Recycling Baseball Cards: Turning Old Cards Into Something New

Baseball cards have been around for over 130 years, which means many households have collections of older cards laying around that could be collecting dust. Instead of letting those cards go to waste, there are several good options for recycling old baseball cards. Recycling cards keeps them out of the landfill and can even earn you some extra cash or trade other cards. Here are some of the top ways to recycle your baseball cards:

Sell Cards Online – One of the easiest ways to recycle cards is by selling them online through websites like eBay, COMC (Cardboard Connection), or Amazon Marketplace. Take the time to sort your cards by player, year, condition and sport to get the most value. List valuable single cards or full sets individually and sell less valuable commons/uncommons in bulk lots. Be sure to research recent sold listings to price your cards competitively. Cards in top condition from the 1950s-1980s typically sell the best.

Send to Card Grading Companies – High-end collectors are willing to pay top dollar for vintage cards in pristine, professionally graded condition through companies like PSA, BGS, SGC. Cards that grade gem mint 9-10 can be extremely valuable. You’ll need to pay a grading fee per card submitted, but graded cards often resell for 5-10 times more. Only submit pristine cards from the pre-1980s, as newer paperstock cards are more difficult to grade gem mint.

Trade Online or at Card Shows – If selling isn’t your goal, try trading cards with other collectors online through social media groups or forums dedicated to your favorite teams/players. You can also trade cards at local card shows, typically held on weekends. Bring cards organized and be willing to add cash to balance high-end trades. Trading allows recycling cards while building your collection.

Donate to Schools, Youth Groups – Consider donating your bulk commons and less valuable cards to local schools, libraries, scout troops or sports leagues. Kids love trading and building sets, which sparks their interests. Ask the group coordinator what they can accept to suit their needs. Getting cards into the hands of young collectors ensures the hobby continues for generations.

Sell to Local Card/Hobby Shops – Find shops in your area that buy collections, usually paying a lump sum or store credit. Shops need a steady supply of used inventory to sell and may take a wider range of vintage cards compared to individual buyers. You likely won’t get top dollar, but it’s convenient to liquidate larger bulks this way.

Shred for Arts/Crafts – Consider setting aside less valuable duplicate commons/uncommons to shred or cut up for arts and crafts projects with kids. Shredded strips of cardboard make for fun textures in mixed media art, collages, greeting cards and more. It’s a unique way to upcycle cards while fueling creative pursuits.

Cube/Set Building – An alternative to selling is using duplicates to creatively build cube-style card collections or custom card sets. Some examples include team/player specific subsets centered on a favorite franchise, complete vintage-era rookie cards from the 1950s/1960s, positional lineups like all third basemen through history. Building unique collections in this manner is a fun hobby.

Recycle Paper Fibers – As a last resort, consider truly recycling the paper fibers from very common duplicate cards by putting them in your curbside recycling bin. Always attempt selling, trading or donating worthwhile cards first before committing them to being repulped. Landfilling mint vintage cards would be tragic when collectors are eager to preserve baseball history.

With some sorting, researching and effort put into presenting your cards well, recycling a childhood collection can yield cash, build new collecting pursuits or benefit others. With over 100 billion baseball cards produced since the late 1800s, many homes likely have boxes ready to be responsibly upcycled back into the hands of fans and collectors. Whether your goal is making space, earning extra money or fueling your own card hobby, there’s no need for those vintage pieces of baseball history to collect dust – find them a new home! With some work, recycling old cards can be both fun and rewarding.