what can you do with a bunch of old trophies?

[nereo]

I'm helping my parents clean out the detritus leftover from their three grown children, and among the boxes and boxes of childhood momentos are lots and lots of old trophies.  They never got discarded before because somehow throwing them in the trash seemed wrong and wasteful.  But 10+ years later.... what do we do with them all?*  Is there anything we can do with them other than toss them in the trash?  Gifted somewhere to be reused?  I'll gladly give them all away just to keep them out of a landfill and get them out of my parents house.



*mind you - these are your standard collection of 'performance trophies' and 'everyone-gets-a-best-at-something' plaque that kids so often amass just by being in some sport or activity. 3 kids x ~4 season/year x ~10 years each yielded a lot of these dust-collectors. 

[iamlindoro]

You can recycle them by giving them to a trophy company!

http://www.lambawards.com/recycle.html

There's a mistaken belief out there that the Special Olympics accepts them as donations, but that's not actually the case.  That's probably for the best anyway, as the competitors there deserve better than someone's busted-ass old trophy :)

[Jenny1974]

I saw a pretty cool idea on HGTV.  Use the trophy heads to make a coat rack.

[nereo]

thanks for the link iamlindoro -that's the sort of thing I was looking for.  My local trophy shop (where at least half of them originally came from) already told us they won't take them back.

@buchanaj - thanks, but I don't really want to keep them around for any reason - and I have enough projects to keep me busy for years.I've seen several interesting projects with old trophies on pinterest, but I'm not interested in more craft projects.  I just hate the idea of all that marble, metal and plastic winding up in the landfill.

[crispy]

1) You can donate to Goodwill.  Metal is often sold as salvage so they can be monetized even if they aren't sold in the store.

2) Make the kid's take them.  It's their junk.

3) Give them as Dirty Santa gifts.  We actually used to buy used trophies for this purpose...lol!

[nereo]

1) You can donate to Goodwill.  Metal is often sold as salvage so they can be monetized even if they aren't sold in the store.

2) Make the kid's take them.  It's their junk.

3) Give them as Dirty Santa gifts.  We actually used to buy used trophies for this purpose...lol!

1) Goodwill isn't interested as there is very little metal involved - trophies are mostly stone bases with metallic-covered plastic. Plaques are small chunks of sanded wood with routered edges.
2) I am one of the kids - read the OP
3) No idea how an old sports trophy would be good for a dirty santa gift, but I guess our sense of humor differs.  Even still, I'd like to find a place for these this year - and all the Christmases left in my lifetime aren't enough to 'give' them away, and I'm guessing their fate would be the same (the landfill)

[crispy]

1) You can donate to Goodwill.  Metal is often sold as salvage so they can be monetized even if they aren't sold in the store.

2) Make the kid's take them.  It's their junk.

3) Give them as Dirty Santa gifts.  We actually used to buy used trophies for this purpose...lol!

1) Goodwill isn't interested as there is very little metal involved - trophies are mostly stone bases with metallic-covered plastic. Plaques are small chunks of sanded wood with routered edges.
2) I am one of the kids - read the OP
3) No idea how an old sports trophy would be good for a dirty santa gift, but I guess our sense of humor differs.  Even still, I'd like to find a place for these this year - and all the Christmases left in my lifetime aren't enough to 'give' them away, and I'm guessing their fate would be the same (the landfill)

Sorry - thought you were the parents. 

We have been known to spray paint them and give them as joke gifts during office Christmas parties and for gifts, but I guess that isn't for everyone.
 

[Kaspian]

Display them at work!  My coworkers think it's hilarious I have old trophies on display in my cube.  "Second-place Grade 10 science fair?!"  Me:  "That's right, bub--and don't you forget it!" :D

[nereo]

Display them at work!  My coworkers think it's hilarious I have old trophies on display in my cube.  "Second-place Grade 10 science fair?!"  Me:  "That's right, bub--and don't you forget it!" :D

Oh, I'll probably keep a couple for sentimental/humor value, but there's got to be over a hundred trophies.  Evidence of the "everyone gets an award" society and 3 kids who were always involved in some sport or activity for a decade+.

[RetiredAt63]

And medals.  Bags full of medals.  Suggestions?

[iamlindoro]

And medals.  Bags full of medals.  Suggestions?

Most are just steel, so you could call or find a local scrapper and give the medals to them for the scrap value.  It'd be a tiny amount for them, hardly worth the effort, but at least they would get recycled.

[nereo]

And medals.  Bags full of medals.  Suggestions?

Most are just steel, so you could call or find a local scrapper and give the medals to them for the scrap value.  It'd be a tiny amount for them, hardly worth the effort, but at least they would get recycled.

you mean my medal for finishing 1st in my elementary school standing-long-jump competition isn't made from real gold??  I feel cheated.

[iamlindoro]

you mean my medal for finishing 1st in my elementary school standing-long-jump competition isn't made from real gold??  I feel cheated.

I only got a participation medal for my elementary school standing long jump competition :(

[southern granny]

Some  day care centers who care for mentally disabled adults like to get old trophies to give out as awards to their clients.  They also like to get small trinkets and objects for craft projects and bingo prizes. 

[mustachepungoeshere]

In Australia some churches collect them to take on mission trips overseas and give out to kids in poor areas for special assemblies, sport comps, etc. (They use a hairdryer to melt the glue and dental floss to work off the engraved nameplate.)

My husband let his mum donate his old soccer trophies for this purpose.

She said the missionaries also take practical things like pencils, notebooks, soccer balls, etc, but the kids like getting special things that are considered a luxury, not just a necessity.

[JZinCO]

Start some silly weekly competition among the neighborhood kids and give them out to winners (and/or losers)

Give them to coworkers as a silly award gift if you have a christmas/annual coworker event.

You can see my idea is to pawn them off to others ;)