What Can I Do With My Old Broken Consoles?
As a lifelong gamer and nostalgia-seeking hardware tinkerer, I‘ve amassed quite a pile of busted retro systems and controllers over the years. But before you resign your worn-out PlayStation 2 or joystick-drifting Nintendo 64 to the trash heap, know that these systems can still provide value – either functional, decorative, or ethical!
The core options with any non-working console are reuse, resell, recycle/donate properly, or repurpose its components into DIY art and projects. The key is keeping e-waste out of landfills, where toxic materials can leach chemicals into soil and groundwater. So let your imagination run wild to give these nostalgic devices new life!
Step 1: Evaluate Your Console‘s Condition and Troubleshoot Issues
Before deciding your next move, take some time to assess the device‘s problems, overall condition, and potential resale market. Cosmetic damage can significantly reduce value compared to an internal component failure. And retro consoles may still fetch decent money for restoration even if broken.
For example, a working Nintendo Entertainment System recently sold on eBay for $275, while untested systems still commanded $70-100. Atari Jaguar CD systems sell for $350+ in good condition but working units have gone for only $50!
First, open up your console and give it a visual inspection. Look for leaking or bulging capacitors, corroded circuit boards, loose/detached connectors, etc. Then do some basic troubleshooting:
- Try different games if issues seem software-related
- Use electrical contact cleaner for glitchy cartridge slots
- Test wall outlet, power adapter, and cords for voltage
- Check controller ports and external connections
While you likely can‘t fix major integrated circuit (IC) or processing failures without soldering skills, diagnosing where and how systems failed helps determine your options.
Creative and Nostalgic Ideas for Reusing Old Consoles
Even non-functional retro consoles have modular components that creative tinkerers have repurposed into cool decorative and nostalgic projects:
- Clock faces using iconic console logos and buttons/switches for controls
- Jewelry like necklaces crafted from game cartridges and memory cards
- Displaying empty colored plastic shells for playful dioramas
- Gutting to build a mini arcade cabinet for Raspberry Pi
My neighbor recently created a Nintendo 64 console planter by removing electronics, cutting drainage holes, and adding soil and small succulents where cartridges once sat!
Just take safety precautions when dismantling devices – discharge capacitors appropriately and don‘t blindly cut wires before checking voltage. Some tinkering required (and tetanus shots just in case!)
How To Sell Your Broken Retro Console or Parts
While yourcustomized NES planter or Sega Dreamcast windchimes may bring joy to you or gift recipients, others may still pay decent cash for nonworking devices they can repair and restore.
Online auction sites like eBay remain popular to reach buyers aiming to salvage functioning components from "for parts or repair" consoles. When selling as-is broken devices or bundles of parts, be sure to note exact issues in detail, provide images of all damage, and emphasize untested/unknown condition to set expectations.
For example, a Playstation 2 listed as "potential bad capacitors, no display" recently sold parts only for $38 plus shipping on eBay.Expect to receive 40-60% of working console values on average.
Retro game stores and hardware resellers also sometimes offer cash or store credit for damaged goods they can refurbish, although at decreased values compared to working units. Be sure to call around locally to compare trade-in policies and store credibility.
I recently earned $15 in credit at a local mom-and-pop shop for an untested Game Boy Advance SP with busted shell! Far less than the $55 a tested-working unit would fetch but better than tossing it out.
Donate, Recycle, or Upcycle Responsibly
Of course if monetary gain doesn‘t motivate you and refurbishing seems too daunting, make sure you donate or recycle older consoles responsibly rather than chucking devices into a landfill-bound trashcan.
E-waste has become a massive environmental problem, with some 50 million tons generated globally each year. And video game consoles often contain lead, mercury, cadmium and other nasty chemicals essential to circuit boards which can leach into groundwater if discarded improperly.
| Certification Standard | What It Means |
|---|---|
| R2 | Focuses specifically on electronics recycling best practices |
| e-Stewards | Sets strict guidelines to avoid using prison labor and protect customer data |
| ISO 14001 | Ensures basic procedures and policies to limit environmental impact |
So seek our reputable, certified specialists like EcoGear or AMI when permanently retiring devices after your tinkering days are done.
Or consider donating to local charities and schools which can incorporate old consoles into lesson plans. I recently provided broken Nintendo Wiis to the youth education nonprofit Wish Upon a Techie for disassembly workshops teaching basic electronics!
The key is keeping nostalgic hardware out of landfills through responsible reuse, resale, recycling, refurbishing or artistic upcycling into something treasured. Our childhood vinyl and silicon memories deserve better fates than poisoning soil or wasting away unseen out of sight.
As gaming enthusiasts, creators and tinkerers we wield the tools and imagination to resurrect beauty from even crippled, obsolete machines! Now who‘s ready to make their broken GameCubes into aquariums with me?
