tools · British Columbia

Where to donate tools in Victoria

3 organizations in and around Victoria that take donated tools — what each one accepts, what it turns away, and which will come and collect it.

Verified 2026-09-24 from each organization's own website. We are not affiliated with anyone listed here, nobody pays to be included, and we receive nothing if you donate to them.

Tools are usually the most valuable thing left in a garage and the most casually thrown out: the drawer of chisels and the dusty hand plane under the bench are routinely worth more than the big machine standing in the middle of the floor, so do not let anyone clear the garage as a favour until someone has turned the hand tools over and read the names stamped on them.

How to tell what you have got

Before you call anyone, two minutes with the object settles most of it. None of this needs an expert — it needs a flashlight and a look at the back.

  • Pre-war Stanley bench planes, Nos. 3 to 8The size number is cast into the toe, in front of the front knob - but only on planes from roughly the turn of the twentieth century onward. The earliest and most desirable examples often carry no cast number at all, so do not conclude that an unnumbered plane is not a Stanley; judge those by the lever cap, the frog and the iron instead. The logo stamped on the cutting iron dates it: a cursive heart-shaped "SW" (sweetheart) logo means roughly 1920-1935 and is the one buyers ask for. Rosewood knob and tote, not stained hardwood or plastic.
  • Stanley Bedrock planes, numbered in the 600s"BED ROCK" is cast into the bed casting. The sides of the bed are flat-topped where a Bailey's are rounded over. The number is three digits beginning with 6, not a single digit.
  • Stanley No. 1 and No. 2 planesA No. 1 is only about 140 mm long and has no rear handle at all - just a front knob and a small hump to hold. If someone offers you pocket change for "the little one", stop the sale.
  • Bare cordless tools on a battery platform still being soldLook at the battery foot, not the tool. If the pack slides on and latches, and that platform is still on the shelf at a Canadian retailer, the bare tool sells. If the pack is a stubby stick that drops into a hole in the handle, it does not.
  • Mechanic's hand tools by Snap-on, Mac, Matco or Proto, and the roll cabinets they came inThe brand is forged or stamped into the tool itself, not applied as a sticker. Roll cabinets carry a model number on the back panel or inside a drawer.
  • Machinist's measuring toolsA fitted wooden or plastic case with a shaped bed, a maker's name engraved rather than printed, and a graduated thimble or dial. Keep the case - a micrometer without its case is worth a fraction of one with it.
  • Cast-iron stationary machineryTap the table. Cast iron rings and is cold to the hand; aluminum or pressed steel does neither. A cast metal badge rather than a printed sticker is the other sign.
  • Complete sets, in their trays and casesCount against the tray's moulded recesses before concluding the set is incomplete. Missing sizes are usually loose in the bottom of the toolbox.
  • Hand saws, chisels and braces by named makersAn etch on the saw plate, visible if you hold it to the light at a low angle through the rust. A medallion on the handle carrying a maker's name. A plate that tapers - thicker at the teeth than at the back.

Rarely worth anything

Not a rule, and not a reason to bin something without asking. These are the things people most often expect to be worth money and find are not.

  • Cordless tools on a dead battery platform
  • Gas-powered equipment that will not start
  • Half-used chemicals from the shelf above the bench
  • Rusted-solid hand tools
  • Corded power tools with no certification mark on the rating plate
  • Dull and damaged consumables
  • Jars and coffee cans of mixed fasteners
  • Bulk wooden moulding planes
An electrical product cannot be sold, displayed or advertised for sale unless it is approved and bears a recognized certification mark - used tools included Ontario

O. Reg. 438/07 (Product Safety) under the Electricity Act, 1998, s. 5(1): "No person shall use, advertise, display, sell, offer for sale or other disposal any electrical product or device unless it has been approved in accordance with this Regulation." Under s. 2(1) a product is deemed approved only if it bears the mark of a certification body accredited under the Standards Council of Canada Act and recognized by the Electrical Safety Authority, a recognized field-evaluation agency's label, or an ESA label. Section 5(2) additionally prohibits using a product other than for its intended purpose or in its intended manner. The regulation contains no exemption for used goods, estate sales or private sales; its only exemption (s. 5(4)) is for trade-show display or demonstration with the Authority's permission. Practical effect: a power tool with no legible certification mark, or one that has been rewired or had its switch bypassed, is a disposal item, not stock. We found no record of enforcement against charity shops or private sellers of second-hand tools as opposed to importers and retailers, but the prohibition is plainly worded and carries no used-goods exemption.

Read the rule →
The same certification requirement applies in British Columbia British Columbia

Electrical Safety Regulation s. 21(1) requires electrical equipment to bear evidence of either the mark or label of a certification agency accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, a label of an agency acceptable to the provincial safety manager, or an approval mark issued under the Safety Standards Act. A person must not use electrical equipment in British Columbia, or offer for sale, sell, display or otherwise dispose of electrical equipment for use in British Columbia, without it.

Read the rule →
Gasoline is accepted for disposal only in an approved can, and the can is not given back British Columbia

Product Care Recycling's BC household hazardous waste program accepts "Gasoline, including stale or old gasoline contaminated with oil or water", but only in a ULC-approved gas can or jerry can, with a maximum container size of 25 litres, and states that "for safety reasons, the gasoline container cannot be returned to you at drop off". Other flammable liquids: maximum container size 10 litres, with a maximum aerosol container size of 680 g. Diesel, butane and refillable propane cylinders are not accepted. Oil and antifreeze are handled by a separate program.

