Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )










Reply to this topicStart new topicStart Poll

> This Is An Expensive Hobby, You all think?
CelticRoz 
Posted: 03-Jun-2004, 06:16 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Roz
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 6,930
Joined: 09-Nov-2003
ZodiacAlder


female





I have subscribed to many sites looking for ancestors and the most disturbing thing I find is that just when I am about to get somewhere.........it says I have to pay out more money! Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Are you all experiencing that as well?

Is there a way to get around this? unsure.gif
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
dfilpus 
Posted: 05-Jun-2004, 04:50 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 693
Joined: 08-Mar-2004
ZodiacAsh

Realm: Chapel Hill NC

male





That is the way of the internet these days. They tease you with the number of links without giving any real info about the quality of the links. You do not know whether paying will give you any info of worth.

There are free sources of family history info on the internet or elsewhere, but you have to hunt for them. My best sources have been country specific sources, such as individual shipping lines passenger lists and government provided lists. Often the pay sites will want you to pay for access to freely available information.

My city library has HeritageQuest online, which has census and other records you have to pay for elsewhere. You need a local library card, however. Check with your local library. You may have to go there to use their resources.

If you can get to an LDS genealogy center, usually connected with an LDS church, they will let the public use their research facilities, which include sources you pay for elsewhere.


--------------------
Näkemiin

Dave (SCA: Geoffrey Genour of Carney)
Protector of Bits and Bytes, Third cousin once removed to Phil, Prince of Insufficient Light


user posted image

Help out with the site! Win prizes!
Suggest videos at VideoCelt.com

Check out the outstanding video - Merchant Marine by Celtae
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
CelticRoz 
Posted: 05-Jun-2004, 05:02 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Roz
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 6,930
Joined: 09-Nov-2003
ZodiacAlder


female





Thanks Dave! I live in a small town so not sure how good my library would be.........it might be. I just never checked it out for genealogy. Now we have an LDS temple here in town and I could go there. It is better than the LDS site that is on line? Cause that is one of the first places I go to is the online LDS search.
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
dfilpus 
Posted: 05-Jun-2004, 05:11 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 693
Joined: 08-Mar-2004
ZodiacAsh

Realm: Chapel Hill NC

male





QUOTE (CelticRose @ 05-Jun-2004, 06:02 PM)
Now we have an LDS temple here in town and I could go there. It is better than the LDS site that is on line?

It has been my experience that the churches have direct links to resources that are not available (or cost money) on the web.
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
dfilpus 
Posted: 05-Jun-2004, 05:15 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 693
Joined: 08-Mar-2004
ZodiacAsh

Realm: Chapel Hill NC

male





QUOTE (CelticRose @ 05-Jun-2004, 06:02 PM)
I live in a small town so not sure how good my library would be.........it might be.  I just never checked it out for genealogy.

With the internet, even small town libraries can have extensive resources. Another idea is to check with local or state colleges or universities. In North Carolina, all state university libraries are open to the public. I think they charge five dollars a year for a university library card. I look through their card catalog online and then drop into the local branch to order what I need.
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
CelticRoz 
Posted: 05-Jun-2004, 05:28 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Roz
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 6,930
Joined: 09-Nov-2003
ZodiacAlder


female





Thanks so much for your help, dfilpus!
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
Raven 
Posted: 07-Jun-2004, 07:34 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 1,994
Joined: 23-Oct-2003
ZodiacHolly

Realm: Indianapolis, IN

male





QUOTE (CelticRose @ 03-Jun-2004, 07:16 PM)
I have subscribed to many sites looking for ancestors and the most disturbing thing I find is that just when I am about to get somewhere.........it says I have to pay out more money! Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Are you all experiencing that as well?

Is there a way to get around this? unsure.gif

Yes that is what I found out also Rose. I feel like it is all one gigantic loss leader, bait and switch spam machine......now do you want to know how I really feel? unsure.gif


--------------------
He is no fool who gives up that which he can not keep to gain that which he cannot loose

www.arminta.net
PMEmail Poster               View My Space Profile.
Top
Raven 
Posted: 07-Jun-2004, 07:36 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 1,994
Joined: 23-Oct-2003
ZodiacHolly

Realm: Indianapolis, IN

male





oops now I read about the free stuff. I would thing that the Indianapolis Library might be good now all I have to do is find time to get there during business hours wink.gif
PMEmail Poster               View My Space Profile.
Top
CelticRoz 
Posted: 08-Jun-2004, 03:49 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Roz
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 6,930
Joined: 09-Nov-2003
ZodiacAlder


female





Yeah, me too! The embarrassing thing is that I have not been in a library for years except for to use their computers. I have no clue how to act in a library now since college and that was many moons ago! Duh, eh? :unsure
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
Lyra Luminara 
Posted: 27-Jun-2004, 10:14 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Braveheart Member
******

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 148
Joined: 29-May-2004
ZodiacVine

Realm: Éire (okay fine, it's really PA, USA but that's just boring.)

female





Jeez, yes, this is such an expensive hobby.
I just wish my ancestors would have written stuff down. ::grins::


--------------------
If we could just stand here, without the words, would that be enough? ..Look at the sky now. What color is it? Or the way a hawk flies. Or you wake up and your ribs are bruised thinking so hard on somebody. What do you call that?


