I sometimes write a message for the next guy when I open a wall or replace windows or doors. I've also read a few. I heard a story once about a carpenter that taped 2 cents inside of his repair job, as in "here's my two cents..."

I have a page of an inventory (?) somewhere around here, that I fetched from a Gios once. It was in Italian...for all I know it may have said "This bike is stolen!".