Donation Scheduling

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE AN APRIL DONATION APPOINTMENT

Q. Why do I have to schedule a donation?

A. Donation appointments and size limits have been set in place in order to keep the volume of donations coming in consistent with the amount our dedicated volunteers are able to safely weigh, sort, price, test and package in our 8ft x 8ft receiving area. The San Antonio community has been incredibly generous in their giving of materials with no end in sight. In 2021 we took in over 20,000 pounds of materials! We are constantly looking for ways to accept more donations from the community but for now, the scheduling system is what currently works best.

Other ways to help out includes making a monetary donation to Spare Parts, volunteering or inviting friends and family to shop at the Center for Creative Reuse.

We estimate it takes 3-4 volunteers 6 to 18 hours to process roughly 200 pounds worth of donations. Most months we exceed 1,000 pounds. WOW!

Hey! Do you have a just small donation that you can carry into the shop by yourself in one trip? This type of donation is accepted on open shopping days for Volunteers and VIP members. Click here to become a VIP today (or signup in person) and bring in your small donation Friday or Saturday between 11am-3pm or Sunday between 11am-1pm. Click here to learn more about volunteering.

ACCEPTED ANYTIME DURING OPERATING HOURS: Working sewing machines, blank canvas, printmaking supplies, fashion and fine jewelry and easels. Email hello@sparepartsSA.org for questions.

DONATION GUIDELINES

  • Donations are by appointment only and scheduled using our online system (see below when available).
  • Please read our guidelines on Accepted and NOT Accepted items closely – if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us for clarification.
  • Donations can be NO MORE than approximately 4 Banker’s Boxes worth of material PER APPOINTMENT. Your donation should not exceed the capacity of the gray cart in the picture to the left.
  • Donations do not have to be in bankers boxes. The boxes are an approximation of size.
  • *NEW* Please help us out by pre-sorting your donations. This means no junk drawers dumped in a box. Crayons should be separated from beads, etc. This saves our volunteers time and allows us to take in more donations from the community.
  • If you are a business and would like to make arrangements for large or regular donations, please contact us directly at store@sparepartssa.org
Example: Size limit for a single donation appointment. This purpose of the size limit is to ensure that inspecting and processing every single item donated can be achieved within a reasonable timeframe by our team of volunteers.

ITEMS WE DO NOT NEED AT THIS TIME

  • Toilet paper and paper towel cardboard tubes (recycle me)
  • Magazines (except National Geographic)
  • Hanging file folders (Metal bars can be recycled, folders can go in an Organics bin)
  • Binders
  • Greeting Cards
  • ANYTHING Christmas

ITEMS WE CANNOT ACCEPT

  • Anything Water-damaged, Smelly (smoke, urine, etc), Rusty, Sticky, Moldy, Dirty, or Bug Infested!
  • Construction Debris
  • Appliances/Power tools with cord or batteries and Christmas Lights
  • Batteries
  • Generic Housewares (kitchen utensils, bakeware, plates, bowls, etc), Clothing, Bedding, Pillows, Linens, etc
  • Bullet Casings/Shells – NO WEAPONS
  • Cardboard
  • Flammable liquids and aerosols (Gas cans, Spray Paint, Turpentine, etc)
  • Furniture
  • Coat and Clothing Hangers
  • Materials with toxic solvents or other toxic chemicals
  • Packing Peanuts and Styrofoam
  • Prescription bottles or anything that held/contacted medications
  • Rusty Materials
  • Stuffed toys
  • Toiletries (shampoo, perfume, makeup, conditioner, soap, etc)
  • Candles (plain or in glass jars)
  • VHS or Cassette Tapes

ITEMS WE ACCEPT

Fiber and Fiber Arts

  • Yarn, Thread, String, Cord, etc.
  • Fabric – All types (Scraps over 2” square to Full Yardage/Bolts)
  • Sewing Machines/ Sergers/Industrial Machines (Working and Non-working)
  • Weaving, Knitting, Crochet, Tatting, Rug, Latch Hook, Lace making, and Felting tools and supplies 
  • Embroidery / Needlepoint supplies and tools
  • Buttons, Zippers, Tape Measures, Needles, Pins, Pincushions, Sewing Boxes, Scissors, Cutting Mats, Rotary cutters, sewing notions, etc
  • Quilting tools (Specialty/Small quilting irons – working, Grids, Rulers, Templates)
  • Batting and PolyFil (Clean!)
  • Fiber Dyes/Tie Dye Kits (Original Containers/labels, No Leaks)
  • Ribbon, Lace, Binding, etc
  • Vintage linens (Excellent shape)
  • Fiber Art Kits (Complete or Partial/Unfinished)
  • Patterns and Instruction Books

Books, Media, and PaperCrafts

  • Paperback and Hardback Books on: Art/Art History, Photography, Craft Instructions, Art Instruction, Architecture, etc (No Fiction, Novels, Children’s Story Books, etc Please)
  • Vinyl Records, Loose DVDs/CDs for crafts (no cases please)
  • Magazines: Nat Geo, Nature, Art/Artists, Patterns/Craft Instructions, Fine Art, etc
  • Photographs (Old and Slides), Film Negatives, Photo Frames and Mattes, Cameras, Slide Viewers, etc
  • Scrapbooking Paper and Supplies/Notions 
  • Cards, Stationary, Envelopes, Postcards, etc
  • Maps, Calendars, Blueprints
  • Prints, Art Posters, Lamination tools/laminating material
  • Origami paper and instructions
  • Rubber stamps and ink pads
  • Handmade paper/Papermaking supplies: Deckles, etc
  • Paper cutting tools / guillotine cutters (blades safely contained/removed please)

