Other · Tier D

VCRs & VHS Decks

Hi-Fi Stereo or S-VHS on the faceplate doubles to quadruples resale; a mono 2-head deck is copper and steel.

Cu 25–40 g/lbBase Al head drum 80–150 gAu trace

eBay typical$15–80per lb

Refiner pays$0.1per lb

Metal in it$0.73per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencelowof the yield figures

How to spot it

1976–2008 tabletop decks. The value tells sit on the faceplate: Hi-Fi Stereo, S-VHS, 4-Head, editing jog wheels, flying erase head. Top brands for resale: JVC HR-S, Panasonic AG, Sony SLV/EV, Mitsubishi HS-U. Camcorders follow the same logic with better $/lb.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Copper	25–40 g/lb	Linear PSU transformer 200–400 g, 3–5 motors, head-drum coils
Base metal	Al head drum 80–150 g	Clean aluminium once the coils are stripped
Gold	trace	1980s boards carry more flash than 2000s ones — no assay

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $0.73 per lb of contained metal — Gold 0.003 g = $0.39, Copper 32 g = $0.34. A refiner paying $0.1 per lb returns about 14% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: No heat needed — mechanical teardown only

Lid screws, then the head drum (three screws — keep fingers off the head chips if reselling), transformer, motors and loading assembly. Boards are through-hole low-grade; 1980s decks have noticeably richer boards and silver-contact mode switches.

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.

Before you scrap it

Working 4-head Hi-Fi $40–100, S-VHS $100–300, editing and AG-series pro decks $150–500, even mono decks $25–50 tested with remote. Untested sell as-is for parts — list before you strip.

The common trap

Every working VCR is now a resale item — families digitising tapes cleared the thrift supply. Scrapping a working JVC S-VHS deck trades a $100–250 sale for $2 of copper. Test with any tape before the screwdriver comes out.

Questions

How much gold is in vcrs & vhs decks?

Copper: 25–40 g/lb. Gold: trace. At current spot that is about $0.73 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify vcrs & vhs decks?

Hi-Fi Stereo or S-VHS on the faceplate doubles to quadruples resale ; a mono 2-head deck is copper and steel.

How do you remove vcrs & vhs decks safely?

Is vcrs & vhs decks worth more working than as scrap?

Working 4-head Hi-Fi $40–100, S-VHS $100–300, editing and AG-series pro decks $150–500, even mono decks $25–50 tested with remote. Untested sell as-is for parts — list before you strip.

Related in Other

Gold-Filled Watch Cases & Bands Other · $200–500/lb Au 4–10 g/lb for clean marked GFBase brass core S Laboratory Platinum Ware Other · $20000–32000/lb Pt ~454 g/lb — it is solid metalAu 5% in Pt-5%Au XRF fusion cruciblesBase Rh 5–10% in Pt-Rh crucibles S Noble Thermocouple Wire (Type R/S/B) Other · $18000–31000/lb Pt ~410 g per lb of bare noble wireBase Rh 6–30% of one legBase Type K/J/T/E/N: zero PGM S Precious-Metal Sputtering Targets Other · $32000–50000/lb Au ~454 g/lb — the target is solid metalPt 138 g in a 2 in × 0.125 in discPd 77 g in a 2 in × 0.125 in disc S Silver-Oxide Button Cells Other · $40–120/lb Ag ~30–35% by weight ≈ 150 g/lbBase Zn anode ~25%Base LR/AG alkaline S Sterling & Silver-Plated Flatware Other · $700–2000/lb Ag 92.5% ≈ 420 g/lb sterlingAg hollow-handle knives: only 8–20 g per pieceAg silver plate: ~0.1–0.5 g per teaspoon S

Get this offline → The full guide runs in your browser with no signal, and you can add your own photos.