Other · Tier C

Pinball & Jukebox Electronics

Leaf switches by the hundred — an electromechanical pinball machine or Seeburg/Wurlitzer jukebox chassis is one of the densest silver-contact harvests in consumer equipment.

Ag 1–3 g/lb on EM relay stacksCu 20–35 g/lbAu trace

eBay typical$30–150per lb

Refiner pays$1per lb

Metal in it$3.15per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencelowof the yield figures

How to spot it

EM pinball (pre-1978): relay banks, score-motor stacks, stepper units — every contact point is silver. Solid-state pinball (Bally/Williams/Stern): driver and MPU boards. Jukeboxes: Seeburg/Rock-Ola/Wurlitzer amplifier chassis (tubes!), selector switch banks, motors. AMI and Seeburg wallboxes are compact and shippable.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Silver	1–3 g/lb on EM relay stacks	Electromechanical-era leaf-switch and stepper contacts are solid or heavy silver — estimated from contact counts
Copper	20–35 g/lb	Coils everywhere: solenoids, steppers, score reels, transformer
Gold	trace	Solid-state era boards are ordinary 80s board grade

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $3.15 per lb of contained metal — Silver 1.5 g = $2.85, Copper 28 g = $0.30. A refiner paying $1 per lb returns about 32% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: No heat needed — mechanical teardown only

Working or restorable machines are never scrap — the hobby pays parts prices for everything. From true carcasses: snip contact stacks into the silver jar, coils and transformer to copper, tube amps pulled whole (they sell complete), boards sold as repairable before grading as scrap.

Hazards

⚡ Stored high voltage

NEVER short a large capacitor with a screwdriver. It welds the tip, blasts molten metal at your face, and can rupture the can.

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

NEVER dry sweep or use compressed air on a scrapping bench. HEPA-vac or wet-wipe only.

🧱 Asbestos

NEVER cut, drill, sand, tear or blow out suspect material with compressed air.

Before you scrap it

Dominant: driver/MPU boards $40–200 even dead, jukebox tube amps $100–500, wallboxes $75–300, score reels and steppers $20–80, chimes and bells to restorers. Silver scrap is the floor, not the play.

The common trap

A non-working Bally MPU board is a $50–150 repairable core, not scrap — the pinball parts market is bottomless and collectors rebuild everything. Selling a stripped EM machine's relay stacks for silver nets $30; selling the same stacks as pinball spares nets $200.

Questions

How much gold is in pinball & jukebox electronics?

Silver: 1–3 g/lb on EM relay stacks. Copper: 20–35 g/lb. Gold: trace. At current spot that is about $3.15 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify pinball & jukebox electronics?

Leaf switches by the hundred — an electromechanical pinball machine or Seeburg/Wurlitzer jukebox chassis is one of the densest silver-contact harvests in consumer equipment.

How do you remove pinball & jukebox electronics safely?

Is pinball & jukebox electronics worth more working than as scrap?

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