On a beautiful Friday morning in the quiet little country town of Pine Island, Minn. (population 3,263) a family welcomed their new infant son. When life is so brand new and so tiny you become very aware just how fragile and dependent that life is.

For several years now, I have been talking and writing about the restoration of expensive high-end handbags, and how insurance carriers should take note of this rapidly expanding resale market. 

Have you ever tried fixing your own electronics and appliances and ended up with extra parts? In the beginning of my career, I probably broke more electronic equipment than I ever repaired, but over the years I developed the skills needed to properly disassemble electronics and appliances as well as restore them to pre-loss condition. 

“You got that one!?” was my response after being told by Shannon Kasallis, owner of Integrity Contents, about a pack out at the Central Library in Phoenix.