Get a new TV? Don’t just throw away your old one

It’s Christmas morning and you see a large box wrapped up by the tree. You think to yourself, “That can only be one thing right?” Your instincts are correct and you open it to see a brand-new TV that someone has gifted you. Whether you get an awesome surprise from a loved one like a Samsung The Frame TV, or you bought it yourself and wanted to have some fun unwrapping it, there’s a new TV in your life.

This holiday season, plenty of new TVs that were purchased during the holiday rush are making their way into homes and looking to be set up. Whether it’s QLED, OLED, 4K, 8K, or just a small TV for the desk in your office, the gift of a new TV is incredibly fun and exciting. You’re going to want to look at all the features, like what kind of smart TV it is (hopefully it is one in this day and age) and what other devices you might be able to connect to it. If you have cable or just want to go the streaming route, you’ll need to plan accordingly.

But what do you do with your old one? It’s still plugged in as of now and should be used for you in some kind of beneficial way. If you don’t automatically know what you’re going to do with it, there are a lot of ways you can utilize that old TV. Just in case you need some help, here are a few things you can do with an old TV.

1 Put it in another room

You probably don’t have a TV in the bathroom or laundry room

LG

This one may seem obvious, but it’s worth stating anyway. If the new TV that you got is going to replace another TV, you can move that other TV into another room. At the minimum, there are outlet plugs that will let you plug it in somewhere. If it’s a TV that you had mounted, you may have to get a stand for it to make it work in another room. You may also need help getting it off the wall or remounting it somewhere else.

If it’s still usable, consider moving it to a room that doesn’t have a TV. Or setting up two TVs in one room so you can watch two things at the same time. This is an ideal idea for any person who wants to build a place for them to watch sports. Football season is the perfect time to have two TVs in one room. It can also be used as a gaming TV potentially. The possibilities are endless, so before you think about getting rid of it, reuse it in your own home.

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2 Sell it

There’s plenty of money to be made for a used TV

Fubo

You might as well make some of the money back that you spent on the TV by reselling it. Selling TVs is a common occurrence on many third-party marketplaces. eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist are all viable options if you want to do the selling yourself as well as either the pickup or delivery. You can also sell your TV back to places like Best Buy through the trade-in program.

Depending on the TV and what condition it is in, you can get up to between half and three-quarters of what the TV costs. There can be some negotiating with buyers as well to try and drive up the price as well, so what to sell it for is up to you. But electronics are some of the most sold used items every day and TVs are no exception. You can even sell them to pawn shops or buy-and-sell electronics stores if you don’t want to deal with having to meet sketchy people in a public place or at your home.

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3 Donate it

Keep that holiday spirit going by doing this and feel good about yourself

Hulu / Pocket-lint

If you realize that you no longer want to keep that TV for yourself, you can donate it. This is a kind gesture that will not only make you feel good but will also help someone else who is less fortunate. Donating it to a local charity or to a thrift store is a way to remove it from your life but also use it as a tax benefit. Plus, you’re helping out someone else in need.

Another option for donation is to bring it to places like a senior living facility, a homeless shelter, or a senior center to see if they want it. Make sure that it is in good working order before you consider donating it. If you have an older tube TV, this may not be something that is wanted for reuse. But a thrift store will likely take it in those circumstances.

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4 Recycle it

Do not put it in the garbage under any circumstances

Pocket-lint / Panasonic

TVs can actually be recycled. Help the planet by going this route if you don’t want your old TV anymore. You can contact the manufacturer to see if they will take it back and recycle it themselves. Some manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba all have recycling programs. You cannot throw your TV away in the regular garbage and don’t put it out in bulk pickup either, as it will lay in the middle of a dump somewhere and won’t break down.

When you recycle it, places will take the TV apart and reuse the parts that they can. If it’s not too much of a hassle, you can bring it to your local recycling center and give it to them to recycle for you. This is the case in many states, but you should check with your local recycling center first before lugging it over there. It doesn’t matter if your TV still works or if it doesn’t work well anymore, as the recycling focuses on the parts of the TV rather than the TV as a whole.

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5 Repurpose it in your house

There are a ton of ways to do this and all of them are pretty cool

If you want to find some other use for it, you can repurpose the TV in your own home. If you want a second monitor for your computer, you can use your TV for that. An HDMI plug is basically all that you might need to set the computer up to cast over to another screen. Another option is to use it as a daylight panel. This requires you to break down your TV to some of its base parts. But if you’re looking for better lighting for shooting videos, this is an option you can choose.

You can transform your TV into the following devices:

• Smart mirror
• Weather display
• Gaming station
• News ticker

Some of these projects require assistance from modules like a Raspberry Pi to fully make them come to life. But there are a ton of possibilities that you can use your old TV for if you get creative. One final one that you can do if you have an old tube TV is remove the screen and turn it into a bar. It offers a retro vibe and lets you display your liquor bottles in a unique way.