com since the late 1990s. Where his business was once 100 percent film-based, he now handles zero film, having made a full transition to digital. But, all those analog prints people have festering in their photo albums or shoeboxes still represent a huge market.

It’s estimated that the average consumer has as many as 5,000 analog prints, accumulating to an overall figure of 3.5 trillion prints worldwide. A vast majority of those may have never seen a scanner, and thus have never been digitized.

In 2005, Goldstone pioneered a high-speed photo scanning service in his photo lab by commercializing Kodak technology. He launched a new website called ScanMyPhotos.com and recently began using Kodak’s Adaptive Picture Exchange (APEX), a modular dry lab, scaleable photo system. APEX dramatically increases the speed of workflow management, which partly explains how it enables ScanMyPhotos to scan tens of thousands of prints in a single day. And this is the key reason they can turn orders very quickly, Goldstone says.

ScanMyPhotos.com offers the scanning service in three options. The first, and most popular, is the prepaid service at a cost of $124.95. The company sends the customer a postage-paid box they can fill up with as many as 1,800 prints of various sizes (from 2x3 to 11x14). Customers then have up to one year to fill up the box and send it back for scanning.

“Once the customer receives it, they can fill it up at their convenience and put as many pictures as they can into it, then bring it to the post office to ship it to us,” Goldstone explains. “The day we receive it, we digitize every single picture and send the box back to them the very same day.”
The scanned images are saved as JPEGs, with a resolution of 300 dpi, and burned to a DVD. Each DVD can typically hold about 3,000 4x6 images, but the number can shift depending on how many wallet-size or enlarged photos are part of an order.

The other two service options are live support through the phone or real-time online chat, along with simply walking into the store and dropping off a box of prints. Customers walking in with an order of 1,000 prints typically wait just 15 minutes to have the job done.

Sometimes, walk-in orders can be far more substantial. Goldstone recalls one customer who came to his lab from San Francisco with 26 boxes containing 22,000 pictures. He dropped off the entire order and left for the day to Disneyland, returning five hours later to pick up the boxes and the DVDs containing all the scans.

Having so many photos digitized creates additional profit opportunities. Goldstone says some customers create albums, mugs, cards and other gift items using those photos.

“Digitizing analog images is the gateway to invite consumers to create all types of products from the generations of photo memories,” Goldstone says. “Once they become familiar with sites like ScanMyPhotos.com, they start ordering the ancillary products as well.”

This is equally true for converting old home movies on VHS to DVD. ScanMyPhotos.com offers this service in a similar format, where customers can fill up a prepaid box with up to 14 tapes at a cost of $249.95. Individual tapes can be digitized for $24.95 apiece. Just like the photo scanning service, ScanMyPhotos won’t digitize any copyrighted VHS tapes. And, the service is meant only for VHS tapes, so the company won’t take 8mm or movie film. “The poor quality of VHS means they start to deteriorate within 8 to 10 years, so most people’s tapes from the 1980s are almost destroyed,” Goldstone says. “That means there’s a 100 percent market out there for transfer to DVDs.” He cites the recent fire at the film and video vaults at Universal Studios as one example to remind consumers to back up VHS tapes and DVDs by making multiple copies and keeping them in separate locations.

The service has been a hit since the company launched it, particularly because consumers from all over the world are paying for it. The only catch 
for foreign customers is that they have to supply their own boxes and pay for shipping both ways. The prepaid boxes are only for U.S. customers because of agreements ScanMyPhotos.com has with the USPS, FedEx and UPS. The same is also true for photo scanning services.

Goldstone’s company has no membership program in place, and he says there are 
no plans to start one. Instead, they will randomly include Chevron gas cards valued at $5 up to $25, or chocolates, cookies and other gift cards, depending on the time of year.

He also has no plans to expand or turn the business into a franchise. “The answer is definitively ‘no’ because of quality control,” he explains. “We want to make sure everything is handled exactly the same way perfectly with no variables. It’s a key part of our business model.”

And it’s a business model that’s been successful and can be profitably replicated. When was the last time you scanned 22,000 prints?

[source: Reprinted from June, 2008 Photo Industry Reporter]

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Photo Scanning Service - Review


Read what ScanMyPhotos.com customers across the country and overseas are saying. Click here to view the complete testimonial page and public blogs. Click here to visit ScanMyPhotos.com offical homepage.

