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DVDs · CDs · Vinyl · Tapes · Games · Cameras

Where to Donate DVDs, CDs, Vinyl, VHS & Cameras in Albuquerque

Here, in any condition. I take DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, vinyl, cassettes, VHS, video games, cameras and lenses, any quantity, in their cases or not. Drop them in the covered 24/7 box outside the gate, near the road, at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A; come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. any day, when someone at the warehouse helps you unload; or text a photo to 505-250-3804 for free pickup across the Albuquerque metro, scheduled by route. From anywhere else in the US you can mail media to me by Media Mail.

Call or Text 505-250-3804 Text photos for pickup

Request Your Free Pickup

Tell me what you have and where it is. I’m the only person who shows up — I do the lifting, any condition, no sorting. Tell me your timeline and I’ll do my best to work with it. Texts go straight to my phone at 505-250-3804.

Prefer to drop off? Open 24/7.

5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A · no appointment

Drop-off details

Last verified October 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred

What I accept: every format, any condition

  • Movies: DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K UHD discs, TV box sets, VHS, Betamax, LaserDiscs and camcorder tapes. Cracked cases, no cases and discs in zip binders are all fine.
  • Music: CDs, vinyl LPs, 45s and 78s, cassettes, 8-tracks and reel-to-reel tapes. Worn jackets, broken jewel cases and loose discs welcome.
  • Games: video game discs and cartridges, handhelds, controllers and consoles from any generation, plus board games and puzzles with a piece or two missing.
  • Cameras and media-making gear: film and digital cameras, lenses, flashes, camcorders, slide and movie projectors, carousels, slides, and film, even expired. Working or not. The camera guide covers the whole photo shelf.
  • Players: turntables, VCRs, DVD players, tape decks and stereos can come along with the media they play.
  • Quantity: a shoebox or a whole wall. No minimum, no sorting, no appointment.

Discs, tapes, records and film go straight in the drop box, and so do cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors and slides; a padded bag or a little newspaper keeps the glass safe. Players, consoles and other electronics never go in the drop box: bring them 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when someone at the warehouse can take them, or add them to a pickup.

Clearing more than media? Books and media are what I’m set up for, but if the same garage holds tools, small electronics or household goods, they can ride on the same pickup (TVs and monitors too, as long as they work). See everything I pick up.

How donating media to NMLP works

The whole point of this operation is convenience. You should be able to clear a media collection without renting a vehicle, without making appointments, and without sorting anything. There are two ways to do it.

Free pickup, anywhere in the metro

Text 505-250-3804 with a photo of what you have and your address. I'll reply with a pickup window and do my best to get to you as soon as my schedule allows. Set the boxes out wherever is convenient — porch, garage, lobby, curb — and I collect them. You do not need to be present if the items are accessible.

Free pickup covers Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo and Placitas; Valencia County, the East Mountains and other extension areas are scheduled around longer runs. No minimum: a shoebox of CDs or an estate’s worth of media both get a pickup.

24/7 drop box, never closed

The covered, waterproof drop box stands outside the gate, close to the road, at 5445 Edith Blvd NE in the North Valley. No code and no appointment. Discs, tapes, records, books, cameras, lenses and clean, wearable clothing all go in the box any time: day, night, weekend, holiday.

The box is the fastest option for a few boxes of discs or tapes. For anything larger than about four boxes, or if the box is full, text 505-250-3804 for a pickup, or come between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., seven days a week, when someone at the warehouse can help you unload.

Two rules carry across both options. Any condition. Scratched discs, cracked cases, missing inserts, faded labels, water-stained sleeves — all accepted. I do not screen for condition because I sort everything by hand anyway. No sorting required. A mixed box of CDs, DVDs, tapes, games and books goes in exactly as it is. You do not have to separate the formats or alphabetize anything. That is my job, not yours.

If you also have books in the pile, that is the easiest case of all — it is what I do most. See the free book pickup page and the 24/7 book drop page for how the same service handles books, and what I take that others won’t for everything that can go in a single donation.

A closet of old media to clear? One text starts the pickup.

Call or Text 505-250-3804 Text photos for pickup

Every format — including the ones nobody else takes

This is the one-stop media drop for Albuquerque: if it plays, spins, prints, or shoots, it has a place here — and the formats every other donation door refuses are exactly the ones this operation wants most.

And to be explicit: media-only pickups are welcome. A DVD wall, a crate of LPs, a closet of camera bodies, lenses, lighting, projectors, darkroom gear, and film stock — each of those is a full pickup on its own anywhere in the metro. Books not required.

