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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWhy should I join this site? Couldn't I find these items on eBay or other places on the web?
eBay and other sites are not specifically designed with family researchers in mind. Listings are usually only available for a short period of time and are targeted at collectors rather than family members. Associated names may not even be mentioned.
Every JustaJoy.com item is associated with at least one family name and our partners (members that list items) are expected to reveal all family information associated with items, in their descriptions. JustaJoy.com is also designed to give correct search results, even for names such as White, House, Baker, Fisher, and many others that have duplicate meanings. Auction site results for such searches would include many unwanted results that would have nothing to do with the designated family rendering those searches pointless.
What kinds of items can be found on JustaJoy.com
Advertising items, Bibles & Other Religious Items, Books & Pamphlets, Broadsides, Calendars, Certificates, Civil War Items, Clocks & Watches, Clothing, Criminal & Prison Items, Death & Mourning Items, Diaries & Autograph Books, Diplomas, Documents & Correspondence, Engraved Items, Everyday Items, Flags & Pennants, Furniture, Jewelry, Licenses (Marriage, Professional, Etc.), Magazines & Newspapers, Military Related Items, Music Related Items (Instruments, Sheet Music, Etc.), Revolutionary War Items (Including original Pay Documents), Occupational Items (Tools, Etc.), Pictures & other Images, Political Items, Post Cards, Posters & Signs, Prisoner of War Items, Reunion & Fraternal Items, Schoolgirl Needlework Samplers, Slavery & Black History Items, Sports-Related Items, Toys & Games, Transportation & Travel Items, Trophies & Awards, Valentines, Victorian Period Calling Cards, Weapons, World War I & II Items, Yearbooks & Annuals and MUCH MORE!
Are there very many "Orphaned Heirlooms" available?
In one word - millions! Specialty antique dealers in every genre have identified items in their inventories. Certain categories such as Civil War Artifacts attract collectors of identified items. Between collectors and dealers, the world abounds in "Orphaned Heirlooms". JustaJoy is the best source to find these special items.
It is hard for me to believe you have all of these things. Is there a way I can see everything on the site at once?
Yes, just click on the General Search button (not the Surname Search) and type an "a" (no quotes) in the box. Everything that has ever been posted on JustaJoy will come up for you to review.
What special privileges do members get?
Only members receive notifications and have posting privileges. The annual membership fee makes it possible to enjoy searching JustaJoy without annoying advertising.
Antique shows regularly charge attendees $5.00 or more for a single day. Imagine going to an antique show where you are met at the door by an attendant who asks for your surname list and then leads you to the exact place at the show that has items you would want to see! JustaJoy.com is a "virtual antique show" that does exactly that and your fee is not for one day but for a whole year!
A large portion of your fee is used to purchase identified items for posting on JustaJoy and to advertise in many different forms of media to both antique dealers and family researchers. We try to keep costs as low as possible to accomplish our goal of reuniting lost family heirlooms.
How is this site different than MyHeritage, Ancestry.com, or other genealogy sites?
MyHeritage (and others) do an excellent job of compiling, sorting, and distributing family INFORMATION, ONLY. We are offering original antiques and artifacts that have a family connection.
How did these items get away from families to being with?
There are many legitimate ways items could have been removed from families. Often, it is through second marriages or estate sales and other selling situations where the family member in charge puts little to no value on the very items that other family members would cherish. Every day, such situations happen. JustaJoy has also matched many items that were never in the family, to begin with, such as regimental honor rolls, original newspapers, or Civil War muster rolls.
Shouldn't these items be free to families?
The items offered on JustaJoy.com have real value to collectors and others. Usually, they represent an investment by the antique dealers or others who own them. It would be unfair to expect them to offer the items for free. These antique dealers would not use JustaJoy to advertise items unless they knew there was a possibility to sell them as they would at an antique show, flea market, etc. But since all JustaJoy members can post, items are also added by genealogists and others who are not interested in the monetary value. Many times, these members post items for free.
What if I want to list an item for free?
If you are motivated to restore items to families and are not interested in profiting from the experience, you are welcome to list items for free. You will be dealing directly with the family and you could ask for a small reimbursement to cover your costs of shipping, etc. That is, of course, up to you.
How do I know the items on JustaJoy.com are authentic?
