One of the easiest and most convenient ways to get rid of old baseball cards is to donate them to local schools, libraries, hospitals, youth organizations, or baseball card shops. Most of these places will gladly accept baseball card donations as they can use them for various programs, activities, charitable events, and collections.
When donating cards, it’s best to sort them by year, team, or player so they are organized for the recipient. Include any important rare, unique, or valuable cards in a separate clearly labeled package. Contact the donation recipient first to arrange a drop-off time and let them know what items you will be donating. You’ll get the satisfaction of knowing your cards will be put to good use, and it’s a much better option than simply throwing them away.
Some schools and after-school programs will use donations of baseball cards for events like school carnivals and fundraisers where kids can trade or purchase cards. They may also incorporate them into history or sports lessons for educational purposes. Libraries welcome card donations to add to their collection for kids and fans to enjoy looking through. Hospitals will give cards to pediatric patients to use for recreation and engagement during treatment. Youth sports organizations and little leagues appreciate donations to use as rewards or prizes.
Another viable option is to sell your cards online through an eBay store, on trading/yard sale sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Letgo, or via baseball card collector forums and blogs. Take high-quality photographs of the fronts and backs of especially rare and valuable individual cards or complete sets to sell. You can sell everything as one big lot or break it up into smaller themed collections based on player, year, team, etc.
Describe the cards accurately, be upfront about any flaws or damage, and price reasonably based on current market values you’ve researched. Shipping baseball cards safely requires some extra care and materials like sleeves, toploaders, and a rigid mailer or box. Be prepared to answer buyer questions. You may get top dollar for rare finds, make some money back overall, and find your cards new appreciative homes this way.
Consignment at a local baseball card or collectibles shop is another option. They’ll appraise your collection, pick out the most valuable pieces to sell on your behalf for a cut of the profit, and handle transactions, shipping, and customer service. Cards not worth consigning they may offer to buy outright or take as trade-in. Some larger dedicated sports collectibles shops also hold sale events where you can rent a table to sell directly.
Post photos of your bulk common cards on social media community boards for local collectors, indicate they’re free for the taking, and provide your contact info for interested parties to arrange pickup. Many casual fans and kids just starting collections would enjoy rummaging through boxes of “free to a good home” cards. The cards avoid the landfill, and you don’t have to sort or ship anything.
As a last resort if you can’t sell, donate or give away your collection, cardboard baseball cards can be recycled. Carefully separate the paper cards from any plastic holders, sleeves, rubber bands before placing loose in your recycling bin. Make sure to remove any valuable rare cards first that you may want to sell or keep long term. The paper fibers from cards will be remade into new products.
The best ways to get rid of old baseball cards are donating to schools/libraries, selling valuable collections online or at collectibles shops, consigning at local card stores, offering common cards free on community boards, or if truly unwanted – recycling the paper. With some effort, your cards can find new fans and homes versus being thrown directly in the trash.
