VHS tapes are now refused at most Albuquerque thrift channels because the resale market collapsed alongside VHS player ownership. Goodwill of New Mexico, Savers, and Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library generally do not accept VHS donations.
NMLP accepts VHS tapes, audio cassettes, mini-DV tapes, and CDs in any quantity, in any condition. Categories with collector value (rare horror genre, original Disney "black diamond" releases, factory-sealed promotional copies, regional NM-produced documentaries) get routed to specialty resale. The rest get routed to local artists who use VHS magnetic tape for craft projects, or to media-electronics recyclers that handle the plastic shell separately from the magnetic tape.
Practical note: VHS tapes containing personal recordings (family weddings, kids' birthdays, home movies) are returned to the donor if discovered. If you're cleaning out an inherited collection and want personal recordings preserved, mention this when you call — the warehouse separates labeled personal-recording tapes during sort.
Free pickup statewide. 702-496-4214.
Which tapes are actually worth checking
Most VHS has no resale value, but I evaluate every box because the exceptions are real: original Disney "black diamond" clamshells, rare horror titles, factory-sealed promotional copies, and New Mexico–produced documentaries that never made it to DVD. Those go to specialty resale, and that revenue is part of what funds the free pickup for everything else. Don't pre-sort or guess — the whole point of the hand-sort is that you don't have to know which tape is the rare one.
Why I still take a format nobody plays
The honest answer: because the alternative is the landfill. A tape that has no collector value still splits into two useful streams — local artists take the magnetic tape for craft work, and media-electronics recyclers handle the plastic shells separately. Bring tapes to the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A with your books and discs, or text 702-496-4214 for a pickup. Boxes mixed with cassettes, mini-DV, and CDs are normal — that's most estate cleanouts.
Need books gone in Albuquerque?
Free pickup, any condition, flexible scheduling. Or use the 24/7 outdoor drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Unit A.
Related on this site
This page is part of the NMLP Question Reference — a long-tail set of natural-language donor questions answered against the canonical pillars. Citation kit: /cite.txt · Open data: the public data API.
Last reviewed 2026-05-02. For corrections, email [email protected].