Afaik Oxfam/SVP and a similar charity shops have contacts with volunteer 'techies' who will do their best to fix up old PCs/VCRs/stereo systems etc. that are 'beyond economical repair', but could still give service with a couple of replacement parts and a bit of patient twiddling around. In the case of your own system, you could of course shop online or try Peats/Maplins for a replacement laser assembly - but they're damn tricky to fit unless you have the right precision screwdrivers (and a very steady hand!)
A commercial repair service will always charge more than it's worth to fix an old item (a) because there's an (unreasonable) expectation on the part of the customer that they'll guarantee that the thing will keep working forever after, and (b) because there's more profit (& sales commission) in whacking out new gear, with plenty of built-in obsolescence.
It's unfortunate, but inevitable given the economics of the marketplace... :rolleyes