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if they aren't deep, i've heard mayonnaise works well.

ditch the MJ albums - use the album covers as throw rugs.

Actually, if not too bad, leave them be. That will ultimately add character to the floors. The only time you really need to deal with it is when the finish is all worn down, which these days isn't for many, many years down the road.

I do hope the floors were solid hardwoods, not laminate because fixing those may be problematic. I'd just wax them once a year or so and keep them clean via a damp mop every now and then at a min.

For medium-density scratches AND as an immediate fix (this is NOT long-term) I used Pledge on my floor, and buffed it with a soft cloth. The scratches get glossed over. But you have to let it dry for a while, because otherwise it's quite slippery.

Fill sticks are basically brown crayon.

I'd try Restor-A-Finish in an inconspicuous spot. That stuff is ordinarily brilliant at making a scratched finish even, but I've never tried it on a floor, and floors are finished differently than furniture.

Stripping & buffing is too extreme but so is throwing away Michael Jackson. That just sounds crazy!

And, honestly, that floor photo doesn't look all that bad.

my floors are indeed solid wood...from the 1940s. I think the floors were in fact refinished about 15 years ago. There's a rather deep scratch in the hallway that bugs me every time I walk through. I'm going to try the Pledge-and-buffing suggestion (thanks annoushka!). My mum swears by Murphy's Soap Oil for hardwood floors, anyone try that?

why couldn't you just apply polyurethane over the scratch? isn't that what's coating the rest of the hardwood?

Don't throw away that classic MJ album. One of his best! [Note to Grace: You should try to find a copy of the white label Tangoterje remix of MJ's "I Can't Help It" that floated around about a year ago. Listen to that and try to tell me that MJ isn't musically relevant today...]

Oh yeah, no advice on fill sticks. I'm curious to see how people respond as I have persnickety bamboo floors, which tend to scratch more easily than hardwood.

http://www.bonakemi.com/shop/products.asp

Bona floor care is an amazing & easy way of caring for your hard wood floors. Never use water, vinegar or Murphy's soap.

Enrique, are you referring to this one...? If you are into listening to some new takes on old rnb hiphop and want to do some dance damage to your own floors, drop me an email and I'll send you UK DJ Steve the Sleeve's mix. It's sooo good...

I haven't tried this, but heard it on a design show once: go over the the scratch with a similarly-colored crayon -- the wax will fill it in nicely. And maybe I'm not remembering this correctly, but I thought they said go over it with a hairdryer afterward to set it...but not 100% positive on that part...

That scratch really doesn't look so bad. Hardwood floors are going to have scratches. That's a fact I learned to live with after spending a week sanding and refinishing my floor, only to watch an 80 lb dog skid across it days after finishing it. Polyurethane can be tricky if you don't know whether they used oil based or water based originally. I found this product that will work with either:
http://www.flecto.com/product.asp?frm_product_id=72&SBL=1

Most polyurethane manufacturers will have tips on their website.

There was a product at Bed Bath and Beyond (and also at Restoration Hardware) that is supposed to renew the finish on hardwood floors that already have a polyurethane finish but need a touch up. I have not really examined the fine details of the products (I was just browsing when I saw them...) so I don't know if they are the answer for you. Might be worth investigating.

What's wrong with Murphy's Oil Soap, right angle?

Yes, I was wondering about the Murphy's too.

I use this Minwax touch-up marker for the scratches on my bamboo floor. http://www.minwax.com/products/woodmaint/stain-marker.cfm The "golden oak" matches my mid-range bamboo exactly, and the scratches just fade into the background as soon as I apply it and rub it in a little. It is just a few dollars at Home Depot. I tried their touch-up wax pencil and that didn't work at all; it didn't blend in.

This sounds crazy, but it works! Take the "meat" part of a pecan nut, break it in half and rub it into the scratch. The oil from the pecan will darken the scratch and the meat fills it in. It is safe, cheap, and organic.

I'm in the hardwood floor industry, and a good source with useful homeowner repair tips is the Minwax website. Check out the first aid section and Q&A transcript. A simple remedy to help deep scratches or creases in wood is to place a damp washcloth on scratch or dent, then press a warm steam iron on cloth until cloth is nearly dry. Dampen cloth each time it's almost dry, and repeat steaming process over same area several times. The deeper the scratch, the more times you'll need to repeat. The steam will expand the fibers, often eliminating or reducing the indentation. Hope that helps.