Professional Resurfacing discs - personal experiences

[porlino87]

I just got some rare ps2 games at the buy 2 get 2 deal at Gamestop (i hate gamestop..., but the deal was good, and I got some of my favorite long lost games cheap).

The problem is....one of them has some noticable scuffs and another has an obvious scratch. They work fine, however, I am really OCD about scratches and scuffs on my discs (especially rarities with nostalgic value).

What are your personal experiences with professional resurfaced discs? Where did you have it done? How much did it cost? What are your opinions about having light scratches on some of your favorite rare games? Will a properly resurfaced disc loose value? (relative to its value before resurfacing)

I'm considering returning these games, but they are hard to find Black Labels, and the deal was really good!

[wingzrow]

I bought myself a JFJ easy pro off eBay and use it to fix all of my discs. It was @120 but well worth it since it saved dozens of discs from the garbage bin, namely a copy of tomba that looked like it was dragged behind a car. It leaves very light scratches but they're almost unnoticeable.

[Oldskool]

I had some PS1 and Saturn discs resurfaced at place here in town. I was a bit dissapointed really. The black faced PS1 discs are a bitch, you can see the resurfacing no matter what. Even though it was a drastic improvement, it was still noticeable in the light. Also, on one of my Lunar games the center part was pushed out, I complained, and he pressed it back together somehow.

Also, I dunno what happened, but my Panzer Dragoon disc for the Saturn ended up not loading after it was resurfaced. I looked at it in the light and could see the light through a few spots on the disc. I am not sure if they were a bit too aggresive on the resurfacing compound they used or what. But just beware, get some opinions first before getting any done.

[QuickSciFi]

There're irregularities as to how many times you can resurface a disk. And also how deep the scratches can be. I can tell you from personal experience at Play N Trade that all games but one (that's about 1/100+) made it through perfectly. Resurfacing a heavily scratched disk is really just about the only thing one can do. The one that didn't work for me was actually Android Assault for the Sega CD. It plays perfectly, except for the fact that the resurfacing job somehow removed the ability to have continues (so you'd have to play the whole game on a single continue). I ended up buying a sealed copy after that.

For the most part, though, I really recommend it. I go to Play N Trade a lot and one of their perks is that if you don't like a single scratch on a disk, you can ask them to resurface it. I do so everytime I buy a rare item that seems far too scratched but salvagable. I've declined on a couple of resurface jobs because the scratches were too deep. But if you see the scratches are just heavy surface scratches from normal handling, one resurfacing will actually help it.

You could look up Play N Trade website for resurfacing fees:http://www.playntrade.com/default.aspx

Hopefully you find one by your house, and hopefully you'll never buy from gamestop ever again. ;)

[porlino87]

I bought myself a JFJ easy pro off eBay and use it to fix all of my discs. It was @120 but well worth it since it saved dozens of discs from the garbage bin, namely a copy of tomba that looked like it was dragged behind a car. It leaves very light scratches but they're almost unnoticeable.

well...I only have 4 discs that could use it. perhaps buying a JFJ would be overkill?

if you were to buy a rare favorite used game, would you rather have it with "original" scuffs/scratches or resurfaced resulting in the "swirlies"?

[allyourblood]

well...I only have 4 discs that could use it. perhaps buying a JFJ would be overkill?

if you were to buy a rare favorite used game, would you rather have it with "original" scuffs/scratches or resurfaced resulting in the "swirlies"?

If it plays fine, I can live with the original scratches. If there's any sort of loading or skip issues, then by all means I'll upgrade to the machined scratches instead. Ultimately, whatever results in the least wear to the disc (while still being able to play it properly) is what I'd go with.

[Gooch3008]

After alot of searching, I found he rental place right by my house resurfaces discs to like-new condition. I was so impressed by the process they use that I stopped passing up cheap games that were scratched to shit. They have done dreamcast, ps1, ps2, and wii games for me and the results really are amazing. I got a copy of symphony of the night for a little over a dollar that was so badly scratched, I thougt it was gone forever. They resurfaced it to like-new condition! No swirl marks or anything. It plays great!

[Oldskool]

How did the black faced games like sotn turn out in the light?

