The base cards hold no essential value and I only use them to trade with other set builders while trying to complete a set. Most collectors have plenty of 5,000 count boxes hidden away some where in a closet or in an extra room that contain only base cards. Every couple of years I will lighten up my collection and will either give a 5,000 count box to a neighbor kid or donate them to a local children’s hospital or a foster home. I make sure to toss in a couple of jersey and autograph cards too to make things a bit more exciting. To you these cards hold little value but to a new collector it is a whole new world. To a child in a hospital a handful of sports cards can go a long way to helping them smile.
In addition to clearing out some room in your home you can feel good about introducing your hobby to a new generation of collectors. As an added bonus you can also write off the donation on your taxes. The write off is based on FMV (Fair Market Value) so just don’t go overboard on estimating the value of the cards, like claiming 5,000 cards are a donation equivalent to $5,000.
Of course there are other options available to you when you want to lighten up your collection such as recycling or as Rob from VOTC suggested… fire kindling.
Great post. I gave 30,000 cards to a local hospital about 15 years ago. I put them all in team sleeves, 30 cards to a pack (yes, I was unemployed and counted every one). I hauled them up there in a huge wagon and they were so excited to get them. It was a blast and knowing they might bring a little smile to a sick kid made the time worthwhile!
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