I received the sweetest Christmas gift a little early this year. Have you heard of Legacybox? They take your old video reels, VHS tapes, photos, cassette tapes (anything outdated, really) and digitize them all onto a DVD or jump drive (that is an optional add-on) for you. I didn’t realize how much I would love it until my box arrived in the mail last week.
I had no idea what or how much was on the reels. (My parents had given me a box of them several years ago, and they went straight to the attic.) I was shocked when I received 53 minutes of my life on a jump drive. I was mesmerized and watched the entire thing in one setting. Then, I uploaded it to YouTube (because I knew I would be posting about this before I saw my mom and dad at Christmas) and sent them the link. I called them around 10:00 one night and told them to check their email while we were on the phone. They thought I’d posted video of the kids going to see Santa. They had such a sweet reaction when they saw the three of us onscreen. And, I sat on the phone with them for another 53 minutes while they watched it. :) My dad said he felt like Clark Grizwold when he got locked up in the attic watching old family videos.
Here’s a small clip. Just the first 45 seconds, I promise.
They weren’t able to get sound off of the particular kind of reel I had. (So, I added one of my all-time favorite songs.)
When you’re born in 1976 (aka the prehistoric age before cell phones), it is almost surreal to be able to see yourself in action as a baby (and a toddler. . . and a little girl). You know what I loved watching more than myself? My parents’ faces. They are happy and overjoyed—about me. What a sweet gift to see. And, now that I have my own kids, I know exactly how they felt.
Man, I loved that raggedy duck.
My grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles all make appearances throughout the footage. I just loved every minute of it. I won’t say my kids were quite as excited as I was to watch it. (Their attention spans are still a little short.) But, I’m sure they’ll cherish it someday. It takes a while. . . The twins are kind of confused by the whole thing. I showed them the video and asked if they knew who the baby was. Their answer? Baby Jesus. Umm, not quite. :)
It’s the best gift—and really is the easiest process. Legacybox sends you the box with pre-printed labels, all bar-coded to identify and keep track of your stuff. You stick one on each piece you send them and mail it back. Once it’s processed, they send back all of your original reels/videos/photos back, along with a DVD and/or jump drive full of sweet memories.
Worried about sending your precious memories away? The Legacybox kit includes a guide, round-trip shipping, crush proof box, and personal concierge so you can talk to an expert any time. They also sent me email updates during the process.
Sometimes, it pays to be the oldest child. . . I hope my younger, video-less brother and sister don’t see this.
Ready to drag your Super 8 film out of the closet? Legacybox is offering a 40% off discount code to the first 50 people who redeem it. Just use code WREATH at checkout. (Offer ends 12/31/16.)
Thanks to Legacybox for sponsoring this post.
I shed a tear or two when I watched your video. My older child was born in 1976 too. Yesterday was his 39th birthday so I flew to spend the day with him and his wife. They live in DC, and we had a great time.
Such a great resource! What a great Christmas gift. Thank you for posting. Your video is adorable. Love the music you added – could you share the song/artist please? Merry Christmas Emily!
It was music offered by YouTube but the song is What a Wonderful World (played by the Stevan Pasero Trio).
That’s amazing! I’m wondering how they organized your videos. Did they record them in chronological order? Is there a menu so you can choose something specific to watch (e.g. “Emily’s 1st Birthday Party”) or is it just one continuous show? Thanks!
The crazy thing is that I just threw them all in the box and they were returned to me pretty close to chronological order. It was like watching myself grow up :)
Such a great gift! I am ordering one for my parents for Christmas! Thanks for the idea!
Thanks for the post! My mom has been wanting to do something like this for years, you just helped me with my Christmas shopping :)
Oh man the way I just teared up at yours knowing we’ve never even formally met…I am going to LOSE IT when I get to mine. Which has always been one of my (rarely met but often set) goals every New Year. After this post, maybe this is my year! Thanks for the idea!!