Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
What can I do with a lot of old trophies? They are in the way and we just want to get rid of them. Someone told us one time about some trophy company that melts them down and re-uses the trophy.
By Leslie
I had a number of bowling trophies that were taking up space and collecting dust. I removed the plaques that were engraved with my name and reason for winning the trophy and donated them to a junior bowling league in my neighborhood. Depending on what the trophies are for you may also be able to find a source to which you can donate the trophies for use by others.
Any thoughts on where to donate excess trophies?
I have donated on Freecycle.
Where can I donate various trophies near Castle Rock CO?
My daughter has many old girl's basketball trophies that are in good condition and I am hoping an organization can use them. I live in the Pasadena, California area. Thank you.
By Ellen M
You can call schools, youth groups, etc., in your area for possible use. There are a few companies that either melt them down for other use or sell outright.
Call your local Special Olympics organization. They can use all they can get.
Special Olympics explicitly says that they do NOT want used trophies. They give out new trophies and ribbons for their events. Thanks.
Who can I give them to?
By Wayne
Donate them to church groups or people who work with underprivileged childre. These trophies can be taken apart and made into different prizes.
We donated trophies to an organization with had mentally challenged individuals. They would have contests and games,etc and the prize would be a trophy.
Contact local schools as well. Sometimes they use them as prizes for things. We used ours for curling bonspiel prizes.
Often you can purchase new tops for the trophies for a small charge that can change a bowling trophy into a sunflower seed spitting contest trophy. Much less expensive to refurbish than to purchase new ones. Old trophies for a particular sport can merely have the plaques removed or changed to be useable again - eg bowling for a junior bowling league, for example.
Is there any place in Michigan where I can recycle about 8 trophies that are in very good condition?
Where can trophies and plaques be recycled, refurbished, or donated in Richmond VA?
Where in the East Brunswick, NJ area can I donate or sell plaques?
I am affiliated with a swim team and I have tons of trophies we do not want to throw away. Can you advise? Special Olympics does not want them. I live in Houston, Texas.
If you can't find a group that wants them, you can donate them to thrift shops. Shops in my area seem to be able to sell them. It is possible to switch out the tops (a swimmer for a golfer, for example). My mother used to have that done with donated trophies.
How would I sell old bowling trophies or recycle for profit?
By Manny W.
Where can I donate my old trophies, so that they can be recycled for good use?
By Lynda
Check with your local child care centers or public school. They could give them away without your name on them to a child who is earning rewards for behavior.
Also try clubs and youth groups in the area. You could offer them on Freecycle or whatever you have. When I taught, we used them in our curling bonspiel, and some places will swap out the tops, so that bowling trophys, for example, can be changed to sunflower spitting contest trophys.
We have several trophies which were packed away in our attic. These were from our childrens' high school days in the late 70s, early 80s. They do not want them, nor do we. Is there a place in the Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania area that accepts these for recycling purposes?
By B. Smith
Check this trophy recycling website for possibilities:
www.recycleyourtrophy.com/
Since the plate can be removed, check out the local thrift stores.
I have quite a few of old sports trophies that I would like to recycle. I live in Alabama is there a location near me or even around Atlanta Georgia that I might be able to take them?
By Linda
Look for a place where challenged people live. We have one and they use them for prizes when they win. It doesn't matter whose name is on it or what it is for. They just know the won a prize or a trophy.
There are many places that will reuse trophies - boys and girls clubs, perhaps Scouts & Guides, sometimes schools, charitable events, etc. If they do not use them for the sport that is depicted, most trophy sellers will swap out the top, sometimes for free (especially if you are getting engraving done there.)
We used to recycle curling trophies at the school I taught at; we took off the name plaques, and used them that way. Many places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army thrift shops will take them as well, as they can sell them.
Where do I take these trophies to without having the expense of shipping them?
By Alma S from Casselberry, FL
I believe trophies are like encyclopedias - very hard to even give away. Trophies are usually personal to the individual and have no value to anyone else.
In our area, we can donate trophies to the Salvation Army Thrift Store or other thrift stores/charities. Or some clubs might use them. Phone around in your local area. Schools, especially elementary schools, might be interested in them.
Our school used to take curling trophies, remove the plaques, and then use them in our curling bonspiels (a popular sport in our area). Also, many trophy shops will trade in the top for a small fee so you can switch out the sport (eg bowling for watermelon spitting contest).
My mother used to do this with donated trophies for a community sports day for the children's games that she organized. She was able to give quite grandiose trophies for the races, ball throws, and watermelon spitting events that she held. Once the plaques are removed, the trophy is easily repurposed for other events. Call local schools and clubs such as Scouts, Guides, boys and girls clubs, etc.
