Are you really saving THAT?
Genealogists are usually trying to preserve family keepsakes, not get rid of them. But, sometimes, really, truly, letting go is the best thing to do.
“What Not to Preserve” is the subject of my latest column In the September/October 2026 issue of Family Tree Magazine featuring five family treasures to avoid saving. These items are so toxic that including them in your home archive is inviting disaster.
We all know that mold and mildew have no place near family treasures, but poor archival storage is a perfect breeding ground for fungus, silverfish, cobwebs, and damp.
I have helped archive treasures from many homes, and come across a few surprises:
- A 1950’s wedding cake topper saved on a paper plate with napkin, complete with petrified icing and morsels of vanilla cake.
- A handful of loose dried leaves crumbling to dust.
- Rubber coin purses sticky and gummy with age.
- Suede shoes with a bloom of powdery mildew.
Better to take a photo, write a caption or story, and let the item go in the bin.
If you want to keep the bride-and-groom topper on your wedding cake, be sure to clean off all the food and icing from the piece. Treat it like a piece of china or a plastic figurine. Wash it carefully, dry thoroughly and store in an acid-free container like a zipper plastic bag. Then, store the wrapped keepsake in your home archive, away from light, heat, and moisture.
What treasures did you find in your archive that were better NOT preserved?
