{"id":3425,"date":"2026-09-29T05:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.psicologamariajosebutron.com\/blog\/?p=3425"},"modified":"2026-09-29T05:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:05:11","slug":"can-i-sell-my-old-fitness-medals-478f-70721e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.psicologamariajosebutron.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/29\/can-i-sell-my-old-fitness-medals-478f-70721e\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I sell my old fitness medals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wait, hold up for a sec\u2014before you toss that stack of dusty old fitness medals in the back of your closet, or worse, let \u2018em get donated to a random thrift store, let\u2019s talk: can you actually sell \u2018em? And no, this isn\u2019t just some random \u201cside hustle 101\u201d post\u2014this is from a real guy who\u2019s been in the fitness medal game for over a decade, runs the business that makes those shiny race, gym challenge, and group event medals you\u2019ve probably held at some point. I\u2019ve seen every angle here, so let\u2019s break it down straight, no fluff, no fake \u201cI made $10k in a week\u201d lies. Fitness Medals<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s get the obvious out of the way: of course you can sell your old fitness medals. But the bigger question is\u2014should<\/em> you? And who\u2019s gonna buy \u2018em, anyway? That\u2019s where most people mess up. They think \u201cold medal = garbage, so I\u2019ll just list it on eBay for $5\u201d and wonder why it sits there for 6 months with zero views. I\u2019ve been on both sides here: I\u2019ve designed custom medals for 5K runs, crossfit competitions, corporate wellness days, even little local stuff like high school triathlons, so I know what makes a medal worth anything. Let\u2019s start with the \u201cwhat people actually want\u201d part, because that\u2019s the secret no one tells you.<\/p>\n

Not all old fitness medals are created equal. I see this all the time from people who hit me up asking about selling their personal collection: half the stuff in their closet is a cheap, mass-produced medal from a local 5K that costs the race organizer $1.50 to make. It\u2019s flimsy, the paint chips if you look at it wrong, and it says \u201c2023 Small Town Turkey Trot\u201d or whatever\u2014no name recognition, no unique design. Those? Good luck giving \u2018em away, let alone selling \u2018em. But the other half? The ones with a backstory\u2014wait until you hear this\u2014actually matter to someone<\/em>. Like, think about that marathon medal you cried crossing the finish line of, or the crossfit medal you won when you thought you\u2019d never get your first RX. That\u2019s not just metal to you, it\u2019s a memory\u2026 and a lot of people will pay good money for those specific memories they can\u2019t get anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s get specific about what\u2019s actually sellable, because this is where most people waste time. First: limited-run medals. Like, if you did a legendary race that only had 200 finishers, or a niche challenge that\u2019s not done every year? Those are gold. I worked with a small ultra race a few years back that only did 300 medals total, no re-runs. A guy hit me up last year trying to track down one of those because his best friend finished it and lost his\u2014he offered $150 for a single one he found on Facebook groups. That\u2019s not a small number for a chump metal, right? Then there\u2019s themed medals that had a cult following\u2014like those Nike women\u2019s half marathon medals with the embedded rose, or the 2019 Boston Marathon medal that had that weird, iconic blue lanyard. I\u2019ve seen those go for $80-$120 on resale sites, easy.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the thing most people overlook: event-specific medals that were part of a bigger series. Like, if you did every medal in the \u201cVirtual Challenge Series\u201d from that popular fitness app a couple years back, and you have the full set? Collectors go nuts for full sets. I\u2019ve had people reach out to me<\/em> (the supplier, remember?) asking where they can get a complete 2021 Strava Challenge set because they missed one event and can\u2019t find it anywhere. Turns out, when app-based fitness challenges blew up during the pandemic, a lot of those medals were only produced once, in super small runs. People will pay top dollar to fill a gap in their collection.<\/p>\n

Okay, so that\u2019s the \u201cwhat\u201d but what about the \u201chow\u201d? Because listing all your stuff on eBay is okay, but if you wanna actually make money and not waste weeks of your life waiting for a random buyer, there\u2019s a smarter way. Let\u2019s be real, I\u2019ve seen so many people post 10 old medals on eBay and tag \u201cfitness medal\u201d and \u201cmarathon\u201d and get no traction. Why? Because the algorithm is garbage and no one\u2019s searching for \u201crandom 2022 local 5K medal\u201d. So where do you list?<\/p>\n

