Shorpy, a Vintage Photo Blog

Sure, there are many fine sites out there that showcase contemporary photography, such as Flickr. But what about all those cool vintage photos that we have laying around, maybe in old photo albums, or ones acquired in garage sales? Well, now they have their day in the sun.

Shorpy, billed as "The 100-year-old photo blog", showcases all sorts of cool vintage photos. You can create an account and add your own, if you like. The site states that they are particularly interested in photos "from the dawn of photography to the 1940s". Check it out!

Shorpy

List of accessible Google services

On the official Google Blog today, I saw a post that discusses the many services Google offers to clients who have varying accessibility issues -- whether sight or mobility-based. This list shows a little more than a dozen of their various services (hyperlinked to the service itself), then also includes a link at the end to join the accessible Google user group and make your voice heard on various topics.

I love to find companies that go the extra mile on accessibility issues, whether they are located online, or in brick-and-mortar buildings. This is also another reason I love Apple, Inc., as they have always had a team devoted to these very issues as well.

Overview of Our Accessible Services
[via the Official Google Blog]

Garage Sale America

OK, let's switch gears a bit. Here's a fun site. Garage sales have been around forever -- well, at least as long as people have had garages, I guess. With the explosion of antique collecting and the promise of finding that potential treasure in your neighbor's basement, plus the recent popularity of shows such as "Antiques Roadshow", the garage sale is as popular as ever.

Well, Bruce Littlefield has taken it upon himself to travel to garage sales from coast to coast, and as many as he can find. Then he reports on his finds on a blog, and the wonderful website that surrounds it. You'll find a spot to list your own garage sale, find others, do's and don'ts, and much more. The site is beautifully put together and a pleasure to navigate.

Here's a fun example from his blog:

EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE, I LEARNED AT A GARAGE SALE

•Everybody’s looking for something.
•Just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it’s gold.
•One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. And vise versa.
•When you give, you get.
•Life can be perfect, even in its imperfections.
•There’s nothing worse than the one that got away.
•Even “free” comes with a price.
•A bargain is something you didn’t know you needed at a price you couldn’t resist.
•Greed isn’t pretty.
•Know when to cut bait.
•Nothing is yours forever.

So dive in -- or maybe, drive in -- you never know what "gotta-have" is awaiting you, maybe on the next street over this weekend.

Bruce Littlefield's Garage Sale America

[link courtesy of gettrio.com emailing]