Tape Trail Reel to reel, cassette and other analogue tape formats.

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Re: R2R ON EBAY

Posted by X-2000R (A) on January 13, 2007 at 10:57:48

In Reply to: R2R ON EBAY posted by Sour milk moon on January 13, 2007 at 10:06:27:

I don't know what auctions you are looking at, but from what I've seen, prices have for the most part remained pretty stable if not actually dropped. I'm of course assuming you are referring to blank versus prerecorded tapes. I very closely watch the former whereas I pretty much ignore the latter as I'm not into prerecorded tapes.

From what I can tell, the overall trend lately seems to put quality NOS 10" 1/4" 1.0 mil (the preferred tape for many of us) at about $40-50 a roll. Considering that just a couple years ago, following their production cessation, unused Maxell XLI 35-180B's were often breaching the $75 and even occasional $100 mark, their current prices actually aren't that bad when you considered they retail new for about $30-$35.

Of course new substitute tape is being offered by both RMGI and Quantegy for also in the $30-$35 range, those tapes don't come with leaders or the cool "M" reels that so many of us like. If you want to talk about gouging and perceived rip-offs manifested through supply and demand, there's where you should be focusing your attention: CLEAN vintage reels-such as Maxell "M", Teac, Akai, etc....those reels...JUST THE REELS....often sell for more than a whole tape. Beat up old junkers (complete with half peeled written on labels, KFC chicken grease fingerprints, scratches on the surface of the reel deep enough to catch your fingernail on, and a black hub adaptor ring) can be had for a pittance. It's the clean ones you get stung on.

So all in all, I don't see where things are all that bad right now. There is plenty of tape (both new and NOS) available at generally reasonable prices. If you go for NOS, you get the whole package.

On the other hand, if you want to combine both worlds (fresh tape wound onto clean OLD reels, stored in old style boxes, with leaders), then THERE'S where you will be running into some frightening figures.

Indeed, I have a bunch of unused 10" Scotch "Classic" tapes I'm doing that with: the reels and boxes are pristine. But the tape is probably no good (30 years old and a known SSS offender). So I dump it, take a pancake of Quantegy #407 or #457 3600', splice some red and green leaders on it, and voíla! I get the best of both worlds. Classic '70's flashback and aesthetics combined with some fresh new 2000's tape.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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