The JustaJoy.com management team has a lifetime of experience in the antique world. We are familiar with the general values of assorted antiques and how to detect fakes. We have attended antique shows across the U.S, making us familiar with many high quality, professional dealers. This knowledge and these associations have been very valuable to the success of JustaJoy.com
You will be dealing directly with the seller. This will give you every opportunity to ask questions regarding provenance, request additional pictures or documentation or otherwise convince yourself of what you are buying. You can also ask for a satisfaction money-back guarantee as you work out the final arrangements of the transaction.
We make every attempt to provide a fair, honest, and trustworthy selling and buying environment. We do this in coordination with our selling partners who are held to a detailed terms of service agreement. There is very little tolerance for those who do not follow this agreement. All complaints, compliments, and other comments from users are taken very seriously. But, again, to be honest, the environment we have created, which involves genealogists and high-quality antique dealers is, in large part, a special and safe place to be. This is not a space that draws the wrong crowd.
I notice many of the items that I would be interested in are already sold. Why are they still on the site?
Because we are offering antiques, there is usually only one of each item available making the Joy Alert e-mails very important. JustaJoy.com is usually not the only place that antique dealers offer the items. They usually also display them at antique shows or malls and perhaps even on their own website. Family members are usually not the only ones interested in purchasing these items and even though the antique dealer would often prefer for the item to be sold to a family member, they are not in a position to hold onto it indefinitely.
JustaJoy.com leaves sold items on the site, forever, so that the family member can, at least, read the information the item reveals, be aware of its existence or perhaps print a picture of it.
Occasionally, sellers or buyers leave contact information even after the sale in the continued hope of communicating with family members.
Do I have to worry about you selling my information to any other entity?
Absolutely - NO. That would not be honest. Please refer to our privacy policy which strictly forbids this practice.
Is JustaJoy international?
Every country has antiques and every country has family researchers. JustaJoy currently has items from Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, England, and India as well as members from every state and 7 foreign countries. We are working to add more international items but the majority of the items are American.
How do I add items?
Supporting Members are invited to add unlimited items to JustaJoy.com. At present, we do not charge commissions, listing fees or buyer's fees. Click "My Account" after logging in. You will see an option for "Add a new surname listing". You can also manage your listings by choosing "View your current listings" where you can sort by item number, title, date, quantity, price, or number of views. This screen is also used for editing listings or copying the information from a listing for use in a similar one.
SPECIAL NOTE - Please be sure that all of the surnames listed in the surname field of a listing are explained in the description field. It is very frustrating for members to receive surname posting notifications (generated from the surname field), excitedly go to the description of the item only to discover there is no explanation whatsoever to explain why they got the notification.
I only want to sell items on the site, yet I was offered to complete the "family surnames" fields on the membership application.
Sellers are entitled to use the site just like any other member. They can view all details to every item posted and are also entitled to take advantage of "Joy Alerts" - a feature that will notify you if anything from your surname list is added by another member of the Exchange. Although, it is not mandatory to use this function, why not? Maybe you will find some of YOUR family's "Orphaned Heirlooms"!
If I list something, how long will it be on the site?
Because this is vertical marketing at its best, our listings are open-ended. You have the option of indicating that your item is "available", "sale pending" or "sold" (unavailable). Because of the reasons listed above, we ask that you leave the item on the site and simply change its status when it is no longer available. You may choose to remove your contact information after the item is no longer available.
Is there any limit to the number of items I can post for FREE?
No. We appreciate as many quality surname related items as you are willing to add to the Exchange. The more items, the more surnames, the more matches - our end goal.
Is there any limit to the number of surnames that can be associated with a single item?
No. Our system can accommodate any amount of surnames associated with a single item. feel free to type in those newspapers or yearbooks?
Are there any shortcuts to adding long items?
If there are many surnames associated with an item, we find www.alphabetize.org a handy tool to organize and eliminate duplications for the surname field. Picture taking and editing are very easy now directly on many devices as well as free websites such as pixlr.com. It is also possible to scan text into your Word documents and edit - often a great time saver.
A question about the "Joy Alerts". I have received the e-mails but the surname item links don't always work.
You have to be logged into the site and a supporting member before the Joy Alert surname links will work.
I also notice that there is sometimes an option under "My Account" that allows me to see the most recent items added to the site associated with my surname list and that sometimes it is not there. What does this mean?
This option only appears when items associated with your surname list were added to the site during the last database assessment which happens every night at midnight and is applicable only to items added within the previous 24 hours. If you can't view items that quickly, just remember - the newest items pertaining to any search are always at the top of the list.
I can think of so many improvements for this site, are you open to ideas?
Very much! Our best ideas have come from users. Please let us know your thoughts!