Hi! Everyone here has always given great advice so my question is kind of a strange one but not sure what to do so here it goes...when my sister and I were in high school, we, like many others, got our "senior photos" made. Well as a gift to my mother's husband, she purchased two REALLY REALLY REALLY large photos of my sister and me and some really expensive, nice frames for them. Well he's since passed on & we're stuck with two senior portraits I'm not sure what to do with. I'd really love to use the frame for a large mirror to hang over the mantel but what do I do with the photo? We have the same photos in normal sizes, 8x10, etc. so do I really need to hold on to this one? Do I just toss out the large photo? Is it bad luck to destroy it?? I'm sure that my 20 year old senior photo is no longer needed to be hung on the wall, also I think it's a bit pretentious for me to hang a rather large photo of myself on the wall too. I'd hate to "waste money" by destroying an expensive photo but I honestly don't know what to do in this instance.
What would you all do? Would you just shred it? Has anyone heard it's bad luck to shred/destroy your own photo? Or...??? Thanks, in advance to anyone who replies.
HI again! Thanks for all the great replies & advice. I do tend to be sentimental on needless things from the past but in this case, I really feel more inclined to toss it so I think I'll just bite the bullet & shred. You're right in saying my kids probably would not want a giant photo of me/us. I do have several smaller versions and I think that should do for memories' sake. Thanks again for all the replies so far. :) I greatly appreciate it!!
I don't think it's bad luck unless it's done in anger with chanting and razors LOL!
I would just cut it into smaller pieces and throw it away. No one needs large senior photos hanging in their home years later!
I would keep the photo behind the mirror.
I totally get that you want to use the frame for something else and I would either shred the picture OR what I've done a lot when I re-use a frame is just keep the old picture behind the new ones. Sometimes I'll put a piece of tissue paper in between in case they're printed on acid paper or whatever. Then when I re-use the frame yet again, I get a kick out of seeing the old pictures hiding behind the new ones!
I've been cleaning out my parents stuff and came across an old picture of my sister with her first husband (had to have been taken almost 40 years ago) hiding behind a more recent photo - had no idea my parents wouldn't have burned that one!! lol!! But at least my sister and I had a good laugh!!
I love to buy unique frames at yard sales, etc. I've already found photos behind paint-by-numbers and other old prints. It's unbelievable that people will sell frames with something still in them but fun for me!
Good luck!
I could never throw out photos. Your kids may want them years from now
When they are grown with families of their own. Photos to me are precious, yes, even duplicate big ones.
That is a great question - I don't have an answer but I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. I have some pics like that that I have no idea what to do with.
:/
Do your kids the favor and get rid of it yourself. As you stated you have the 8x10 size already to give to your children and they may have a much harder time getting rid of it someday because it is you. 😊 I never heard it is bad luck to destroy a photo but I am not superstitious anyway.
N.,
No such thing as bad luck for destroying a photo. Don't give that a second thought.
It's okay to let things go that you no longer want or need, and that includes old photos and kids' artwork and projects (I'm working on this now myself). It's hard with stuff like this because of the sentimental value and the memories attached to these things. But, at some point, excessive stuff begins to weigh us down, and clutter starts to overtake our space and lives.
Let it go.
Trust me, your kids are not going to want extra large senior portrait photos of you and your sister---all you need for proof of this is your current situation---you don't even want them! They'll want smaller ones they can put in albums, but they won't be decorating their own homes with your senior portrait.
I'd just shred them, smile, and hold onto the memories!
J. F.
I would keep it behind the mirror. I hate throwing pictures away!!
Make family tree albums for each of your kids.
When they grow up and go their separate ways and have theior own familes, they'll each have pictures of you (and other family members) to pass on to their kids.
My Mom has pictures of some of my great great grandparents (and a photo copy of permission from the Kaiser to emmigrate to America around the 1870's).
Pictures disappear over the years so I'd have a hard time destroying duplicates now that should be handed down to your descendants.
I'd probably toss it in the burn barrel. You already have regular sized prints. There's no such thing as bad luck.
If you have a smaller version, you don't need to keep it. I was at a garage sale the other day and they were practically giving away a big family portrait like that....probably for people who wanted the frame. Pictures are nice, but not that big....
