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I have memorabilia, in the form of record album covers, that come from my past life, as a record producer and engineer. They’re colorful and interesting. I am wondering what other hosts think if I line 1 of the stairs in my small Airbnb with these items?
The album covers are all instantly recognizable especially if you’ve been around in the 70s or 80s lol. I was thinking they would serve two purposes: one would be decorative of course, and I would put a little plaque describing myself and my relationship to the record covers, but more importantly might protect my stairwell from the hard nicks and scrapes from knapsacks and luggage. The other use might be an Instagram-ish place for guests, but since most of my guests are business people renting a single room, we very rarely get vacationers. At one time my walls were filled with gold records in the Airbnb but I’ve since pulled them off and put them into my private space. I did get comments from guests in a positive way from them.
We’re always told to pull all personal items. However, this is slightly different. I guess I’m a little concerned that they’re from too deep in the past lol. I appreciate comments, positive and especially negative, as not only is this an expensive proposition for me but it’s also changing slightly the character of my listing.
I think it sounds like a great idea. Most guests like seeing things that are unique. The album covers aren’t personal in the way that family photos would be.
As far as them being from “too deep in the past”, if the majority of your guests are business travelers, they likely aren’t in the age demographic for whom it would be nostalgic for them, but many younger people are really into “retro”. My kids were totally into the Doors, the Beatles, and other music of my generation when they were teenagers. In fact one of my daughters thought it was new music and asked me how I knew the words when I was singing along to a Doors song she was playing one day
Plus a lot of those 60’s and early 70’s album covers were really cool art that someone of any generation could appreciate. Who wouldn’t like seeing R.Crumb’s Janis Joplin album cover?
Nice idea. IF they are collectible or one-of-a-kind however, I would not put them up where they can be damaged. Personalizing your listing is one thing, but we always tell people not to put out things they don’t want torn, damaged or destroyed by unthinking morons…
It’s a great idea! is there a way to protect them with a frame or a sheet of clear something??
We have many one of a kind, custom or vintage things in our listing, and the damage has just not happened. I know it could and might but the unusual stuff is really a great part of our space.
When we bought our property, the owner had two Victorian mirrors that he said were worth $10,000 US each. He tried to sell them to us. We politely declined and bought two $75 mirrors instead (that I like a lot better anyway!) No way would I leave anything that expensive in a place we rent out.
I wondered about personalizing my spaces too. I inherited the 1962 Zenith console stereo my folks bought when they got married. It had been sitting in my dad’s garage for over ten years and his widow wanted it gone. We had no place for it, so I added it to my second Airbnb & use it as a TV stand. In my listing I specifically mention that it’s been in my family since 1962, and please don’t take the 55" TV off and mess with it. So far no comments from guests.
Plain, inexpensive frames for album covers are available online or in lots of stores. Even if records sold millions at the time, that doesn’t mean there are millions now and someone might steal one if they thought it was valuable. For example, if you have the Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers with the real working zipper in pristine condition, I wouldn’t display it.
I think the whole concept is cool especially now that vinyl is big again.
I see nothing wrong with certain decorative things that may be “personal” in nature to you but potentially interesting to guests such as the album covers. Family photos are too personal- I have zero fam photos in the house (and I honestly don’t want strangers having a hint of access to my daughters or grands.) I just have items from travels like shot glasses from assorted beaches, wall art from NOLA, Jamaican knick knacks, American historical sites coasters, etc. Guests often comment positively on the interesting things to look at. If I was a guest at the album place, I’d be positively intrigued. I like seeing interesting cultural and slice of life stuff.
We have a small Chinese decorative brass lidded urn that my grandfather left me. It’s called a chinoiserie. We probably should not have it there because it has sentimental maybe financial value.
We often receive compliments about it. When the last guest asked about it I mentioned that history, adding that my grandfather’s ashes were kept there. Silence ensued, and I laughed saying I was just joking, that keeping the ashes there would be . . . a little weird.
They agreed.
These were nice guests but had to leave early due to a family emergency.
We often receive compliments about it. When the last guest asked about it I mentioned that history, adding that my grandfather’s ashes were kept there. Silence ensued, and I laughed saying I was just joking, that keeping the ashes there would be . . . a little weird.
Wait. You are asking your memorabilia to take the hit for your stairwell wall? Your album covers (or their frames) will be irreparably damaged by luggage banging against them. I’m all for the decoration idea; I just think that the notion of those things protecting the wall is a bit backward. I say mount them high and let the wall fend for itself. Magic Erasers (or their cheaper generic versions) remove scuffs easily. Little gouges can be filled and touched up periodically between stays.
I found that without wall decorations people are very comfortable letting their luggage scrape against the wall. With memorabilia hanging on the walls they steer clear of it… when they come up and down the stairs, they leave quite a lot of space between them and wall hanging art.