JEWELRY AND BEADS/BEADING

  • Beads – Glass, plastic, natural materials, etc
  • Jewelry findings, beading wire/thread,, etc
  • Wire making tools, bead looms, pliers, mandrels, Pick-up tools, forms/molds, etc
  • Jewelry displays and holders
  • Costume and Vintage jewelry and watches (intact or for upcycle)
  • Acrylic resin tools and medium (in original containers), 
  • Bead and jewelry making instruction books and magazines

Office Supplies

  • Pens, Markers, Sharpies, Highlighters, Pencils, Mechanical Pencils, etc
  • Erasers and White Out
  • Architecture and Drafting Supplies (Ink Pens, Ink Bottles, Compass/Drafting Sets, Slide and Scale Rules, Mylar, Graphite, Drafting lead, Drafting pencils, etc)
  • Scissors, Hole Punches, Rulers, Thumb Tacks, Paperclips, Staplers/Staples, Sticky Notes, Memo Pads, Index Cards, etc
  • Office and Desk Organizers
  • White Boards, Cork Boards, Wall Organizers
  • Printer Paper/Reams, Resume Paper, Envelopes, etc
  • Glue, Tape, Rubber Cement, etc
  • Notebooks and Notepads
  • School Folders, Subject dividers,
  • Calculators

Kid’s and All Purpose Crafts

  • White Glue, Glue Sticks, Duct Tape, Decorative Tape, Glitter Glue, Glue Guns/Sticks, etc
  • Glitter, Sequins, Rhinestones, Googly Eyes, Stickers, Feathers, etc
  • Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils, Pastels
  • Cotton Balls, Q-Tips, Toothpicks (Unused)
  • Watercolors, Non-Toxic Paints, Brushes, Sponges, Other Painting tools
  • Wooden dowels, boxes, letters, spools, beads, general wood kit supplies
  • Construction paper, craft foam sheets, felt, etc
  • Musical Instruments of all types (working or for repair/parts)
  • Craft kits (all ages)
  • Stencils and Stamps, ink pads
  • Modeling clay, playdough (with labels/original containers), clay tools, stamps and forms
  • Dolls and doll making supplies
  • Small hard toys (Under 12”)
  • Board games and puzzles (complete or for parts)

Fine Art and Art Supplies

  • Fine Art and Art Supplies
  • Canvas, boards, and stretching equipment (new or used)
  • Sketch books, Watercolor Paper, specialty art paper, etc
  • Gesso and Primer (Excellent condition, original containers)
  • Chalk, Conte Crayons, Pastels, etc
  • Paint Pallets, Brushes, Sponges, Trays, Watercolors, etc
  • Painting and Fine Art Kits/Sets
  • Screen Printing Supplies, Ink, transfer machines (all sizes), etc
  • Glass-Plexiglass, Stained Glass pieces and tools/supplies
  • Stencils and Rubber Stamps
  • Hand Tools (non-electric)
  • Paints (Oil, Acrylic, etc in usable condition/original containers)
  • Smocks/Aprons (blank)
  • Charcoal and graphite
  • Ceramic and kiln molds, Glazes (in original containers)
  • Cameras and Photography Supplies

Party Supplies and Decorations

  • Wreath making supplies: tulle, wreath forms (all types), burlap
  • Flowers and floral supplies
  • Party hats, banners, table cloths, favors, wrapping paper, crepe paper, gift bags, etc
  • Teacher/Classroom Decorations: Poster Board backing, edging, classroom banners, classroom posters/calendars, etc
  • Speciality baking supplies: candy molds (plastic or silicone), cutting mats, and baking supplies (NO large pans, pots, or edible items)
  • All purpose holiday supplies/decorations – ornament blanks, blank egg forms, notions for themed wreaths, etc (NO Christmas trees, Christmas lights, premade/commercial decorations please)

Containers

  • Containers
  • Altoid tins, cookie tins, popcorn tins (CLEAN)
  • Coffee Cans (VERY CLEAN)
  • Plastic containers with Lids: Pencil boxes, jewelry boxes, organizers, shoe boxes,etc
  • Baskets: wicker, wood, plastic, etc
  • Reusable Grocery Bags
  • Fabric craft totes and bags
  • Cigar boxes (wood and cardboard)
  • Cardboard boxes with lids: jewelry boxes, shoe boxes, gift box sets, etc
  • Blank decoupage boxes (wood, cardboard)
  • Wooden boxes: Jewelry, Trinket, baskets, fruit, etc
  • Squirt bottles and applicator bottles
  • Glass Jars: Baby Food Jars with Lids, Mason jars (VERY CLEAN)

Raw Materials

  • Raw Materials
  • Corks, Pine Cones, Acorns, Shells, etc
  • Bottle caps (metal and plastic)
  • Dowels (all sizes/materials)
  • Clean Scrap and PVC Tubing 
  • (Under 3’)
  • Mosaic Supplies
  • Foam board/core, Poster Board, Art Frames, etc
  • Sample Books: Linoleum, Glass, Fabric, Acrylic, Wood, Tile, etc
  • Terracotta pottery and pottery blanks
  • Wood scraps under 2’
  • Wallpaper and newsprint
  • Rigid/Closed cell foam
  • Vinyl and acrylic scraps
  • Twine, Jute, Cording, Chain, Wire (clean/coated), Fasteners, etc
  • Wood stain, paint samples, etc (Pint or smaller, in original containers)
  • Duct tape, automotive tape, reflective tape, painters tape, etc
  • Parchment paper, film wrap, shrink wrap, etc
  • Buckets and containers (CLEAN)
  • Candle making supplies (wax bases, molds, thermometers)

Other Accepted Items

  • Specialty tools: i.e. glass cutters, industrial walking foot machines, corner round punches, etc
  • Business end cuts (fabric, vinyl, etc), Floor displays, etc
  • Don’t see it listed?  Email us and Ask!