Is There Really a Market For Cassette Tapes These Days?

I've got the YesYears book of cassettes playing right now and they sound flat out amazing, they were made on cobalt tape with HX PRO.

 

As a recent tape convert, I will say most tapes are sold at shows by small bands or by drone/ ambient or punky projects via mail that usually sell for 5 bucks ( brand new) and have super detailed hand made packaging, drawings etc. I would say this underground is growing, but there is strong price resistance starting about 6 bucks. I believe most of these are break even deals for the bands

I don't think there is much of a market for record stores to carry tapes, goodwill does a 10/ for a dollar every week, so that's what I see as the market value of used Madonna, hank jr, etc. The used/ garage sale/ goodwill/ church/ library sale supply is so prevalent, the few people that want that stuff used can get tons for almost free. I have seen a few shops trying to sell these used junky tapes but I don't think they understand the current tape consumers for the most part.

The players are not being made any longer so for me, I don't risk playing anything unless brand new,even if free.


There's a couple of good documentaries on youtube, namely tapes in java or something like that, that explain the phenomenon much better than I can.

Edit- I own a 98 Lexus, cass player works beautifully still, Lexus put em in till 2002 or so I think.
The last ones I bought were limited to : 25,50 and none I own are pressed more than 100

 

Interesting thread.

IMO, The Cassette format is (aggregately) only as good (or bad) as the deck, the tape and the owner/operator.

Good Tape on a lousy deck: Lousy.
Bad Tape on a Good deck: Lousy.
Good Tape on a Good deck: Competitive with nearly anything except maybe DSD/SACD/Blu-Rays. (If the source material/engineering is good.)
Good Tape/Good Deck/buffoon owner operator: Lousy.
Example:
A good tape (even pre-recorded, which is the WORST possible value for that variable) with a totl 3 head Nak or Pioneer will stand up (and clobber most empty 3's) to fairly discerning scrutiny.
A good BLANK tape (metal oxide or Type II) with those same machines (aligned and maintained) will stand toe to toe with pretty much anything else. And you can actually own it instead of renting it like beer.
It was only as flawed as the manufacturers, the owner's and the user's lack of literacy about how analog recording actually works make it.
It's not as foolproof as digital files. But it can often (goes double for vinyl and RTR, again if everything is cared for and maintained) equal or even exceed average Music File audio quality. (Especially streaming....)
Pioneer's Elite CT-93 has 15Hz-23Khz FR and around 90-ish dB S/N.
Maybe not quite as good as Hi-Res at its best, but if the Hi-Res is screwed up upstream from you, there's even less you can do about it.
It depends on how DIY oriented you are. I'll never sell my machines. (Dragon's are pushing $2K.....) But I did have to learn how to maintain the machines (and tapes) myself.
There is a "tweak" factor rather like that which vinyl enthusiasts embrace. If that's your thing, there's there, there. If not: "Press the button Max".....and enjoy.
A million ways to get there....

 

Was recently paid $.50 per pre recorded tape by our neighborhood brick and mortar. Seems the Man-buns lap them up like nobody's business.
Oh, and that translated to $18.00 for me. Nice alternative to the trash.
.

 

I picked up 4/$1 recently.

 

Those XDR's usually sound pretty good.