We referred a customer to you last week and I just received a call thanking me for sending them to such a great place. You could tell with the excitement in his conversation that he was more than pleased with the job you did for him. I don't know all the details, but I just wanted you to know that he actually called me and told me the great job you did.
Take care, Glen H. Jr - Santa Barbara, CA


Here is a fantastic opportunity to digitally preserve your photo memories before they fade away. ScanMyPhotos.com is currently providing a free DVD scan of 1000 4X6 photo prints to members of several social networking sites. You only pay for shipping. I just got my DVD and can say without reservation that I'm thrilled with the outcome. The photos are very sharp even when enlarged full screen. The average size of each JPEG is 1.47 MB. I carefully packed 999 prints (yea I know, I don't know how to count up to 1000) on a Friday and they were returned along with a DVD one week later. Total cost: $16 for shipping the box of prints with USPS Ground from NJ to CA and $19.95 credit card payment to ScanMyPhotos.com for return S&H by USPS priority mail. The quality of the scans greatly exceeded my expectations and the super-fast speed of processing is remarkable. The DVD is rated Archival Preservation Quality. Adding a date to the photos and organizing them afterwards is a breeze with a software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements and very rewarding. Apparently the company is no longer including a NestlĂ©’s Crunch bar in the package, it sure would have added to my enjoyment. I saw this promotion by ScanMyPhotos.com in
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. The company has recently extended the offer until June 30, 2008. I highly recommend this fantastic service. This review is also posted on my Facebook page. http://profile.to/khognason/
[
Free Myspace / Blogger / Facebook / Flickr scanning form – pay just $19.95 S&H]
Thank you, Kormákur H.,East Orange, NJ


Got my
APS film scan order shortly after I emailed you. Thanks so much! Love the scans and can now get them uploaded onto Flickr to share with my friends. Will definitely use your service again once I find my other APS film canisters. Thank you!
Regina S., Steeles Tavern, VA


Just a note to tell you I’m ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED with your service. The results were exactly as advertised and the service was quick and efficient. I recommend you to anyone.
Best wishes, Paul M.,Brookline, MA

Great job. Will tell many, many people about the service.
Thanks, much, Scott F., Austin, TX.

Thank you so much for this great service. The pictures came out great. I am telling everybody that they should do this as soon as they can. You never know what can happen, fire ,flood, natural disaster, etc . To know that your life's memories can be stored safely in such a little space is wonderful . Also could not believe how quick the turnaround was. Literally round trip across the country in 5 days.
Thank you again! Mary H., Wakefield, RI

I was looking for bulk scanner to purchase, found this [
ScanMyPhotos.com] service to be cheaper and faster.
Samer A., Valparaiso IN


Thank you, [The
ScanMyPhotos.com] service was efficient and professional. Everything was done to my satisfaction.I shall return with my next order.
Ros B., Orange County, CA


Thank you for the follow-up email and for the excellent service. It's very refreshing to find a company that still puts an emphasis on their customers and the experience that they have.
I was extremely pleased with my order, both in the quality of the job done and in the (what has to be a record) time that it took for the entire process. Because of your service, I have been able to share the more than 800 photos that were scanned with my friends and family via the internet. Photos that haven't seen the light of day in years are now being enjoyed by people that I haven't seen in a long time and being used as a contact point for us to reconnect. While this was not my initial goal, I merely wanted the photos preserved, it is an extremely welcome side effect!
In the week since my order has been completed, I have recommended your service to no less than five of my friends and family. If their experience is anything like mine, I know that they will be elated.
Again, thank you for a job well done!
Sincerely, Jon L., Hollywood, FL

You guys did a great job. Fast service and excellent quality. I have already recommend you to several friends.
Michael W., Oak Brook, IL

Thank you for your fine, fast efficient service. You saved me hours of work by scanning a batch of memories I would have surely lost if not scanned. The service was great and the scans are beautiful.
Thanks again. L. Fagen, Temecula, CA

We just got our first box back today (my mom’s)…. And we LOVE It! Thanks so much. The quality is impeccable! I’m motivated to go pull the photos for my box now…
Thanks! M. Nguyen, San Diego, CA

Much to my surprise and delight, I received my disk and scanned photos back today! They are all fabulous and wonderful. Also an unbroken large Nestle's Crunch bar. Is that some sore of edible damage sensor? If so, VERY clever!! The scans are excellent and exceeded my expectations. I have posted my assessment on my
Facebook page
Many thanks, M. Ross, Silicone Valley, CA


Got my first order back from you the other day and am enormously satisfied with the results. Have and will spread the word regarding your excellent service to friends, neighbors and relatives. Again, appreciate your service. A new and satisfied customer.
B. Ronan, Austin, TX

