<p>My D1 was a varsity sports captain and earned letters from a variety of other activities. We bought her a letter jacket, which she wore sometimes in high school. She is now 5 years out of high school and really doesn’t want the jacket any more. Her school wasn’t super athletic and they were never really the “in thing”. She has no interest in owning it any longer, and I have no interest in storing it or moving it when I move to smaller quarters in a year or two now that the nest is empty.</p>
<p>It has her first name stitched on, but except for that all the other stuff (school name, school mascot, various letters & bars) are all patches that could be easily removed. Seems like someone should recycle letter jackets for kids who can’t afford 'em, just like you can now with prom dresses (just donated several of those last week to a local organization that provides them for girls who can’t afford dresses). Letter jackets are so darned expensive… I Googled to see if any organizations are taking them, but no hits. :(</p>
<p>Other than taking off the patches and taking it to Goodwill, not sure what else to do with it. I am not “crafty”, so am not going to make a pillow or something like that (although I did see a cute idea to cut it down and make a scrapbook sized version – if only I scrapbooked…). It still looks good (only five years old, not worn a lot, doesn’t seem “out of date” like one from my era of high school would).</p>
<p>Why not contact the current coach from her sport at the HS and offer the jacket for him/her to gift to a deserving but needy student? If he/she accepts, remove your daughter’s name and the non-applicable ‘other stuff’.</p>
<p>No, really, this isn’t going to become a treasure. It never was one. None of us have much sentimentality for these types of things. I still have my marching band jacket from U of Michigan, and honestly, also can’t figure out how to get rid of it except pitching or donating. My ex-H really dislikes the college ring his dad made him get when he graduated, but again… I guess we are all pretty well aware of the “racket” that these type of purchases really are (second only to funerals and weddings). No one is starry eyed about the days gone by that they represent. Also maybe why I’d like to see it recycled, save some other kid or parent from shelling out a couple hundred dollars for it.</p>
<p>I would donate it to the High Schools drama department. There’s always going to be some play where a letter jacket can be used and many kids would be reluctant to give up a jacket that’s being currently used.</p>
<p>I would try to remove the name and donate it. I donated my own letter jacket and saved the letter/emblems. When we were packing to move last year I threw the letter away too. Also tossed out my yearbooks that had moved everywhere with us over the years</p>
<p>My S didn’t even want a letter jacket(very few at his h.s. bought them). I put all his emblems in a shadow box. I’m sure he’ll throw that away pretty soon since he’s moved into his own place. I noticed when he cleaned out his dresser to move out he left all the high school stuff behind. High Sch. is ancient history for my boys. I saved their yearbooks but bet they’ll trash those too when I tell them I’m no longer going to store their stuff. All their loyalties are for their universities now. I think that’s pretty normal.</p>
<p>This almost sounds like the wedding dress thread. If you could get the name off, then I think the h.s. drama dept sounds like a plan- think “Grease”.</p>
<p>We live in nyc, where letter jackets aren’t really seen very much. My daughters used to wear mine, from my youth outside of nyc. They got a kick out of it, thought it was kind of retro. So glad my mother didn’t throw it out!</p>
<p>I did costumes for the high school drama department. And yes, we even did Grease. Before you donate anything to them, see if they actually want it. We had no place to store the hundreds of donations that folks gave us each winter thinking we could surely use them for the spring show…or store them. The vast majority was taken to Goodwill.</p>
<p>We have DS’s letter jacket. The whole tennis team was given them when he was a sophomore. He wasn’t exactly a star athlete (musicians have to be careful about their hands). Still, it’s the ONE high school treasure he has asked us to keep. So…it’s in his bedroom closet.</p>
<p>Personally, I think if your child wants to get rid of it he/she should do it himself. </p>
<p>I agree that the things that seem disposable at age 25 are precious at age 55, and irreplaceable when the owner has died.</p>
<p>There was an old trunk in the basement that wasn’t even worth being curious about when we were kids. When we were clearing out the house after both my parents passed away a few years ago we opened it to find my father’s Army uniform from WWII, along with his medals and paperwork. My mother had packed it away when they bought the house in 1949, and it was a treasure to find. </p>
<p>My husband has never really forgiven his mother for selling his German made saddle without asking him. He wasn’t using it anymore: his horse had died, he hadn’t ridden in years and he was in the middle of medical school, but it was one of the few things he would have wanted to keep… If she had asked his opinion. He would have paid to have it shipped to him.</p>
<p>If your daughter insists on getting rid of it, at least take a good photo of it (preferably of her wearing it) first, so there’s something to show the fiance and grandkids someday, even if just to share a laugh over her sports “career”</p>
<p>My kid now lives over 1,000 miles away in an apartment she shares with two other women, and likely will be moving quite a bit in the next few years. So I don’t mind storing a few things for her. But I have asked her to please identify things she wants me to keep for sure (which she has done) – and this is not on the list. Honestly, we know these jackets are very sentimental for some people, but they really aren’t for us. D2 earned letters but had no interest in a jacket, and I think D1 only got this one because some friends were doing so, then didn’t really want it once she had it. It has never been a popular item in her wardrobe, and really isn’t something she would even want a photo in. But I am also not going to ask her to take one of the few precious days she spends here on vacation picking the threads out of her name to donate it… if someone is going to do that, it is me. She would probably just dump it first – but as I spent the $200+ dollars on it, I am aware that someone else might get some use out of it.</p>
<p>I was just wondering if anyone had suggestions on HOW to get rid of it in a way that might be useful to someone else. Please stop suggesting that it should have some great sentimental value and that someone will be sorry – trust me, we won’t.</p>
<p>I agree with previous posters…remove patches and save them…remove name and see if you can steam away the marks. If yes, call school about donating. If no, donate to Goodwill. But only if you have time.
And if any local groups are staging Grease, they will be shopping at Goodwill anyway!</p>
<p>“I still have my marching band jacket from U of Michigan, and honestly, also can’t figure out how to get rid of it except pitching or donating.”</p>
<p>So pitch it or donate it. I’m not sure what there is to figure out!</p>