To You whom Keeps Mom in your Wallet

Dear Person of Sentimentality,

I realize that you love your special someones and have a compulsive need to keep them near to you in form of a photograph stuffed tightly in your wallet. If you are a man, you keep them close to what is dearest--the back pocket of your trousers. As a photographic restoration artist, I must inform you that placing your prized photograph in your wallet and sitting on it for most of the day isn't the best place for it. Are you aware that it is rubbing against other bits of papers and photos? This creates stress on your photo and damage that is irreversible? When deep creases are created and chunks of paper become missing, it is very costly to repair. And if the damage is severe (especially after 30 years of sitting on the photo), sometimes it is impossible to repair.

Ladies who stuff their prized photos in their wallets along with coupons, phone numbers and receipts aren't as prone to having their photos damages as men are who sit on their photos. But the risk is there as well.

Take some advice. Stop what you're doing. Reach into your wallet and check the photos you find there. Are they beginning to lose their lustre? If so take them out as soon as you get home. Go out and buy a non-adhesvie photo album and place said prized photo into it.

If there is minor or major damage to the photo, take it to the nearest photography studio or lab that offers restoration to photographs. The sooner it's repaired will increase the life of your cherished photo.

Believe me, in the end it will be worth it. Just ask the thousands of customers I've helped.