[porlino87]

You could look up Play N Trade website for resurfacing fees:http://www.playntrade.com/default.aspx

Hopefully you find one by your house, and hopefully you'll never buy from gamestop ever again. ;)

Found one down the street! Never been to a Play N Trade...this should be fun :) Gamestop makes me want to puke sometimes

[porlino87]

After alot of searching, I found he rental place right by my house resurfaces discs to like-new condition. I was so impressed by the process they use that I stopped passing up cheap games that were scratched to shit. They have done dreamcast, ps1, ps2, and wii games for me and the results really are amazing. I got a copy of symphony of the night for a little over a dollar that was so badly scratched, I thougt it was gone forever. They resurfaced it to like-new condition! No swirl marks or anything. It plays great!

What does the store specialize in? Games? Movies? Music? Would you be able to tell me the name of the store? What brand machine do they use?

[kupomogli]

First time I heard about disc resurfacing was middle of the PSX era. I was at EB Games one time and the manager there was pushing it left and right. "It will remove all scratches." My copy of Front Mission 3 was one of the only games that had scratches. Infact it had only a very few light scratches.

Had the person do the "scratch remover." Disc comes back and while it's still wet doesn't look like any scratches. But once it dries, it looks like light circular scratches going in a sort of oval motion around the disc. I was like. What the fuck? Since then I've never been interested in resurfacing equipment again. It would have been nice if the asshole mentioned that the resurfacing would have made it worse.

I know it was stupid of me to think scratches could have been removed but it was something I've never heard of and I fell for it and pretty much got screwed.

[Cmo]

I work for a smaller video game store and I have personally resurfaced 1000+ discs in my days working there using an Azuradisc model 1600 machine. I would say maybe 1-2% have come out worse or not close to "like new". This is across all types of media formats: CD, DVD and almost every disc based system including NGC. The only thing it won't work for is HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. So I would trust professional resurfacer machines 100%, but I only trust myself doing it. We have some other employees that do it as well and I have seen them burn discs up(warping), resurface discs upside down, create permanent rings in the discs, etc. Mainly due to just not paying attention...

[porlino87]

I work for a smaller video game store and I have personally resurfaced 1000+ discs in my days working there using an Azuradisc model 1600 machine. I would say maybe 1-2% have come out worse or not close to "like new". This is across all types of media formats: CD, DVD and almost every disc based system including NGC. The only thing it won't work for is HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. So I would trust professional resurfacer machines 100%, but I only trust myself doing it. We have some other employees that do it as well and I have seen them burn discs up(warping), resurface discs upside down, create permanent rings in the discs, etc. Mainly due to just not paying attention...

What are indications of someone who is good at resurfacing? I want to interrogate the guy who uses the machine at my local Play-n-trade. What specific models should I stay away from?

Thanks

[Cmo]

I'm not really sure on how to help with interrogating someone about their abilities. Just try to get a sense of them. Do they seem like they want to do good work or don't really care about what they are doing. As far as what machines to stay away from, I have only used Azuradisc machines as that is all I have had access to. Lately on our trips to used stores I have been seeing the VMI 3500. The machine I regularly use is a bit older and we have to swap out different pads. From what I have seen of the newer machines is that you just put the disc in and it does everything from the start to finish automatically, no user interaction in between steps. I suggest taking a few discs that are cheaper first off and seeing how they come out, before taking in anything that is of value. I am not sure if Play N Trade warranties their resurfacing, I know we don't because you never know what might happen. Just as a reference we charge $1.99 per disc.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Aren't Blu-Ray discs supposed to be damn near unscratchable?

Also, there's a guy at GameTZ that uses some sort of machine that doesn't buff out scratches, instead it kinda melts the plastic layer so it fills out the scratches or something. That's what he said, anyway. I sent off a bunch of games and the Dreamcast games came out perfect, and the PS1 stuff looked better, but not perfect.

[synbiosfan]

After two different places ruined two discs (Guardian Heroes & Albert Odyssey) I stopped having it done unless the disc is already unplayable. They were heavily scratched but playable, I just wanted them to look nicer...I know what an idiot.

I really hate how eBayers are taking poorly handled discs, resurfacing them and then are asking top dollar for them.

