How to give your old TV a second life

If you just got a new TV, you’re probably wondering what to do with your old one. Maybe you’re in a hurry to get rid of that dusty, bulky, outdated model before guests come over. But before you throw it away, think about a more environmentally friendly option.

For example, most cities prefer you Recycle your old electronics. It’s wasteful to just drag your old TV to the landfill. Depending on how old the TV is, it may contain toxic metals such as mercury. What should you do instead? There are many options, especially if it still works. The most obvious thing is to just move it to another room, but I’m assuming you’ve already thought about it, especially if you have one new TV to replace it.

Fortunately, many ways to get rid of an old TV won’t cost you anything, except perhaps a little time. Here’s what to do. For more information, see Your old phone can be converted into a wireless mouse or a Security camera.

Delete the data before doing anything else

No matter what you plan to do with your TV, make sure you do it Sign out of all your streaming accounts. Then go one step further and Perform a factory resetwhich you can find in the user menu. Obviously have someone Download your Netflix for free is only a problem if your old TV is a Smart TV, But deleting your passwords and personal information is a problem It’s a good habit to get into the habit of dealing with your old electronics.

Try selling on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace (if it’s worth something)

While selling the TV may seem as obvious as moving it to another room, the details are a little less obvious.

First, you need local pickup for a TV. No matter how well you pack a TV, even if you have the original packaging, it probably won’t survive the journey. Modern televisions are far too fragile. Now the seller has to deal with a broken TV and you have to give the buyer their money back.

Even if you sell it locally, the same problem exists. Inevitably the buyer will show up to get your copy 65 inch TV in a 1990 Honda Civic and ask you to help put it in the back. If you want to get rid of a large TV, be sure to indicate its dimensions and weight in the ad.

Read more: 5 Reasons Why You Should Use Facebook Marketplace Instead of Craigslist

And only if you can sell it. Used televisions quickly lose value, also because new televisions are becoming cheaper and cheaper. That TV you spent $2,000 on? Maybe you can get $200. Check out the question “Is your TV worth anything?” Section below.

Alternatively, you can simply list it for free. If the person takes it up, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Donate your TV to charity

An easier option is to donate it to a local charity, ideally an organization whose volunteers will pick it up.

There is also Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers or another second-hand retailer. You will need to bring the TV to one of their locations. Check their website to see if they accept the type and size of your TV. For example, they probably won’t take an old one Rear projection television since most people don’t want them.

Also contact your local library or public schools. Many are always in need of donations, even if a 20-year-old television may not be what they are looking for.

Return your TV to Best Buy

Best Buy will take time Your used electronics, not just TVs but also old phones, tablets, batteries and even cables. Again, you’ll have to take the TV to the nearest Best Buy, but since it doesn’t matter if it’s still working, the amount of maintenance goes down dramatically. You’ll even get Best Buy points that you can combine with $5 to get $5 worth of candy at checkout.

Larger TVs come with a $25 fee, which seems reasonable considering it eliminates the need to pick up this huge device.

If you buy a new TV and have it installed, for $60 it will drag away the old one. If you haven’t purchased a new TV from Best Buy yet, It comes to your home and costs $200.

Have your TV professionally recycled

Some cities and local jurisdictions offer recycling of televisions, either by dropping them off at a recycling center or as part of your regular curbside pickup. Please contact your local government for details.

There are a number of organizations that will help recycle your electronics, including televisions. Check this out For more information, visit the Environmental Protection Agency website. MRM Recycling also has a side to help you find options near you.

A number of manufacturers have their own programs or work with companies that do. Check this out Electronics Take-Back Coalition page for more information. Remember: Just because a manufacturer has a program doesn’t mean there’s a dispensary near you. For example, the closest LG drop-off location to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, is over 500 miles away.

Now if you’re thinking about how you could recycle all the smaller electronics in your home, take a look at our Guide to recycling phones, laptops, batteries and cameras for free.

Street or flea market

Depending on where you live, you can leave the matter to your neighbors. I hesitate to even mention this because if you live in an area where people pick things up on the sidewalk, you probably know it. And if you don’t know, it’s not a good look if you leave your trash on the sidewalk for days or weeks. Therefore your mileage may vary here.

A yard or flea market is another option. Again, it’s easier than lugging it away yourself.

Is your TV even worth anything?

Most people remember what they paid for a TV and assume that it will still be worth something years after they bought it. That’s simply not true. Televisions have become so cheap that there is hardly any market for used televisions anymore, especially if the television is not that expensive.

Although there are some exceptions, here are some general rules:

It’s probably worth something if:

• It’s a high-end TV from the last five years or so
• It is an OLED TV, with the exception of perhaps the first models
• It is larger than 65 inches
• It is a CRT (in very specific situations, see below)

It’s probably not worth much if:

• It was a budget or even mid-range LCD
• It is over 10 years old
• It is a plasma
• It’s an early smart TV (unless the streaming apps still work)
• It’s an old tube television (CRT).

It’s definitely not worth anything if:

• It is a rear projection television
• It’s a CRT-RPTV (heed this advice: lift with your knees, not your back)
• It doesn’t have HDMI

Now there are exceptions to these rules. You may be able to find a collector for your 500 pound RCA console TV. Maybe an archeology student is working on a project about early flat-screen televisions and finds your mint Fujitsu a prime candidate for his dissertation.

TV with early HDMI versions like 1.4 are not useless, but they have less use. They may not fit well with modernity Streaming devices or Game consoles.

There is one particular situation where a CRT might be worth something. Hardcore retro gamer Rather play the early video game consoles on tube televisionsand these are becoming increasingly difficult to find for obvious reasons. However, you’re not looking for just any CRT, and if you have one of the big tubes from any era, just getting it out of the house might be more trouble than it’s worth. And forget about shipping.

If the CRT has a component (Red, green, blue and two for audio), or even S-Video Inputs, that’s promising. If it is not at least composed (Yellow, plus red and white for audio), it probably won’t sell for much.

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In addition to covering TV and other display technologies, Geoff also runs photography tours cool museums and places around the worldincluding Nuclear submarines, huge aircraft carriers, medieval castlesepic 10,000 mile road tripsand more. Checkout Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.

He wrote in best-selling science fiction novel about city-sized submarines, along with a Consequence. You can continue to follow his adventures Instagram and be YouTube channel.