Donate or toss? Terracotta pots

9 years ago

Can't make a decision, thought you all might be able to help :)

All smaller pots, easy to handle and relatively lightweight, but they are used and show that. I tossed anything that was broken or cracked in any way, but have a lot that look nearly perfect except that the top edge is degraded (small pieces crumbled off here and there) and they might have some discoloration.

They are good enough that when I was container gardening, I would have loved to have them, but terracotta is not very expensive (at least it wasn't last time I bought some), and I'm not sure they are worth a charity's time and trouble.

Any thoughts? Would you donate them, or just toss them.

We donate through a third party charity collection, so they will take them, but I don't want to bother with them if they aren't something some end thrift store would want. I don't do Craigslist or Freecycle here, so it's donate or trash.

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albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.

9 years ago

Our Senior Center Thrift shop tells me that pots are one of the fastest turnover items they get. Only drawback here is their limited donation hours. Our salvation Army accepts donations seven days a week. I believe their hours are online.

I just checked and yellowpages.com has thrift stores for our small city and 40% list hours open.

This post was edited by albert_135 on Sat, Dec 13, 14 at 13:05

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Comments (8)

talley_sue_nyc
9 years ago
Would they get to a place like the Goodwill resale shops? I'd donate.

Terra cotta pots can be broken up to use in the bottom of another pot, so they have many lives.

I'd donate.
grandmamary_ga
9 years ago
How about an elementary school. They can paint them and give them as gifts to their parents. Just a thought. Or put them on the curb in front of your home marked Free. They will disappear quickly.
Mary
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duvetcover
9 years ago
Or check with local gardening clubs or small nurseries - might have a use for them.
M.
GregNow
9 years ago
I'd donate them to schools, churches or charities that do community planting or something similar. Those kinds of pots are recyclable in a way too so tossing is the last thing I'd do.
quasifish
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you all for the feedback. I appreciate that others see the value in them too, so it's not just me thinking that my old cast-off junk has value :)

I went ahead and sorted them into two groups, one with pots that are in very good condition, which will go off to the thrift store charity, then another pile that are in good condition, but far from new-- those I will try to find another outlet for.

Thanks again for the help!
talley_sue_nyc
9 years ago
Honestly, I'd give them all to the thrift-store charity.

I've learned that people will go to the thrift store looking for lots of stuff, even things that aren't in great shape. Someone who's buying the in-good-shape terra cotta pots would be likely to buy the crummy ones to break up and put in the bottoms of the good ones. No? The buyers are the same; it's one type of person who would want them both.

I've also learned that in many more-populous areas, thrift-store / charity / give-away type places link together to keep stuff out of the landfill. If one store can't sell it, they have links to places that might be able to, or might get it into the hands of someone who will reuse.
quasifish
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks, talley sue. Think I'll go ahead and do that. I just don't want to be one of those people who burdens charities with useless junk. I'm so glad to have the people here to bounce these things off of :)