[QuickSciFi]

Found one down the street! Never been to a Play N Trade...this should be fun :) Gamestop makes me want to puke sometimes

You, sir, have discovered the source of all that is good and pure in this world... of franchised gaming stores.

[porlino87]

You, sir, have discovered the source of all that is good and pure in this world... of franchised gaming stores.

i used to live in Istanbul. There you could buy knockoff games for like 50 cents (and this was completely legal). The originals were around 100$. I miss those days....but this was a nightmare for collectors.


Relative to that...I kind of like the franchises. But when it comes to policies and that cold, heartless feeling i get from the clerks (*gag*)

[QuickSciFi]

i used to live in Istanbul. There you could buy knockoff games for like 50 cents (and this was completely legal). The originals were around 100$. I miss those days....but this was a nightmare for collectors.

I can see why.



Relative to that...I kind of like the franchises. But when it comes to policies and that cold, heartless feeling i get from the clerks (*gag*)

Well, technically, GameStop is not a franchise. It's one giant conglomerate that owns all of its stores. At least with franchises, you may see bends in policy and a more affable frontman when dealing with each store individually (e.g. Play N Trade).

But you nailed it with that one, though. It's exactly what I get when I go (used to go) to GameStop. It's the new trend, see, conglomerates hiding behind boutique-style stores as though the mainstream fad of fashion is all the customer really wants. They have thrown service and product quality down the drain and have replaced it all with beguiled amiability with "fashion" as their selling point. I really don't give a crap for any of that, gaming or otherwise ;).

[porlino87]

I didn't want to start a new thread....so i'll try to slip it in here first

Do collectors mind if they get a game off Ebay and it has been resurfaced? (assuming it has been done well)

[Joe Redifer]

My Daytona USA disc for the Sega® Dreamcast™ stopped working completely one day. I had it resurfaced at Game Force in Boulder, CO and it worked perfectly after that ever since despite it being a super-fancy GD-ROM.

[megasdkirby]

I didn't want to start a new thread....so i'll try to slip it in here first

Do collectors mind if they get a game off Ebay and it has been resurfaced? (assuming it has been done well)

I personally don't mind, as long as it's done properly.

I personally own the JFJ Easy Pro and I LOVE IT. Only had one disc end up damaged because it was already like that.

Best investment I made.

[porlino87]

I personally don't mind, as long as it's done properly.

What would you call a "proper" job? I heard you cant do anything about light "swirly" scratches all over the disc

[mobiusclimber]

You should always say in the listing if it's been resurfaced. Even professional resurfacing you can usually tell it's been resurfaced, tho I've seen a few discs that it was honestly very difficult to tell. Sometimes the disc just looks a little "cloudy" but only very lightly.

Personally if the game plays I don't really care about scratches at all. If it's skipping cinematics or whatever then I'll get it buffed.

[megasdkirby]

What would you call a "proper" job? I heard you cant do anything about light "swirly" scratches all over the disc

Swirly scratches?

[porlino87]

Swirly scratches?

yes. swirly scratches! Apparently resurfaced games look like they have light scratches in a swirl-like fashion. Usually you can only tell if you hold it up to direct light

[Corey_GB]

I have had good experiences with resurfacing discs at my local Play N Trade. They have a pro piece of hardware that takes about 5 minutes to complete the resurfacing process. Generally I just have minor scrapes and scratches removed, but last time I was there I saw them repair a disc that I thought should have been converted to a coaster. The guy brought in a COD:MW 2 disc that had a seriously deep ring in it. His Xbox 360 fell over during gameplay and chewed the disc up. 5 minutes later the disc looked brand new.

[Haoie]

Honestly, $10 a disc to fix it? Is that too much or what?

[Gooch3008]

The rental place I go to is a family owned place. What I did was ask to see a before and after example of the resurfacing process. The guy working had a pile of dvd's he was doing, and I asked him to find the worst looking one and I hung around until he was done and was very very impressed. I pay $3 per disc now, and they get cheaper the more you do. Each disc takes about 5 minutes and they use two different machines. I don't know what type of machine it is. I will ask about them next time im there. I have handed them some expensive discs and been happy with the results each time.