  • 78 RPM records — shellac discs from the pre-LP era, the heavy stacks found in estates.
  • 8-track tapes — cartridges, cases and players, any era.
  • LaserDiscs — the twelve-inch video discs and their players.
  • Reel-to-reel tapes and decks — prerecorded and home-recorded reels, and the machines.
  • Cameras of every era — film SLRs to Y2K digicams, lenses and whole bags, working or not.
  • Home movies, slides & camcorder tapes — digitize the memories first; the reels, projectors, and cameras come here after.
  • And the truly odd shelf: wax cylinders, acetates, View-Master reels, piano rolls, HD DVDs, Betamax, MiniDiscs, big-box PC games — bring it all.

The media donation guides — the whole series

Each format has its own page with the specifics — what I take, what condition issues do not matter, what happens to it afterward, and the recycling problem behind it. Start with the one you need, or text a photo of the whole mixed pile to 505-250-3804 and skip the reading entirely.

Donate CDs in Albuquerque

Music CDs, audiobook CDs and the binders full of discs left over from going digital. Jewel-case and liner condition does not matter. I take crates, estate music libraries and the loose discs at the bottom of every drawer. Read the CD donation guide →

Not sure where something fits, or have a format not listed here? The what I take that others won’t page has the complete list. When in doubt, text a photo to 505-250-3804 — it is faster than guessing.

The honest reason this matters: old media has nowhere good to go

Here is the part most people do not know. CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays are made of polycarbonate plastic with a thin reflective layer of aluminum bonded inside. That mixed-material construction is the problem: a standard recycling line has no way to pull the layers apart. Discs and tapes aren’t on the City of Albuquerque’s blue-cart list (checked October 2026), and tapes are the harder case: a magnetic ribbon wound inside a plastic shell, the kind of thing that wraps around sorting machinery.

None of that is the donor’s fault: the standard curbside system simply has no slot for a disc or a tape. Recyclers that specialize in optical media and tape do exist, but they mostly work through mail-in programs that few households ever seek out for a closet’s worth of old movies.

It has also become harder to donate media the conventional way. Many thrift and donation centers have grown selective about obsolete formats — they have limited shelf space and slow turnover on physical media. I am not going to tell you what any specific store will or will not accept; that changes and varies. What I can tell you is what I do: NMLP takes the bulk media that is awkward to donate elsewhere, and I take it in any condition and any quantity.

So the simplest version of the pitch is this: before old media goes in a trash bag, hand it to someone who sorts it. If it plays, someone can still use it. Either way, I will take it, in any condition, and sort it by hand. That is the whole offer.

Old discs and tapes piling up? I'll take every one of them, in any condition.

Call or Text 505-250-3804 Text photos for pickup

What happens to media after you donate it

Every donation is sorted by hand at the warehouse. What that means for your media:

One mixed box is fine

Discs, tapes, records, games and camera gear get separated and checked one piece at a time, so a box with all of it mixed together is no extra work for you.

Resold

Usable media is resold online. That revenue is what funds the free pickup operation and keeps the drop box open. Without it, the service would not exist.

Free both ways

Dropping off costs nothing and pickup costs nothing, and I don’t buy media or pay for donations: the resale of what’s usable carries the whole operation.

I am honest about the limits here. Not every donation finds a second owner, and I will not claim otherwise. The promise I can make is narrower and real: everything gets sorted by hand, usable media is resold, and no book goes to the landfill. For the fuller picture of how the operation runs and why it is structured as a for-profit business, see the about page.

A note on what NMLP is

I want to be straight about it. The New Mexico Literacy Project is a for-profit New Mexico business, not a nonprofit. Donations to me are not tax-deductible, and I do not issue charitable receipts; a written acknowledgment is available on request. If a tax deduction is what you need, other organizations in Albuquerque can provide one — though most have condition restrictions and do not offer free pickup.

The for-profit structure is exactly what makes the service work. Revenue from reselling the media and books that have value pays for the truck, the fuel, the warehouse and the time. That is what lets me offer free pickup with no minimum, keep a 24/7 drop box open, and take everything in any condition without screening it first. The trade-off is simple and honest: maximum convenience, no deduction.

NMLP has a 5.0-star rating on Google and a verifiable, public track record in Albuquerque. If you have questions about how any of it works, the about page covers it, or call 505-250-3804 and ask.

