How to Tackle Old "Magnetic" Self-Adhesive Photo Albums from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s

Organized photo albums on shelf

Do you have shelves full of “magnetic” self-adhesive photo albums from the 1970s–1990s? These albums often weren’t carefully curated and may hold decades of random snapshots, duplicates, and miscellaneous prints. They’re bulky, take up space, and the plastic sheets and adhesive can damage photos over time. And tackling them is a great first step to organizing your photo collection.

Here’s how to handle them safely, whether you want to DIY or hire a professional.

DIY: Safely Remove and Curate Your Photos

Personalized memory scrapbook with photos

You don’t have to leave your photos trapped in sticky albums. A careful DIY approach can reduce clutter and protect your prints.

  • Gather your supplies: cotton gloves, archival envelopes or photo boxes, sticky notes, and a clean workspace.

  • Remove photos carefully: lift the plastic sheet slowly. If adhesive remains on the back of a photo, slide a piece of paper behind it to prevent it from sticking to the next photo. If photos are stuck to the pages, set those aside for professional handling.

  • Sort, label, and cull: keep photos in rough order and use sticky notes on the back to mark years, events, or people. Never write directly on the photo. Remove duplicates or poor-quality images to reduce volume.

  • Store safely: archival envelopes or boxes protect photos from sunlight, heat, and humidity. We also recommend storing them in plastic storage bins to fully protect against moisture.

Even this simple approach makes a big difference in how much space your photo collection takes up. Plus, if you later decide to have the collection professionally scanned and digitized, you’ve already done the first step to prepare your collection.

Hire a Professional Photo Organizer

For large collections or fragile prints, or if you know you just don’t want to handle your photos yourself, a professional can make the process fast, safe, and organized. They can:

  • Remove photos safely, even if sticky residue remains

  • Scan or digitize entire pages without taking every photo off the sheet

  • Create a PDF booklet that replicates the original albums visually

  • Rehouse photos in archival materials

  • Reduce clutter by culling duplicates or low-quality images at your direction

  • Create an organized, digital archive that is easy to search and share

Start Preserving Your Memories

Old sticky albums weren’t designed to last. Whether you take the DIY route or hire a professional photo organizer, the most important step is to start.
Safely protected, organized and digitized photos are easy to store, share and enjoy with friends and families for years to come.

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