[mobiusclimber]

yes. swirly scratches! Apparently resurfaced games look like they have light scratches in a swirl-like fashion. Usually you can only tell if you hold it up to direct light

That's only if you're using a cheap machine to resurface the disc. "Professional" generally refers to the use of an expensive machine, rather than the kind a place like Hollywood video used to use.

[megasdkirby]

yes. swirly scratches! Apparently resurfaced games look like they have light scratches in a swirl-like fashion. Usually you can only tell if you hold it up to direct light

Hmm... I've Never seen this. Well, at least I have with cheap Game Dr. units.

I don't recall seeing them on professionally resurfaced discs.

[Cmo]

Hmm... I've Never seen this. Well, at least I have with cheap Game Dr. units.

I don't recall seeing them on professionally resurfaced discs.

I second this. Cheap Game Doctors kill the discs, but with the professional machines there shouldn't be any scratches after it is done, as long as it is done right/well. I know our lint free clothes at work get very small particles in them sine we use them so much. Sometimes this will leave just very, very feint marks on the disc.

[Edmond Dantes]

I actually had a GameXchange buffer a Lunar: Silver Star Story disc which was having read issues. While yeah it had the radial marks, the game suddenly played fine.

Which, to me that's whats most important. I don't mind cosmetic problems as long as the game actually works.

[ki_atsushi]

That's only if you're using a cheap machine to resurface the disc. "Professional" generally refers to the use of an expensive machine, rather than the kind a place like Hollywood video used to use.

The Hollywood videos in my area used to do a damn good job resurfacing my discs. I had 3 or 4 resurfaced, and they didn't even have the "swirlies". Had a Street Fighter 3: 3rd strike come out of the machine looking 100% brand new.

I miss Hollywood Video. :(

[Baloo]

Back when I worked at Next-Level Videogames (Independent video game store in Blackwood, NJ about 2 hours from the DP store) my main thing was resurfacing discs. I ran discs for 30, 60, 90, or 120 seconds depending on the condition. For the most part games came out looking really pretty much brand-new, unless they were HEAVILY scratched, and then you'd have maybe 2-3 of the deepest scratches still on the disc in a lighter fashion. The machine was so good that it would even fix Xbox 360 games that had been fucked up when someone accidentally tapped the console with the game inside.

However, there were some dangers too. If a game had even the slightest crack or hairline fracture in it, the resurfacing machine would destroy it. There were at least 4-5 games I cleaned that ended up coming out completely ruined, one was so bad it came out almost split in half after the machine got done with it (Then again it was also probably the dirtiest looking disc I've ever seen.)

And Dreamcast games are not able to be resurfaced. You might be able to get away with it once in a while, but usually if you resurface a Dreamcast game, the disc becomes unplayable. Do NOT resurface DC games unless you ABSOLUTELY have to.

Also, for people complaining that PSX games would get the swirls, if the machine is of good quality, that won't happen to your games. The swirls happen when people decide to use shit like Disc Doctor on their games. A good resurfacing machine will take them out.

Personally I'm all for resurfacing, but make sure your discs are not cracked and whatnot before cleaning them. Don't clean them unless they have to be cleaned, and don't clean DC games. Then you'll be fine!

[Cmo]

And Dreamcast games are not able to be resurfaced. You might be able to get away with it once in a while, but usually if you resurface a Dreamcast game, the disc becomes unplayable. Do NOT resurface DC games unless you ABSOLUTELY have to.

Interesting... I have resurfaced several DC games and haven't had this problem. What kind of machine do you guys use?

[Gavica]

You, sir, have discovered the source of all that is good and pure in this world... of franchised gaming stores.

I don't know what PnT is like where you live, but here they want $35 for a lose copy of metal gear for NES. The rest of their prices are just as ridiculous.

[megasdkirby]

I've purchased discs that look like pure shit: scratches deep enough that they look like razor blade marks, fungus on the top of the discs, etc. The worst things one could ever imagine.

I've placed them on the JFJ Easy Pro. If at first the defects are not eliminated, I try the more "dangerous" method, the soft or coarse abrasive.

After a while, all the discs that were categorized as completely fucked played like new. And they even look brand new!

Also, I have placed discs with minor cracks (not on the data side, usually at the inner spindle) and they are resurfaced with no issues.

Trully, if you buy plenty of used games, this is a great investment...and a life saver.