First, niche Facebook groups. I can\u2019t stress this enough way more than regular resale sites. Join groups like \u201cFitness Medal Collectors United\u201d or \u201cRace Medal Swap & Sell\u201d or even specific groups for races that interest you. If your old medal is from the NYC Marathon, join a NYC Marathon fans group\u2014post a pic, note the year, any flaws, and what you\u2019re asking. I\u2019ve seen that work way better than eBay because you\u2019re already targeting people who care about that exact thing. The other pro tip here: don\u2019t just sell the medal alone. If you have the original lanyard, the original box, even the race photo that came with it? Post that too. That\u2019s the stuff that makes people go \u201coh my god I need this\u201d instead of scrolling past.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the other side: selling bulk. Wait, what? If you\u2019re clearing out a whole box of old medals from a gym you used to go to, or a bunch from a corporate wellness event your old company did? Bulk sales to smaller sellers or even local event planners are a thing. I know a few guys who run small custom medal shops (they\u2019re competitors of mine, don\u2019t worry) who buy bulk surplus or old stock from people, if the medals are in good shape. Why? They refurbish them a tiny bit\u2014touch up chipped paint, re-lacquer\u2014 and sell them as vintage limited runs. It\u2019s not as much per medal as selling one-off to a collector, but if you have 20 or 30, that\u2019s a way to unload a whole box in a week instead of holding out for one $100 sale.<\/p>\n

But wait\u2014before you grab your box and start snapping pics, let\u2019s talk about the stuff you shouldn\u2019t<\/em> sell, because there\u2019s a line here. First: medals that have sentimental value you shouldn\u2019t sell. Like, the first medal you ever got when you ran your first 5K when you were 10, or the medal you got after recovering from an injury that almost ended your running? That\u2019s not metal, that\u2019s a piece of your story\u2014keep that. Second: don\u2019t lie about the condition. If the paint is chipped, or the ribbon is frayed, be upfront. I\u2019ve seen people get burned so many times where they buy a medal that looks perfect in a pic, and it\u2019s actually all scuffed up. Third: don\u2019t re-sell medals that are counterfeit. Wait, hold up\u2014there are scammers in every hobby, and fitness medals are no exception. If a medal looks way too good for a random local race, or someone is trying to sell a super rare medal for way less than it\u2019s worth? That\u2019s probably a fake, and you don\u2019t wanna be the one selling that. I\u2019ve had people reach out to me asking how to spot fakes, so trust me, that\u2019s a real risk.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get real about how much you can actually make here, because I don\u2019t wanna hype you up like this is a get-rich-quick scheme. Most mass-produced, common medals from local races? You\u2019re looking at $5-$15 each, if you can sell \u2018em at all. The limited-run, legendary marathon, cult-app challenge, full set stuff? $50-$150 each, sometimes more if it\u2019s super rare. I had a customer last year who sold a 2018 Boston Marathon medal (the one with the gold embossed finish) for $220 on a Facebook group\u2014she even got that just because she had the original race bib to go with it. That\u2019s not nothing, right? But don\u2019t expect to sell every old medal in your drawer for $100 a pop. Most of \u2018em are just\u2026 regular old race swag, same as the free water bottle or the t-shirt you forgot in the back of your closet.<\/p>\n

Wait, and let\u2019s circle back to me, the fitness medal supplier, because that\u2019s my side of this. A lot of people who have a bunch of old medals from events that I\u2019ve made? Hit me up asking if I can take them off their hands, or if I know anyone who collects \u2018em. And honestly? A lot of time I do. I work with a network of small collectors and even other small medal makers who will buy good condition, unique old medals to use as inspiration for new designs, or to sell as \u201cvintage event stock\u201d for small races that wanna have a retro vibe. So if you\u2019re stuck, and you can\u2019t figure out where to start, hit me up\u2014 I can point you to the right people, no middleman, no weird fees. I\u2019m not here to lowball you, I\u2019m here to help you move stuff you don\u2019t need without wasting your time.<\/p>\n

Wait, one last thing that a lot of people miss: donating vs selling. If your medals are super beat up, chipped to hell, or just from a random race that no one cares about? Donate \u2018em to a local youth running club or a school PE program. Those kids would love getting a little metal prize for their own little races, and it\u2019s way better than tossing them in the trash. I\u2019ve donated a bunch of surplus old sample medals from my shop to local 5K youth events, and the kids lose their minds over \u2018em. So if selling seems like a hassle, that\u2019s a great option too.<\/p>\n

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Let me wrap this up straight, no extra stuff: yes, you can sell your old fitness medals, but only if you know what\u2019s actually worth selling, where to list \u2018em, and how to not waste your time. The key is to target the right buyers\u2014collectors, race fans, niche groups\u2014instead of spamming eBay with every random medal you own. And if you have a stack of unique, limited-run medals, you might actually make some decent cash instead of letting \u2018em collect dust in your closet.<\/p>\n

Medal Materials<\/a> If you\u2019re ready to clean out that old medal box and wanna chat about selling, or even just get tips on how to price stuff, reach out to connect. No sales pitch, no weird hoops, just real advice from someone who\u2019s been making these things for over 10 years and knows the ins and outs of this whole space.<\/p>\n

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