Buddy Jolton knew that the videotapes he'd taken of his teenage daughter growing up weren't going to last. Time and wear would eventually render the tapes unwatchable.

So he had all the tapes transferred to DVDs as a gift to her — and future generations.

"I wish I had stuff like this of my childhood — and of my parents'," said Jolton, a businessman from Bel Air, Calif. "(DVDs) are good for such a long period of time that she'll be able to give a copy to her kids, which makes me smile just to say it."

The most treasured presents you could give this season may not be something you pick out of a catalog or buy at a mall. The best gifts can be those that preserve and share your family history.

The possibilities are almost endless, from reproducing old family photos to recording a tape of your voice reading a story for a grandchild. Preserving those memories can spend a small fortune — or hardly anything at all. Here are some ideas that might inspire you.

Family photos

The digital age has made copying and restoring old photographs easier and less expensive than ever before. You can choose from three approaches:

Professional. Many photo labs and high-end camera stores will scan and print an archival copy of an old photo for about $30. Restoration work — eliminating scratches, repairing tears and reviving the color or contrast — might be a bit extra.

If you want copies that last, you'll need to look for a shop that does high-quality work and avoid the low-cost places that specialize in mass production. You'll see better reproductions, and the quality of the photo paper and chemicals used will determine how well your photos hold up over time.

You'll want to think about preservation as you're matting and framing the photos, as well. Use acid-free, archival mats and glass that blocks ultraviolet rays.

Moderate. If you or a friend has a good scanner and image-editing software, you can make and restore your own copies. The inks in most printers aren't archival, however, so you may want to burn the photos to a CD and take it to a camera shop or custom printer that offers higher-quality inks and papers. Prices vary, but typically are around $15 for an 8x10 print.

Economy. We're talking Kinko's, baby. If your primary goal is to share photos with other family members, not to preserve them for the ages, photocopying is an inexpensive way to do it.

"Usually one branch of the family winds up with all the photos and the rest of us never see them," said Nancy Hendrickson, author of "Finding Your Roots Online" and contributing editor for Family Tree Magazine. Photocopying allows those with great pictures to easily share the wealth.

Don't cheap out completely, though, by using black-and-white copiers; use the color copiers instead. The color versions do a much better job of capturing the look and contrast of old photos, particularly sepia-toned ones, Hendrickson said.

Another idea: Put photos on stuff that can later become heirlooms. One reader on the Your Money message board used her computer to print photos of her family onto special transfer paper (available at craft stores). She and her sister ironed the photos onto squares of fabric and made them into a quilt for their mother.

Home movies

The first time Lilly Harsewak used a DVD transfer service, it was for herself: She wanted to preserve her 1993 wedding video, which at 10 years was reaching the end of its useful life.

The Miami resident was so pleased with the result, provided by YesVideo of Santa Clara, Calif., that she had a video of her then-5-year-old nephew transferred to DVD as a Christmas present to his family. For $30, the DVD reproduces up to two hours of video from one or two tapes and includes chapters so you can jump to the scenes you want to see. The DVD's cover is customized as well with a photo from the video.

YesVideo partners with Wal-Mart, Costco and other big chains, but you can also find DVD transfer services through camera shops and photo labs. Some of these services will transfer 8mm, Super 8 or 16mm film to DVD, typically for around 25 cents per foot.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, DVD recorders can help you transfer tape to DVD (which experts believe can last up to 300 years).

Family trees

If you're the family historian, you have a wealth of information that can be shared with relatives. Among the options:

• Use software such as "Family Tree Maker" to trace lineage and create print-outs and displays.
• Write down family stories, like how your family first arrived in the United States, or short biographies of notable ancestors.
• Order copies of relevant newspaper articles — birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, feature stories — that include your ancestors.
• Make crafts that feature your family tree. You can find embroidery kits, quilt patterns and other crafts with this theme.

Memorabilia, heirlooms and documents

The problem with most heirlooms is that there aren't enough to go around. Only one person at a time can have Mom's recipe book, Grandma's wedding dress or Great Uncle Fester's pocket watch. Once again, photocopiers can come to the rescue, allowing other family members to see the good stuff even if they can't own it, said online genealogist Hendrickson. She and her sister spent a few hours photocopying all sorts of memorabilia to share with the rest of their family, including:

• Valentines their parents exchanged.

• Their father's Purple Heart from World War II.

• Their father's grade school diploma.

• Postcards from her grandmother's contemporaries.

Love notes, birth and marriage certificates, old letters, military patches and insignia — all can be easily copied and shared.

Of course, if you're in a position to give the actual document or heirloom, that's even better.

My husband's aunt framed memorabilia collected by her mother in the 1920s — theatre programs from Broadway shows, menus from fine restaurants in New York and Paris — and gave them as Christmas presents to her nieces and nephew. The gorgeous designs augment the sentimental value of the gift.

The next Christmas, his uncle on the other side of the family got into the act. He framed checks — yes, regular business checks — written by my husband's great-grandfather in the 1880s. Ornate designs and beautiful penmanship make them lovely relics of another era.

One reader on the Your Money message board received a shadow box with a military theme:

"Two years ago my aunt gave me a frame that had a picture of my grandfather (from the war), a letter he sent my grandmother while he served, and the patch from his uniform. It was a really nice gift. The picture was my grandfather standing in front of the tank he drove. (What) is neat about that picture is the fact that the uniform he is wearing in the picture shows the patch that is also included in the frame."

And remember, heirlooms don't have to be inanimate objects. Some families create "memory gardens" using plants, cuttings and seedlings that trace their lineage back several generations.

Russ Arthur of West Lafayette, Ind., inherited lilies from his grandmother's garden. One variety was brought to Indiana from Virginia's Clinch Mountains by his great-grandmother and originally may have been planted by his great-great grandmother. He hopes someday his granddaughter Rachel will continue the tradition.

Voice recordings

One day my mother decided to "write" me a letter using a tape recorder rather than a pen. It was a quick and spontaneous way to record her thoughts. I think she might have been doing laundry simultaneously, making it another fine example of her ability to multitask.

I still listen to that tape, more than 10 years after her death, whenever I need to hear the sound of her voice. After I have it transferred to CD, the recording will allow my infant daughter to someday hear the witty, wise, loving grandmother who didn't live long enough to meet her.

If you have old cassettes you'd like to preserve, online services offer transfers for $5 to $20 per tape. Or you can get a jack from your local computer shop that will connect a tape recorder with your computer's sound card, and then burn a CD from that. (MSN Tech & Gadgets offers a how-to on getting the job done.)

If you're thinking of recording yourself or a family member, you can make things easier by using a digital voice recorder (which run from $30 to around $180). These will dump the sound files directly into your computer through a USB port. You even can find software that will translate these sound files into text.

Here are some ways to preserve your voice or that of a family member:

• Read a story to a child. The recording, along with the book being read, make great presents for wee ones (and their parents, who might need a break from story time).

• Interview your grandparents or parents. Ask them where their parents came from, what games they liked to play as children, how they met their spouses, what the defining moments in their lives were, and how they would like to be remembered.

• Ask family members to sing a favorite song. Lullabies, pop songs, folk tunes, goofy made-up songs your family sang in the car — whatever. Their choices will reveal something about themselves, the off-key notes can be hilarious, and the resulting CD can be a time capsule for the future.

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