Frequently asked questions about donating media

Where can I donate DVDs and CDs?
In the Albuquerque metro, put them in the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A, or text 505-250-3804 for free pickup, scheduled by route. I take every disc in any condition, cased or loose. From anywhere else in the US, DVDs and CDs qualify for USPS Media Mail and can be mailed to me; postage is donor-paid.
Can I drop off media without an appointment?
Yes. The covered, waterproof drop box sits outside the gate near the road and is open 24/7, with no code and no appointment. Someone is at the warehouse 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week, to help unload a bigger load. If the box is full, text 505-250-3804 or come during those hours.
Do you pick up media donations for free?
Yes. Free pickup covers the Albuquerque metro: Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo and Placitas, with extension trips to Valencia County and the East Mountains. Text 505-250-3804 with a photo of what you have and your address, and I'll add you to a pickup route. Set the items out wherever is convenient; you don't need to be home if they're accessible.
Can I donate CDs and DVDs that are scratched or in bad condition?
Yes. Scratched discs, cracked jewel cases, missing inserts, water-stained sleeves and faded labels are all fine, because I sort everything by hand, and the discs that still play are resold.
Can old CDs and DVDs be recycled?
Not easily. Discs aren't on the City of Albuquerque's blue-cart list, and their polycarbonate-and-aluminum layers need a specialized media recycler, most of which work by mail. The simpler route in the Albuquerque metro is to give them to me: drop them in the 24/7 box, any condition, and the ones that play are resold.
Do you take VHS tapes?
Yes: movies and home-recorded tapes, any quantity, with or without sleeves. VHS is one of the hardest formats to donate anywhere else. Save any family footage first; see what to do with old VHS tapes and DVDs.
Do you take vinyl records?
Yes: LPs, 45s, 78s and box sets, any condition, with or without jackets. A crate or two fits the drop box; a whole collection is easier as a pickup or a daytime drop-off. More in what to do with old vinyl records.
Do you take cameras and camera gear?
Yes, working or not: film and digital cameras, lenses, flashes, camcorders, projectors, slides, and unused or expired film. All of it can go in the covered 24/7 drop box with the books and discs (bag or pad the fragile pieces), come in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., or ride on a pickup; the camera guide has the full list.
Do you take video games and consoles?
Yes. Discs, cartridges, handhelds, controllers and consoles from any generation, working or not. Games can go in the drop box; consoles and other electronics come 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or on a pickup. See what to do with old video games.
What types of media does NMLP accept?
Every format: music CDs and audiobooks on CD, DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K UHD discs, cassettes, VHS, vinyl records, 8-tracks, reel-to-reel, video games and consoles, cameras, lenses, camcorders, projectors, slides and film, plus board games and jigsaw puzzles. If you're not sure whether something qualifies, text a photo to 505-250-3804.
Do you take large bulk media collections and estate cleanouts?
Yes. Bulk collections and estate cleanouts are a routine part of what I do. A wall of DVDs, crates of CDs after going digital, a parent's record collection, boxes of games: I handle the whole lot in one pickup, no sorting needed on your end. Text 505-250-3804 with a photo and your address.
Can other household items come on the same pickup?
Yes. Books and media come first here, but tools, small electronics and household goods can ride along on the same free pickup. Working TVs and monitors can come too, on the pickup or brought in 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., never in the drop box.
Do you buy DVDs, CDs or records?
No. NMLP doesn't buy media or pay for donations. It's a free drop-off and pickup service, and resale of what's donated is what keeps it free.
Is a media donation to NMLP tax-deductible?
No. NMLP is a for-profit New Mexico business, not a nonprofit, so donations aren't tax-deductible; I can give a written acknowledgment on request. The trade-off is convenience: any condition, free pickup with no minimum, and a drop box that never closes.
Do I need to sort or organize my media before donating?
No. There is no sorting, no boxing requirement and no condition screening. Mixed boxes of CDs, DVDs, tapes, games and books all go in together. I sort everything by hand at the warehouse. Drop it in the 24/7 box or text 505-250-3804 for a free pickup.

Related guides

Ready to clear the media shelf?

Text 505-250-3804 with photos of your CDs, DVDs, records, tapes, games or cameras. Free pickup across the Albuquerque metro, scheduled by route, or the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE. No minimum, no sorting, any condition.

Call or Text 505-250-3804 Text photos Schedule pickup
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What To Do With… — The Whole Series

Anywhere in the US: almost everything on this page — books, vinyl, CDs, DVDs, tapes — ships legally and cheaply via USPS Media Mail. Donate books by mail →