Message from Maggie:  For years my husband has been giving friends old maps as gifts.  To return the favor I have gotten him a few over the years and they are now displayed in our guest room which we now refer to as the “map room.”  The maps we have hanging are places important to us including New York, his home state, Martha’s Vineyard, where we got engaged, St. Croix, where we honeymooned, and Yellowstone National Park, where we visited in the fall.

Directions:

• If you live at DC visit the “map guy” at the flea at Eastern Market.  He has a HUGE selection of maps to choose from for around $10.  Most of them are from map books at the turn of the century.
• If you don’t live in DC you can email the “map guy” at tom@diversemarkets.net and he will text or email pictures of maps you are trying to track down.  Another option is to try eBay. When the map guy doesn’t have what I am looking for I have had luck on eBay.
• Once you have your map, I like to put them in a frame for a finished look before gifting.  I recommend these Ikea Ribba Frames which come with a nice matting making them look professionally framed.

Costs:

With a $10 map paired with a $10 frame, you can achieve this thoughtful gift for around $20.

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