"Don't cross the street if you can't get out of the kitchen"
PMEmail Poster               
Top
CelticRoz 
Posted: 28-Jun-2004, 07:45 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Roz
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 6,930
Joined: 09-Nov-2003
ZodiacAlder


female





QUOTE (Lyra Luminara @ 27-Jun-2004, 11:14 PM)
Jeez, yes, this is such an expensive hobby.
I just wish my ancestors would have written stuff down. ::grins::

Yeah! That would have been a great idea, eh?
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
Ladybug1258 
  Posted: 29-Jun-2004, 08:30 AM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Peasant
*

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 16
Joined: 28-Jun-2004
ZodiacBirch

Realm: USA

female





My grandmother had a genealogy done many moons ago before any of us girls ( there are five sisters in my generation) grew up, then she stuck it away to catch dust for a couple of decades. It came to me about 15 years ago, and it's been updated as the sisters grew up, had their children, then their children had children. Mine aren't yet old enough to have children, but when they do, those names will join the group. Start a tradition beginning as far back as you can remember. Yes, those web sites are attractive, but they DO cost, and it's unfortunate that they reel you in with those enticing lures of finding your family heritage etc. Cruel, really. But it doesn't have to be that way. Like was mentioned earlier, and I live in NC so it is true for around here, that university libraries are free to the public so long as you have a card,( which does have a nominal fee), the university libraries may have some info and coupled with the public library records as well as town records of land deeds, transfer of title from one owner to another, you may find enough to put something together. It's not too easy to start; it does require a bit of legging it to find all the right places to find info, but once you do, there's a much smoother path to finding even more. I gave up on those "for cost" web sites a long time ago. I just join places like this, go to libraries, contact as many people in the town in Records as I can, and build on that.
PMEmail Poster                
Top
Annabelle 
Posted: 12-Jul-2004, 10:28 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
Group Icon

Group: Scotland
Posts: 4,920
Joined: 15-Jul-2003
ZodiacElder

Realm: Outer Space







We have a wonderful Geneology Library here in Macon Ga that even has ship records and of course census books way back on every County in Every State in the Union. Of course this isn't probably near you but there are other library's in the country that might be worth the trip.
The Library of Congress in D.C. is one of the best but you have to reserve any and all books and catalogs before you go up there.
The LDS's have a wonderful library in Salt Lake City that is open to the country.
Check your location for Geneology Libraries first before hitting the road.
Good Luck hunting CelticRose and others.


Annabelle


--------------------
My heart will always be in the Highlands!

www.highlanderhouse.com
PMEmail Poster               
Top
CelticRoz 
Posted: 13-Jul-2004, 05:39 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Roz
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 6,930
Joined: 09-Nov-2003
ZodiacAlder


female





Thanks for the good luck, A. I need it and I am still forever hunting. It is just that women later than the 19th century were not recorded and that makes it hard.
PMEmail PosterMy Photo Album               
Top
Sekhmet 
Posted: 09-Sep-2004, 05:35 PM
Quote Post

Member is Offline



Celtic Guardian
********

Group: Celtic Nation
Posts: 898
Joined: 08-Sep-2004
ZodiacAlder

Realm: Pittsburgh-ish, Pennsylvania

female





After doing this since the age of nine...I can say one thing.

It all depends on what you're looking for, and when.

There are lots of places to get information online for free. Rootsweb has been committed to keeping their information free since their inception, and I try to support them as much as I can. I'm a listowner for several surnames there, and for other topics. Many listers are just dying to give away information there. A lot of times all it takes is a query and within minutes you have that census listing or obituary in your mitts. When you're lucky.

My top ten expenses for this hobby thus far:

10. NARA (National Archives) - In researching not just my relations, but those of the regiment our living history group portrays, I've had to send in for more military records, pension files, and what all else than I really want to think about. And the prices just keep going up.

9. Software - My personal favorite is Family Tree Maker from Brodurbund software. I just don't suggest sending in your information to the One World Tree, or whatever they're calling it. They take your information, compile it into databases, then sell the information back to you. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. I usually wind up upgrading my software about every third year.

8. My Ancestry.com subscription - I used to get the "whole hog" membership, which is a couple hundred dollars, but I think I might scale back a bit. But I wind up using the databases there on a near-daily basis, so it's been a good investment.

7. Memberships to various historical societies - You don't want to know how many I'm a member of. I lose track eventually and sometimes have to renew my membership before I can get in the door again! This tends to pile up very quickly.

6. Copying expenses - If you've ever been to a library where they were charging a buck a page, you know what I mean. Ditto courthouses and the occasional cemetery association.

5. Gas - The miles I've put on my car for all the research trips I've done defies explanation. Save that I'm obsessed. With gas prices the way they are right now, it's even worse.

4. Digital cameras/film/development fees - I've got boxes and boxes of family photos that I've copied for relatives, plus photos of gravestones, pertinent houses, monuments, and whatever else made sense at the time.

3. Postage - While this has gone down since the advent of the internet, there's been several cases where I've shipped copies of photos, files, at times entire books, to relatives and they to me. Plus I put insurance on mine and delivery confirmation.

2. Books - When you start investing in things like regimental histories, those books occasionally published that actually pertain to your branch of the family, cemetery records, church records, histories of counties/towns/townships, entire census records for a given area, and whatever else struck your fancy at the time, you are an addict and someone should stage an intervention. Unfortunately, nobody's done that to me to date.

1. Printer cartridges and paper! - Running one copy off of this or that isn't bad. Unfortunately I haven't been that lucky since I got the bright idea to get a printer. Now I print everything from emails that I want a hard copy of to entire books. Which also leads into page protectors, binders, dividers, my two filing cabinets, and what all else. Oh, and a separate hard drive for just my genealogical stuff. Ack!



PMEmail Poster               View My Space Profile.
Top
0 User(s) are reading this topic (0 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

Reply to this topic Quick ReplyStart new topicStart Poll


 








© Celtic Radio Network
Celtic Radio is a TorontoCast radio station that is based in Canada.
TorontoCast provides music license coverage through SOCAN.
All rights and trademarks reserved. Read our Privacy Policy.








[Home] [Top]