Scratched discs, made to read again
We run an ELM USA ECO-Master resurfacer — the automated machine game stores use — on games, music CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and GameCube mini-discs. Drop them off around Temple Terrace, Florida or Thurmont, Maryland, or post them from anywhere in the US.
- 1–9 discs$3.00 each
- 10–99 discs$2.00 each
- 100+ discslet's talk
CD · DVD · Blu-ray · GameCube. Charged per disc attempted — we cannot promise every disc can be saved.
Estimate My Discs →What we can and cannot fix
Resurfacing polishes the clear plastic on the read side of a disc. That is all it does. A scuffed, skipping, fingerprint-hazed disc usually comes back reading perfectly — and damage that is not on the clear side cannot be reached at all.
Discs we can run
If it is a CD, a DVD, a Blu-ray or a GameCube mini-disc, it goes in the machine.
- Game discsPlayStation 1 through 5, Xbox through Series X, Wii and Wii U, Dreamcast, Sega CD and Saturn, and PC game discs.
- GameCube discsThe 8cm mini-discs. Plenty of machines will not take these at all; ours will.
- Music CDsAlbums, singles and box sets. Skipping and stuttering discs are the usual job here.
- DVDs and Blu-rayFilms, TV box sets and anime. Blu-ray gets its own finer pad, because the data layer sits far closer to the surface.
Ask us first about 4K UHD discs. Their data layer sits closer to the surface again and we take those case by case.
What resurfacing cannot repair
We charge per disc attempted and we cannot guarantee every disc can be saved. Better said here than in an email afterwards.
- Label-side scratchesOn a CD the data layer sits directly under the label, with almost nothing over it. A scratch that breaks the label has already taken the data with it. Resurfacing works on the clear side and cannot reach this.
- Disc rotHold the disc up to a light. Pinholes, bronzing or a cloudy haze inside the plastic mean the layer itself has degraded. That is chemical, not physical, and polishing does nothing for it.
- Cracks, especially at the hubA cracked disc spins at several thousand RPM inside the machine. We will not run one — it is a safety problem as much as a lost cause.
- Warped discsUsually heat: a car dashboard, an attic, a sunny windowsill. The machine polishes a flat surface and a warped disc is not one.
- Discs already resurfaced thinEvery pass removes a little plastic. A disc that has been through this several times has little left to give, and we will tell you when we think it has reached the end.
If a disc looks hopeless before we start, we will tell you rather than run it and bill you for the attempt.
An ELM USA ECO-Master, not a hand buffer
The difference that matters is heat. A cheap buffer spins fast and gets hot, and heat is what warps a disc — so the fix becomes the damage. This one is liquid-cooled and runs the same programme every time, rather than for as long as somebody's patience lasts.
ELM USA ECO-Master
Built by ELM USA of Buffalo Grove, Illinois — the US arm of ELM, whose parent company is in Japan, supplying disc repair machines to libraries, rental chains and game stores across the Americas.
- No heat, no melted-plastic smellThe repair is liquid-cooled. Cheaper machines buff at high speed, and that heat is what warps a disc — the damage people are most afraid of when they hand one over.
- Fifty discs in a single batchDepth is set on the touchscreen and the machine runs unattended. That is why a box of forty costs you less per disc than four.
- Under three minutes a discCleaned in under a minute, and most repairs finished inside three. A big batch is a queue, not a week.
- Out clean, dry and ready to playSelf-contained water recycling, no hand-finishing and no residue left behind. Discs come back to you ready for the shelf.
ELM USA makes our equipment. The mark is theirs and is shown to name the machine we run — ELM USA is not affiliated with us and does not endorse us.
When you should not resurface a disc
Resurfacing removes material, and an experienced collector or a grader can see that it was done. For a disc you want to play, that is a trade worth making every time. For a disc you might one day sell or grade, it is not.
So leave it alone if it is rare, low-print, or in otherwise excellent shape — a scratched original is worth more than a resurfaced one. Our video game value guide says the same thing, and we are not going to contradict our own advice to sell a $2 service.
Not sure which kind of disc you are holding? Send a photo before you send the disc. And if the pile turns out to be worth more than fixing it would cost, we will make you an offer instead.
Four steps, and you know the price at step one
Tell us the count
Use the estimator below for a price, then send the form. A photo helps if the scratches look bad — we will say honestly whether we think they will come out.
Drop off or mail in
Drop off around Temple Terrace, Florida or Thurmont, Maryland, or post them to us. We email the shipping address once you are booked in.
We run and test every disc
Each disc gets the repair stage its damage calls for, then a final polish, then a read test. You get told which ones we could not save.
Collect or we ship them back
Local jobs are usually same week. Mail-in goes back in the post, with the actual return postage added to your invoice at cost.
How many discs have you got?
Enter a count for an instant price. Posting them to us? Shipping is on you both ways — we add the actual return postage to your invoice at cost, usually $8.00–$15.00. Prefer to talk? Call or text 727-351-2313.
Disc resurfacing questions
How much does disc resurfacing cost?
Chrono Collectibles charges $3 per disc for fewer than ten discs, and $2 per disc for ten or more. That means ten discs cost $20 while nine cost $27 — it is worth counting again before you send them. Batches of 100 or more are quoted individually at a bulk rate.
What kinds of discs can you resurface?
Chrono Collectibles resurfaces CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs and GameCube mini-discs on an ELM USA ECO-Master machine. In practice that covers PlayStation 1 through 5, Xbox through Series X, Wii and Wii U, Dreamcast, Sega CD and Saturn, PC game discs, music CDs, films and TV box sets. Ask us first about 4K UHD discs.
Can you guarantee my disc will work afterwards?
No, and Chrono Collectibles will not pretend otherwise. Most scratched discs can be saved and read perfectly afterwards, but deep gouges, label-side damage and disc rot cannot be polished out. We charge per disc attempted, so you are paying for the work rather than a guaranteed result. If a disc looks hopeless before we start, we will tell you.
Does resurfacing hurt a collectible disc's value?
Yes. Machine resurfacing removes a small amount of material and a grader or an experienced collector can see it. Resurface the discs you want to play. For anything rare, low-print or worth grading, a scratched original is worth more than a resurfaced one, and Chrono Collectibles would rather tell you that than take the money.
Can I mail my discs in for resurfacing?
Yes. Chrono Collectibles accepts discs by post from anywhere in the United States. Shipping is on the sender both ways: you cover postage to us, and the actual return postage is added to your invoice at cost — usually $8 to $15 depending on quantity and distance. Send the form and we will email you the shipping address and packing notes.
How should I pack discs for resurfacing?
Send the bare discs in sleeves or a spindle rather than in their cases, which saves weight and postage both ways. Keep them separated so they cannot rub against one another in transit, and pad the box so nothing shifts. Chrono Collectibles will send specific guidance when you book in.
Do you offer a bulk rate for shops and resellers?
Yes. Chrono Collectibles prices batches of 100 discs or more individually, well below the standard $2 rate, with better rates again for game stores, rental libraries and regular trade partners. Send the form with a rough count and we will come back with a number.
How long does disc resurfacing take?
The machine holds fifty discs and runs them unattended, so the limit is the queue rather than the work. Local drop-offs at Chrono Collectibles are usually ready the same week, and mail-in jobs go back out within a day or two of arriving. We will give you a date when you book in.
Would you rather just sell them?
A box of scratched discs is sometimes worth more to us than it costs you to fix. Send photos and we'll tell you which way round it is — free, and we'll give you the honest answer either way.