Please help with seeds

I have some seeds that my mother took from assorted flowers in her garden the year she died (2001). A very good friend of mine saved them for me. They have been kept dry. What is the best hope for me to get them started? They are from Zinnia and Cosmos...a few others that slip my mind at the moment. It would really mean a lot to me to get them going now that I have my own home and a place to plant them. Thank-you in advance.

Hi Amanda,
I started by placing my seeds in little plastic cups (from yogurt), pouring in about 1/2 inch of water and topping it off with a paper towel. The paper towel absorbs the water and keeps the seeds moist. You may want to cover them to keep them from drying out. Within one week (maybe a little longer) the seed were germinating. I carefully removed them and planted them in seed starting potting soil. The zinnias are doing fine but only one cosmos plant germinated. I also used old seeds, however mine are a little younger. They're from '03.

Sal

Here's a link to a chart on flower seed viability:
http://www.citygardening.net/storlife/