Where can I donate old trophies?
By Cathy
You may be able to find a local trophy shop that will take them but usually you cannot find a taker. Sorry but they are usually only "worth" something to the original recipient.
Schools sometimes use them for prizes, clubs such as Scouts may use them. My mother used to repurpose old trophies by trading in the tops (usually curling or bowling figures) for ball throw and racing figures for use at the kids games she ran at the family fun day we held in our community.
I think you can donate them to Goodwill, Value Village, or the Salvation Army (where they sell them for a tiny amount to clubs!). Offer them on Freecycle or similar websites. I am sure you will be able to find someone who will take them off your hands.
Is there any place in the FK10 area that will recycle old trophies?
By Frank W.
I have over 100 or so used trophies and will be moving soon. Is there somewhere in New Jersey that I could donate them? It would cost too much to ship them for a donations. They are all in excellent condition.
By Margaret from Carteret, NJ
Phone your local schools, boys and girls clubs, Scouts and Guides and see if they would like them. If you don't have time to do that, you could check with Value Village, Good Will, and the Salvation Army Thrift Stores (if you have those) as I have seen used trophies for sale in Value Village, so at least here in Canada they accept them. Clubs can use them for events they sponsor by removing the plaques, or swapping out the tops. I have used donated trophies many times for curling bonspiels at my school and my mom used them for children's games that she organized in the summer at a community sports day.
Another idea is "Special Olympics" - they would love the trophies and can have special plates engraved for their athletes.
Where in the Brandon/Tampa Florida area can I donate old trophies?
My belated husband was an avid pool player and I have an abundance of trophies stored away. I am looking to donate them to a charity or a pool league that might be needing trophies in order to pay out more to the players.
Any suggestions?I have several trophies I would like to donate. Is there a place where I could take them?
Why not put them free on craigs list? May have a needy organization who might want them.
OR contact whatever sport club they are from your local organizations. It could save them money from having to buy trophies...which are so costly. They would only need to change the plaque on them.
I am wanting to donate tropies that my daughters have earned through 4-H and local horse shows. Is there anywhere in Canada that takes the donation of trophies? I live in Southern Alberta.
For a start, why don't you contact the local 4H clubs and see if they would like to reuse the trophies? Remove the name plaques, maybe keep those for a souvenir as they take up hardly any space, and the trophies are ready to be used again. With a phonecall or two, you will likely find someplace that will use them - a local school (my school used to reuse curling trophies for our bonspiels), a sports day with kids events (my mom took curling trophies, swapped out the curler for virtually no charge, and had them engraved for sunflower spitting and ballthrow competitions), maybe Special Olympics.
The Salvation Army will take trophies as well as Value Village, if you can't find any local club or organization that wants them. I am from Sask; I am sure it would be the same where you are.
Where can I donate them where they can be used as a trophy again, not end up in a recycle bin? I would be willing to drop them off.
By Peggy
Contact your local Special Olympics... they always can use them!
My husband has a lot of trophies for various sports. We're thinking of moving to another house and need to declutter. Can I recycle them?
By Sheila
There may be children's clubs in your area that will take them. I used to teach elementary school, and we used curling trophies for our little school bonspiels. My mother used to run kids games at our rural sports/family fun days in our small town, and she would take used trophies, switch out the tops at a trophy store (say get rid of the bowler and put on a sunflower for sunflower spitting!), and give them out to the winners of the kids games.
I have seen trophies for sale at Thrift Stores or Value Village. See if local charities will take them. Phone school and children's organizations. You might try Special Olympics. You could offer them to give away online in your local buy/sell postings - Kjjii, Craigslist, etc.
Where can I donate used trophies and plaques in Grand Rapids Michigan?
By Judy from Grand Rapids, MI
Where in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area can I donate these? I have bowling bowls and trophies.
By Judy B. from Grand Rapids, MI
Try schools, various clubs, Special Olympics, Scouts, Guides, etc. Some may not be interested; others may jump at the chance. We reused curling trophies at the school where I worked -- just took off the name plaques; my mom ran children games at a summer fun fest, and swapped out the tops of trophies for the events that she had -- sunflower seed spitting, ball throw, races, etc, for the bowling or curling trophies that were donated. The tops were swapped out free of charge because she had engraving done at the place.
I live in Queens new York, and have many golf trophies of my husband who has since passed. Where can I donate or dispose of these trophies?
By Ernestine