You’ve earned plenty of trophies through the years from winning all those competitions you participated in, but if you’re like many people, you don’t have the shelf space to keep them all anymore. Don’t fret! We’ve put together eight things to do with old trophies.
8 Things to Do With Old Trophies
Here are some different ways to get rid of old trophies and make room in your home for more memories.
1. Check if Your Old Trophies Are Worth Anything
Before you do anything else, it’s essential to know how much your trophy is worth. Luckily, there are a few ways to find out. First, you can check eBay or Craigslist to see if any of your trophies have sold in recent years.
You can also contact local jewelers and antique dealers to see if they will buy them from you (which may mean taking them down there in person).
Of course, while they could be valuable, keep in mind that most people won’t pay more than $20 for an old sports trophy. If these avenues don’t pan out for you, look at creative ways to repurpose your old trophies.
All trophies are worth something, but their actual value depends on how rare it is and if it’s in mint condition. If you think your trophy could be a collectible, it’s probably worth some money. It’s best to keep any old trophies with significant sentimental value.
Still, if you have several of them, or they’re starting to look a little worse for wear, you might want to consider doing something with them other than keeping them in your attic or garage.
2. Upcycle Old Trophies into Something Else
Instead of keeping your old trophies around as a reminder of your past victories, get creative and figure out how to transform them into something functional or beautiful.
One couple turned their son’s hockey trophies into bookshelves for his home office; another made her award for winning first place in her high school’s essay contest into a doorstop. There are so many ways you can repurpose your old awards that it’s worth taking some time to brainstorm what they could become. You might be surprised by how many great ideas you come up with!
An excellent place to start is with storage. If you have any large trophies, try adding them to a piece of furniture like a chest or dresser. Another option is to take apart smaller cups and display only your most impressive awards in prominent spots throughout your house.
Perhaps above your mantle on a stand, on top of your desk at work, or even hung from picture frames (though keep in mind that more oversized items will need special hooks). As for any leftover hardware from older cups you may have already taken apart, consider attaching them as pulls on kitchen cabinets or handles on handbags. The possibilities are endless!
3. Donate Old Trophies to a School In Need
Donate your old trophies to an underprivileged school or one that might not be able to afford a trophy case. Consider donating through their booster club so they have time to plan out how they want to display them. They will appreciate having something extra for their students.
Search Google Images and look at all of those championship stadiums and winners’ podiums covered in plaques if you’re looking for inspiration. That’s what it’s like when there isn’t enough money to go around. It’s just not right, but it happens every day in schools across America.
4. Smash ‘em!
Smashing old trophies can be a fun activity for families to participate in. First, collect all of your old trophies from around your house. Give each family member a trophy, and then let them run free through your home, smashing them with various items such as baseball bats or other sporting equipment. You can take them outside if you don’t want to deal with the mess. You can simply trash them after.
5. All Fun and Games
If you have extra supplies lying around, it’s not a bad idea to make a game out of it and give each child points for their destruction of specific trophies or allow their trophy to remain intact.
Warning: Don’t forget that any actual awards or medals should be saved before allowing anyone to destroy them.
You can also opt to allow kids some creative freedom by encouraging them to draw on trophy faces or attaching wacky props.
6. Display Them As-Is
If you have an impressive trophy, it may be worth keeping. You can keep your old trophies displayed prominently around your home or office. Whether it’s a bowling trophy, tennis medal, bike race award, or other athletic accomplishment, people are sure to ask where you got it and how you did what it took to earn it.
And if they ask for advice about getting into their sport or leading a healthy lifestyle, you can point them in a direction that may help them reach similar goals in life. It’s also fun to look back on your past accomplishments from time to time and remember just how far you’ve come. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of yourself.
7. Give Them To Someone Who Might Appreciate It More
Before you chuck those old trophies, consider giving them to someone who might have greater use for them. It’s possible they could be more valuable than you think! If they’re not too old or damaged, you can always donate them to a good cause.
Think of it as a bonus to support charities while getting your space back. And if that doesn’t work out, don’t forget about garage sales and flea markets. You never know what kind of treasure you might find.
8. Sell The Metal Parts Separately
A lot of trophies are made with metal parts. These metal parts are valuable, and you can sell them separately. It’s important to know what to do with old trophies if you want to make money.
Selling your old trophy is a simple way to make some cash. Take it apart, separate all of its different components, and sell them individually. For example, if there was gold or silver on your trophy, you could use that as scrap metal for jewelry making.
The same goes for any other metals used in making your trophy. The possibilities are endless when selling off old trophies for money because there’s no limit to how creative you can get with it. You could also try selling pieces online on sites like eBay or Craigslist. You never know who might be interested in buying an old piece of sporting memorabilia!
How About Leftover Trophies? What Can I Do With Them?
There are several ways you can go about dealing with leftover trophies. If you want to sell them, you can try a few places, such as eBay and Craigslist. An auction on either site will usually be pretty successful.
Or, if you have some old sports trophies sitting around that don’t serve any purpose anymore, why not donate them to charity? You can drop them off at organizations like Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity. Just make sure you determine whether they take used trophies before going there.
Conclusion
If you’re not sure what to do with old trophies, donating them might be good. That way, you can put them to good use and help someone else out simultaneously.
But if you want to keep some for sentimental reasons, try framing one of your favorite ones or displaying it in a place where it will get plenty of exposure and make a positive impact. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, there are tons of other ways to repurpose an old trophy.
Consider recycling it into something useful, such as cutting off its legs to turn it into a convenient new table or shelf or using parts of it to craft a unique decoration piece. Be creative!