Last Saturday we sent a full box of photos to you. This afternoon [Thursday] we were sorting those photos from DVD to folders on our hard drive. What excellent service. We just ordered our
second [prepaid] box. We are very happy and will recommend you to our friends. If anyone wants a recommendation for your service you may certainly use our name!
Eric and Sally Benson, Coats, NC


Below is my review, which I also gave orally at my geneallgy class today: Family Tree magazine had recently sent out an e-mail about a promotion by
ScanMyPhotos.com by which one could send in up to 1,000 4x6 prints for scanning just for the $20 cost of return shipping. I got this note only a few days before the Feb 29 deadline, however, and my wife and I didn't have time to plunge into our huge stash of prints to put together a box of photos we'd like scanned. But I did have four rolls of prints from my family-history trip through Alabama a few years ago that I did want to use on a genealogy website. And since it would be at least 6 months (i.e. post-remodling) before we're likely to get a home scanner, I decided to package them up and try it. I still had the negatives, so there was little to lose even if it was a diaster and the high-speed scanner chewed up my photos. I mailed the photos Thursday afternoon, got an e-mail Saturday night from the Irvine, Calif., company that my order had been processed, and on my porch this afternoon (Monday) were my prints. I couldn't be happier with the results. All the 93 prints were in fine shape, and the scans on the disk were as sharp as the photos and about 1.5-2 MBytes each, not a 30kb thumbnail that I feared they might be. Absolutely fabulous. They even posted them on they're own Flickr-like site ... to make it easy to buy prints, cards and other projects, to be sure, but also easier for others to see, too. On top of that, there was a large Nestle's Crunch bar (unbroken) in the package, too. (Perhaps that is a cheap, but delightful, damage detector?) In short, I could not be happier with the ScanMyPhotos service. Normally, the 1,000-print scan costs something like $100 dollars -- and for that they do handle a variety of photo sizes. (But they do have very specific packaging and photo-ordering instructions on their website that must be followed for you to get the exepcted scans.) Two thumbs up ... WAY up for ScanMyPhotos.com and that Family Tree Magazine promotion.
Many thanks, M. Ross
I was one of the women who

attended the Moms Group fundraiser event [at 30 Minute Photos Etc and ScanMyPhotos.com which raised nearly $1000.00, see link for info on how we can host an event for your non-profit group].
Just wanted to let you know that I was very impressed with the service that I was able to utilize (I had nearly 900 photos scanned onto dvd). You guys saved me hours & hours of scanning them myself at home. The other services & products that I read about on your website, or saw at your center, are also very impressive and I look forward to coming back and trying more of them.
As for the fundraiser itself -- it was awesome!!! What a practical and enjoyable way for our group to raise money. Thank you for the wonderful wine, food, and other refreshments. Your entire staff was incredibly patient, helpful, friendly, and quite cheerful considering we probably kept some of them there past closing time. That kind of atmosphere and service is really what sets you apart from other places. I'm pretty sure our group will be coming back for another fundraiser. [Click here for more info on our
fundraising program]
Thank you again! A new loyal customer, Ruby Delfin


I just received my DVD and photos back. I was amazed at how quickly they arrived, especially during the holiday time period and shipping to Sydney. Thank you for your excellent service! It all looks great. What a fabulous time saver. (via our International FedEx Priority service)
Joe T. Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

I wanted to say thank you for preserving all of our old pictures and putting them on a dvd. I am loading them all onto an Ipod for my wife for Christmas. This process was going to cost into the thousand dollar range with other providers and you did a better job for much much less! I can't wait to see her face when she sees 20 years of pictures all captured digitally!! The turnaround time was amazing - I can't beleive you got the pictures shipped out the same day.
Thanks again, E. Raucci, Crystal Lake, IL


Received the three (3) new CD's, with our 500 slide digital images today..... They turned out GREAT and they work in our computer fine..... We want to thank you for the great service and the extra effort that you have given to our order....... We will have another order for you to process as soon as we have time to go through our remaining slides......THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU........
G. Hensel, Strasburg, Ohio

I received today my photos, the books and the dvds. I think you and your people do amazing work. I am so pleased...and relieved to have these photos put into more usable formats I mailed off box 3 today. And I have started work on box 4. (counting the first one which wasn't one of the prepaids.) Thanks for personally keeping up with things.
Janet Yee, Minneapolis, MN

I just wanted you to know how ver