Read the rule →
Toronto excludes gasoline from its free Toxic Taxi and caps volumes at 50 litres Toronto, Ontario

Gasoline "must be brought to a Drop-Off Depot or Community Environment Day in any container that can be left behind" and is excluded from Toxic Taxi collection. Toxic Taxi collection requires a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 50 litres/kilograms per pickup, and depots accept a maximum of 50 litres/kilograms per drop-off. "Gas tanks/cylinders (e.g. propane/BBQ, helium, oxygen, etc.)" are listed as household hazardous waste.

Read the rule →
Refillable propane cylinders expire after ten years and cannot lawfully be filled after that Canada

Per the Canadian Propane Association, refillable propane cylinders must be replaced, or inspected and requalified by a Transport Canada approved requalifier, every ten years, and "It's against the law to fill an expired or damaged cylinder". Retailer take-back of expired cylinders happens at the retailer's discretion and is not mandated. Cylinders retain residual propane even when they appear empty, and must never be placed in household garbage or roadside recycling.

Read the rule →
Cordless tool battery packs are recycled free, up to 5 kg each Canada, with two provincial exceptions

Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! (operated by Call2Recycle) collects single-use and rechargeable batteries weighing up to 5 kg each at no cost, including the lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride and small sealed lead acid packs used in cordless power tools. Small sealed lead acid batteries are not accepted in Alberta or Saskatchewan. Home Depot Canada stores are drop-off sites, along with many municipal and retail locations.

Read the rule →

3 places in Victoria that take tools

Habitat for Humanity Victoria ReStore

TakesNew and gently used furniture (couches, chairs, tables, bed frames), Appliances (electric only), Building supplies and flooring materials, Cabinets and doors, Electronics and tools, Garden equipment and outdoor items, Home decor and lighting, Plumbing fixtures and hardware, Scrap metal (Westshore location only)
Won't takeBox springs, Pianos, Large pieces of granite, stone or marble, Blinds, ceiling fans, ceiling tiles, Patio doors, flat panel doors, bi-fold or mirrored closet doors, Gas appliances, Medical equipment or supplies, Clothing, Computers, Baby items and children's toys, Chemicals (cleaners, solvents), Propane tanks, Safety equipment, Powder-actuated tools, Weapons or ammunition
CollectionPickup is offered within Greater Victoria for complete kitchens, large furniture, major appliances, or corporate donations. A $50 non-refundable truck usage fee applies, stated as effective January 1, 2026. Book at least one week in advance. The fee does not guarantee acceptance: "Our experienced teams will assess donations at the time of pick-up" and "The ReStore team has final discretion on what items we can accept." Items must be free of rips, tears and stains and come from a smoke-free and pet-free home.
WhereTwo ReStores: 721 Vanalman Ave, Victoria BC and 849 Orono Ave, Langford BC. Donation drop-off Monday to Saturday 9:30am-5:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm. All donations are assessed at drop-off and the Receiving Team determines acceptance based on item condition and current store stock.
Visit their site →250.386.7867

Recycle My Electronics BC (EPRA)

Not stated - ask them
TakesCell phones and smartphones, Desktop computers, laptops and tablets, TVs, monitors and display devices, Kitchen appliances, Gaming systems, Power tools, E-bikes and e-scooters, Medical equipment
CollectionNo pickup service is described. Drop-off at authorized locations found through their "Where Can I Recycle?" finder. Any drop-off fee is not stated on the pages checked - confirm with the depot.
WhereA province-wide BC network of authorized drop-off locations, found through the location finder at recyclemyelectronics.ca/bc. This is not a charity: the site states "We are Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA), an industry-led, not-for-profit organization that operates regulated recycling programs across Canada." No tax receipt. Use it for electronics a thrift shop has already turned down.
A regulated recycling program, not a charity. Electronics are dismantled and recycled, not reused.
Visit their site →

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of Vancouver Island

Not stated - ask them
TakesPots, pans, dishes and cutlery, Good blankets and clean pillows, Linens, Clothing, all sizes, Household goods, Tools, gardening and hardware, Small furniture, Camping gear, Books, Small appliances, clean and in good working order, Newer flat-screen TVs and DVD/Blu-ray players in excellent working order
Won't takeThey publish a separate "items we do not accept" list linked from their thrift store page - check it before loading the car
CollectionNo pickup service is described anywhere on their thrift store page. Treat this as drop-off only unless they tell you otherwise on the phone.
WhereTwo thrift stores: 735 Cloverdale Ave, Saanich (250-590-8390, Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:00pm) and 2784 Claude Road, Langford (250-478-0282, Mon-Sat 9:30am-5:00pm). Donations are accepted Monday to Saturday 9:30am-4:00pm, but note their warning that "at peak times throughout the month, the donations drop-off area may be closed."
Visit their site →250-590-8390

Not sure what you have got?

Photograph it and we will tell you what it is and what it is worth — including when the honest answer is that it is worth nothing.

See what it's worth Everything in Victoria →

Other things in Victoria

furniture4 placesappliances5 placeselectronics5 placesclothes5 placeskitchenware4 placesbooks3 places

Tools in other cities

Kitchener–Waterloo3 places