What to do with 100s of old maps?

[ki0eh]

I'm a volunteer with a group (footpath not the A.T.) that is transitioning its maps as they sell out, from black and white hand drawn on topo base map printed on Tyvek, to full color printed on Hop Syn.

The trouble for our group is that while some areas on the B&W maps would be sold out, the next area might still have scores or even hundreds left over but the new color maps cover that area too (sometimes with an updated route).

We've tried to just sell the old maps for $1.25 apiece on the web site but very few takers.

Any ideas from the WB wags on what to do with 100s of old B&W Tyvek maps?

They look like this:

[Toolshed]

You might try reaching out the the Finger Lakes Trail Conference up in Rochester NY. They had the same problem a few years back - All of their maps were hand drawn B&W on regular paper and they had many in stock when they switched over to color laser on waterproof paper a few years back.
They could make excellent Trail Guide Book covers perhaps?

[MedicineMan]

ship them to me and i'll wallpaper my map room with them!

[ki0eh]

You might try reaching out the the Finger Lakes Trail Conference up in Rochester NY. They had the same problem a few years back - All of their maps were hand drawn B&W on regular paper and they had many in stock when they switched over to color laser on waterproof paper a few years back.

Guess I'm not the only one up early, already got an answer from an FLTC map volunteer. Apparently those old blue maps were also printed on demand so there wasn't a big stack to recycle.

[Pringles]

A few years ago there were places that sold old maps as wrapping paper. Either the giver or the givee would most likely have to be outdoorsy, but if you sell them that way, as an eco-thing, you might be successful.

Pringles

[LIhikers]

Can the group afford to give them away for free?
If so, why not donate them to local scout groups or hiking clubs?

[Appalachian Tater]

Get one of your handy volunteers to make wallets out of them and sell them for $10. I used a Priority Mail Tyvek envelope to make mine but there must be a way to use a flat sheet, google it. You could make some other things like tent stake bags or stuff sacks for cook sets, even cover some weatherproof notepads with them. You don't give the dimensions but there are probably plenty of things to use them for, such as waterproof book covers. I saw Tyvek Man or whatever his name was completely outfitted with the stuff.

In other words, don't think of them as maps but as sheets of Tyvek printed with a cool topo map design. If no one actually wants to make the items to sell, do a one-page instruction sheet on how to make some of the items and include that with them. You could even use that as a bonus gift for joining your organization or purchasing $30 worth of books. It's all in the marketing!

[Johnny Appleseed]

Some one will pay for them in bulk. I was thinking wallpaper would kick buns too.

Try trail museums or something. One thing is don't get rid of them tell something good comes along...cause you have the goods.

If selling and not donating try to sell for less or bulk w/ a discount.

[mikec]

Your example looks like old Mid State Trail, PA maps. Am I correct?

[boarstone]

Wallpaper.....

[DrRichardCranium]

Use them for wrapping Christmas presents.

[johnnybgood]

Use them for wrapping Christmas presents.

Heyyy, I'VE GOT IT !!! How about sending them to family so they can wrap up your Christmas present....A new set of maps.

[ki0eh]

Your example looks like old Mid State Trail, PA maps. Am I correct?

Yep, and you can have it now too!

It will probably be a little while before the group decides what to do, so keep the ideas coming!

[Medic!]

...You could send one to me!

[Bronk]

I'd favor giving them away...that is what USFS does with their old maps...set up a table at your county fair or other such place and give them out with a leaflet on your trail club...it will encourage trail use by giving maps to people who may not even be aware that the trail exists...more people using the trail is more potential members for your club, more membership fees, more trail maintenence. If you give away sets of maps rather than just individual maps you will get rid of them faster.

Around here, the USFS has those bulletin boards with maps and other info under a sheet of plexiglass, and attached to the bulletin board is a box filled with maps of the trails.

I understand that a lot of times trail clubs get their funding from map sales, but I think you'll grow your organization more by giving the maps away if you have a lot you need to get rid of.

One problem you'll run into though is the more of these maps you give away (or even sell cheap), the fewer of the new maps you will sell. So you have to decide what your goal is here.

[Atreus]

please digitize them first. Make a crisp digital copy that you can save for reference or send to people. Then do what ever you want with them. From a historical standpoint, we loose a lot of information this way by not backing things up. Outdated or not.

[thebridgeman]

Make tyvek raingear, sew on your clubs logo and sell away.

[generoll]

EBay........

[longhiker]

i think the wallet, wallpaper and raingear ideas are really amazing..

I'd buy several of each!

I can't get the wallet out of my mind.. I love those tyvek maps..

does anyone else get a dopamine release when you see contour lines anywhere?

[ki0eh]

Any other suggestions? We have 11 boxes (not necessarily full) of these old maps that need to disappear soon, and not enough volunteers with time available for us to do some of the suggested conversions, or even public giveaways (we don't have a lot of booth sitters in our group )