Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes

Subject: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Anne Lister
Date: 19 May 12 - 09:48 AM

We're about to move house (later this week) to a much smaller property, and I've just discovered two big boxes direct from the manufacturer of cassettes of one of my albums. It had seemed such a good idea at the time, to get 1000 CDs and 500 cassettes, but that's when cassettes were a saleable product. There must be at least 200 copies, all beautifully wrapped and packaged.
Anyone got any polite and constructive suggestions as to what I could do with them? It seems altogether wrong to just take them down the dump ...

Anne (this is a UK based problem, btw ...)

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 12 - 09:55 AM

Gee, Anne, I think I'd have to say that the best thing to to is to either give them away at concerts, or take them to the dump and save the storage space. Cassettes are about as useless as 8-track tapes nowadays. Vinyl records still have value, but not cassettes.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 19 May 12 - 10:10 AM

I have a similar problem with boxes (and boxes!) of good quality blank cassetes that I stocked up on when we (Fleetwood Folk Club, Onward Community Theatre, various plays wot Ron Baxter wrote etc) were actively producing and promoting recordings of local projects. It must be ten years since I copied to tape.

However, my current ten-year-old Volvo still has a working cassette-player, so I may start transferring more stuff once my stock of ready-to-play material is run through.

And I would very much like an Anne Lister cassette! (There, only 199 to go!) I was supposed to play support for a gig you did at the Lane Ends, Wesham, years ago and had to cry off because of a streaming cold/sore throat. I still have a cassette (!) that Eddie Green made through the PA desk to compensate for me missing what everybody said was a great night.

Good luck with the move!

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 May 12 - 10:18 AM

There may be parts of those cases or tapes that are recyclable. Try googling "recycle cassette tapes" in your area and see what results you get. Google give localized results these days, so what I see if I do it is a lot different than what you'll see.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 19 May 12 - 10:25 AM

Some higher grade brands of shrink-wrapped new old stock blank cassettes are still valued and wanted by Hi Fi obsessives
and musicians stubbornly recording with obsolete 4 track portastudios...

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 19 May 12 - 10:37 AM

Our local household recycling depot has recently set up a skip for "hard plastic" which seems to cover almost anything that's not bottles or food containers. That would be my very last resort!

Just thought of another box - recorded cassettes that came to me from Alan Bell (Fylde Folk Festival) for audition - all from prospective performers (some of whom did get booked). I suspect this is mainly the reject pile (no names, no pack drill) and extremely variable in quality and style - I wonder if some of these people had actually been to a folk festival. Some were obviously made at home, some were copies of professionally made recordings, one had been recorded from one machine to another via the first machine's speakers - unfortunately the microphone of the second machine also picked up the noise of frying bacon, clinking cutlery etc, as the artist went about making his tea! Although a talented artist, he didn't get a booking.

I'll see if there is any interest at the folk club - I took a similar box of CDs there a few weeks ago which I suspect will constitute raffle (booby?) prizes for a few months.

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 19 May 12 - 10:44 AM

pfr - I always wanted an obsolete 4-track portastudio but will probably stick with computer recording for the future.

But if you want some cassettes (or know anybody who does) PM me. The ones I can see are TDK, maybe some Sony ones as well. Also various blank mini-discs?

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 May 12 - 11:18 AM

We've encountered the same problem, with about the same "determination of value" as several have suggested here already.

If you break them open and make enough of a mess of the tapes, they make a nice(?) - if a little unusual - decoration for your Xmas tree (sort of like the alumin(i)um "icecicles" lots of people seem to like, and they're a little easier than the Al stuff to clean up when santy clause goes home. Since you can't likely untangle the mess, one year should be sufficient to justify discard.

About the only thing among our "obsoletes" that we found "useful" was when we discovered that the "storage trays and drawers" originally for the ancient 5" floppies are just about perfect for CDs in jewel boxes. (The floppies, of course, were nearly all unreadable, even when we found a weirdo guy who still had a drive.) A disadvantage of using them "visibly" is they rather suggest you're of "a certain age," but you can always say you inherited them from grandpa.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 May 12 - 11:39 AM

Ask around, you might find that more people have a tape player than you think.

I have two tape players and nice collection of cassettes. They come in handy, now that the CD player has bought the farm.

A couple months ago, two friends wanted to record some improvoisations, and the quickest way to do it was to plug the mic into the tape player, pop in a cassette and let 'er rip, right there in my living room.

I was in Rome, Italy a couple years ago and bought a portable tape player in a variety store, so tapes seem still to be in use in certain countries.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: nickp
Date: 19 May 12 - 12:29 PM

Take them along to gigs and sell them at £2/$2 a time. People still use tapes.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Anne Lister
Date: 19 May 12 - 03:57 PM

May try selling them at gigs, will also donate a quantity for fund-raising causes ... still a tad unsure about the recycling, but will look further into it.
I still have tape players (and cassette recorders, too) and still listen to some other taped material, and I don't think I'm the only dinosaur.
Somewhat staggered to find a couple of websites specialising in selling cassettes and vinyl that had copies of the Anonyma recording "Burnt Feathers" for ridiculous prices - and one that had three of my albums which are still available from me for, again, silly prices. Would be very surprised if they sell any, though!

Have pm'd Ross, but if any other 'Catters would like one they'll be free to a good home for a while at least - although some token gesture towards post and packing would be appreciated!

Anne
Should perhaps say that the album concerned is "Root Seed Thorn and Flower".

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Joe_F
Date: 19 May 12 - 05:19 PM

Thru a weird experience, I ended up with many old cassettes with nothing of value on them. Occasionally I use one for temporary recording. But I find that a stack of them, of suitable height & bound together with duct tape, makes a good bookend for useful cassettes & for CDs.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 19 May 12 - 05:40 PM

I did an album back 2007 for the cassette-only Sloow Tapes label based in Belgium. Siren Records in Tokyo regularly release exquisite cassette only editions. Cassettes are very cool & last longer than CD-Rs. I've still got 40-year old cassettes that play fine but CD-Rs from 10 years ago are nowt but stony silence.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: vectis
Date: 19 May 12 - 07:45 PM

These guys are desparate for tapes and working, mains powered cassette decks for blind children in Africa. My blanks are all about to go out to them.

http://www.blindaid.org/pages/help.php

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: artbrooks
Date: 19 May 12 - 07:53 PM

I would love to have one as well...and would be glad to pay for postage to the US plus something for handling.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: GUEST,Morgana
Date: 20 May 12 - 01:03 PM

I was at a concert once where the singer songwriter asked us questions when he was introducing his songs. Whoever came up with the answer first was given a free cassette.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 20 May 12 - 01:17 PM

My parents used to record the news for the blind on cassettes, there may still be organisations providing this service on cassette.

Subject: RE: Tech: What to do with brand new cassettes
From: Anne Lister
Date: 20 May 12 - 01:35 PM

Just to clarify, the cassettes I have are recorded ones, not blanks.
Could those of you who would like a copy from me please let me have your snail mail addresses so that I can get this organised, please? Via pm, of course, or by
email

Thanks

Anne