Okay zyklon69... As a tape fanatic and Nakamichi fan I've dissected your post and can't leave it alone... While I get what you are ultimately trying to say (don't pay ridiculous prices for tapes)... I can't help but point out some glaring issues with your argument and think there's got to be some other motive behind your post...
No matter what some one will sell vintage cassettes cheap just because of human nature.
Okay, some people will sell vintage cassettes cheap. Especially used ones. And there are plenty. As for new old stock tapes of good quality, I guess there will always be those people who don't know (or care) what they have, and they might sell locally or even donate to thrift stores rather than extract the most value from selling them on ePay. You call it human nature, I'll call it ignorance, laziness or simply lost opportunity.
Remember cassettes are real time analog and require lots of time to record,much more time than 99.9% of the population will put into them..
Yes, we all know that cassette recordings are typically made in real time (except hi-speed dubbing decks
) and 99% of the population (in modern countries) probably doesn't even have access to a properly working cassette deck, much less a well tuned high end unit. But, It should also be noted that to some people that real time investment in time and effort is part of the appeal of making tapes. Call it "zen" if you will. Think about it... where's the passion in burning a playlist of MP3's to a CD-R? In my opinion, that does not compare to the effort and passion that goes into a carefully put together mix-tape. And I like the way tapes sound (on my system).
People buy 10 cassette tapes and record one.
How can you speak for everyone who buys a 10-pack of tapes? If I buy 10 tapes, I will record on nine or all 10 of them. That 10th tape might be kept in wrapper for collectible purposes if I don't already have it, but only maybe. I think people seeking out tapes are doing so for one of two reasons. To use or to collect.
Monitor ebay and your favourite tapes can be found at $1 a piece regardless of formulation.
$1 each, regardless of formulation???? Sorry, but this is absolutely not true. This is the extreme exception, not the rule. I've been regularly watching tape prices on American and German ebay for the past three years. As with anything on ebay, you might get lucky in some lot auctions, mislabeled or wrong-category auctions, but those are becoming more and more rare. I challenge you to find me $1 1982 Maxell XL-IIS, or a 1983 TDK MA-R, or even just a standard TDK SA from 1984 for $1??? Even used Sony Metal Masters and used TDK MA-R's and metal framed MA-XG's go for as much as $25 each.
Avoid the warped Hitachi /Maxell formulations that were concocted to sell Nak decks.A cassette tape meeting Philips standards needs no correction or an over rated Failamichi cassette deck.Sony and Goldstar are in the top 5 of the best formulations ever,TDK tapes also worth seeking.Maxell is the Bose of cassette tapes and is best discarded in the nearest trash can,all hype.
What is this Philips standard to which you are referring? Are you talking about the IEC standards for Type I, II, III and IV tapes? Maxell/Hitachi tapes were not concocted to sell Nakamichi decks. In fact, Nakamichi had corporate agreements with TDK (Maxell's largest competitor) to use TDK tape stock in their Nakamichi-branded ZX, SX and EX cassettes. And as far as I know in 30+ years of Nakamichi and Maxell ownership and use, they are completely unrelated companies. The reason Maxell and Nakamichi are sometimes mentioned together is because in their own rights, each made products that were considered among the top in their industry. Okay, I'll admit that not all Maxells were great, but they did make some of the very best cassettes in the world. (go to
http://www.tapeheads.net) just as Nakamichi made some of the best tape decks in the world. Yes, there were many other good tapes, and there were also many other good tape decks. I have six fully working Naks here, some dating back to the 70's and they sound fantastic. I can tell you from personal experience and comparison to many other decks (Denon, Pioneer, Teac, Revox, Onkyo, Yamaha & JVC) that there is a reason why they have such a strong reputation for quality and sound. And, Yes, Sony did have some really outstanding tapes, but they had their share of crap formulations, too. And I'd like to hear more about the Goldstar (LG) formulations you hold in such high regard. Personally, I don't have any experience with Goldstar tapes so I can't comment on them. From your comments, it sounds like you must have had a very negative experience with Nakamichi and Maxell at some point. To that, all I can say is that you should come over for a beer some time and hear what some of my Naks can do with my Maxells.
Sell all ur unwanted tapes on ebay,Jens will buy them at megaprices.p.s.hope Jens stocks up on belts and cassette motors,both of which have not been made in 10 years
)))
Paying mega $$$ from mega sellers on ebay is stupid.With patience you will be rewarded with quality tapes at a fair price.Why pay $10+ for a $2
tape from an ebay mega crook?
Why do you mention Jens and bring his name into this discussion? What's the purpose of that when you must know he is a well respected member of this community? Or...., is this revealing why you really started this thread in the first place??? Did he maybe sell you one of his vintage Nak ZXL's and now it's got a broken motor or belt perhaps?? Maybe it even broke while it was trying to play or record a Maxell??? That would explain your position a bit. I'm just trying to understand where you are coming from....
I do agree with you that paying megaprices on ebay is stupid. $50 for TDK MA-R, $80+ Maxell Vertex, $50+ for Sony Metal Master, etc.... is ridiculous. Don't do it!
It sounds to me like you are probably from Europe, and having checked tape prices out on German ebay, I do think it is easier to find good deals on NOS tapes on that side of the Atlantic than in the USA. But, let's evaluate your comment about paying $10 for a $2 tape... Even when they were new back in the 80's and 90's and in constant production with no end in sight... most really good tapes worth having sold for more than $2. Let's take the case of the very well regarded 1986 Maxell MX (because I happen to have one here with a German Karstadt department store sticker on it). That tape cost DM 10.90 back in the day. Google confirms the average Deutsch Mark to Dollar exchange rate back in 1986 was DM 2.17 = $1. Both numbers sound right to me as I was living there at the time, and that equates to $5.02 per Maxell MX-90. Taking that a bit further, according to inflation calculator websites $5.02 in 1986 dollars equals $9.92 in 2010. So, paying $10 for a Maxell MX now is basically paying the same price as what they "really" cost back then. And you can sometimes find those MX tapes for $10 on ebay (but never for $1). And while I also think $10 is a bit much for a tape, after inflation adjusting that is basically the same value they held in '86. Take that one step further and consider that they are no longer being made and that every time you unwrap a vintage tape that's one less available in the global inventory of tapes, one could even argue that it's a worthwhile investment to stock up on rare quality audio tapes. The supply grows smaller every day...
It's when you start comparing the price of tapes to to the price of blank CD-R's when things get really lopsided. But, to an analog purist, or tapehead... that's not the issue.
I almost fainted seeing that, is that a current pic?
