These Old Electronic Devices Can Contain a Motherlode of Recyclable Gold
Before you toss your old cellphone, TV remote, laptop, or tablet, remember that they contain gold. Although those small devices don’t contain immense quantities of gold, you don’t want to throw gold away, do you? So before you toss them, give our precious metal recycling consultants a call at 800-426-2344 and we can explain your recycling options.
But Hold On . . . What about Great Big Old Electronic Devices?
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that some very big electronic devices that were made 20 or 30 years ago contain more gold than today’s miniaturized devices. In some cases, 10 or 20 times as much gold, depending on the number and size of the printed circuit boards they contain.
It might surprise you to hear that you can still buy a number of older, larger electronic components that contain gold that is well worth recycling, even though many of those devices went out of production decades ago.
What kind of jumbo old devices are we talking about? Here’s a list.
Old Mainframe Computers
Mainframe computers that were made by IBM several decades ago sometimes occupied an entire room. They were packed with dozens of printed circuit boards.
And interestingly, a surprising number of those old mainframes are still around and can be bought for pennies on the dollar. Some are installed in old businesses and factories that went out of business. Others are still sitting in universities and airports.
Would you believe you can find some of these old goliaths by searching for “IBM Mainframe” on eBay? You’ll be surprised what you will find.
Old Supercomputers and Components
It’s amazing, but old supercomputers from makers like CRAY are still being sold on eBay. There are also a variety of supercomputer components like hard disks the size of pizzas, arrays of switches, and more. If these items contain printed circuit boards, they contain gold. If you can snap them up on the cheap, do so and then give us a call so we can tell you how to extract any gold they contain.
Telecommunications Equipment
One man who hunts for gold scrap recently bought half a roomful of miscellaneous switching equipment from an old Verizon building that was getting scrapped near where he lived. The result? A nice profit on his investment.
Jumbo Home Entertainment Equipment
Old VCRs contain printed circuit boards that contain gold. So do old stereo components, game consoles and other boxy electronic devices. You can buy many of these devices at extremely low prices in yard sales and at sales where companies are going out of business. Look for printed circuit boards before you invest.
Manufacturing Equipment
Old production line equipment can contain large quantities of gold, and sometimes thermocouples that can also contain silver, copper, and platinum. So if you see a factory that is closing and selling off its equipment, be sure to investigate.
Want to Know the Value of Your Gold and other Precious Metal Scrap?
Call Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners at 800-426-2344 so we can test your scrap, tell you what it is worth, and explain your recycling options. You can reclaim dollars from those big, old, seemingly worthless electronic devices. We are here to tell you how.