Deprecated Physical Magnetic Media and You

December 15, 2008 12:15 PM

Audio Cassette Tapes. VHS tapes. 1/4" Reel-to-Reel tapes. If it's magnetic and stringy and housed in plastic casing, I have it. Quite a few boxes. A few shrink wrapped, some new in box, many more used. Besides craigslist -> free, does anyone have a use for my deprecated media?

Aye, this question was already asked in 2004. I thought I'd ask it again. Just in case there's some hipster revival in Provo that's in desperate need of magnetic media. Anybody out there still need/want tape?

posted by cavalier to media & arts (11 comments total)

And don't get me started about paper magazine back issues... But that's more obviously recycled.
posted by cavalier at 12:16 PM on December 15, 2008

Give them away to medical/elderly in-care facilities, libraries, schools, community centers.

Donate to charitable organizations (Salvation Army, Shelters, etc.)
posted by jkaczor at 12:39 PM on December 15, 2008

I've still got two boxes of audiobooks on cassettes that I wasn't able to convert before my plusDeck 2c died, but the previous ten boxes we gave away to an elderly/medical in-care facility and they were extremely happy to get them.
posted by jkaczor at 12:41 PM on December 15, 2008

In midtown, NYC, I came upon an entire giant trash dumpster heaping full new and used tapes in all formats. Didn't seem to be getting much interest from passers-by.
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:56 PM on December 15, 2008

You've got 11 months to make an awesome tape-monster cthulhu-esque costume for next years halloween.

Actually, if there is an Audio Engineering school near you, maybe they'd take the 1/4" reel to reel tape off your hands, or even buy them off you, for students to practice on.
posted by robotot at 1:08 PM on December 15, 2008

I'll take the 1/4" R-T-R tape for whatever shipping costs, if you're interested.
posted by 6550 at 1:43 PM on December 15, 2008

Freecycle.org, for sure. A few years back I posted on a lark for a reel-to-reel deck and the only person to respond offered me a nearly-new one they had laying around, which coincidentally was the exactly same model as the one I had been trying to repair for a year. Gratis.

This is to demonstrate two big principles: there are people who are hungry for somewhat-pristine detritus; and these people can be reached quickly through reliable channels in just a few words, Craigslist and Freecycle, et al. I've found I'm a bit more comfortable being picky when I give stuff away on Freecycle rather than Craigslist.
posted by rhizome at 2:22 PM on December 15, 2008

Crochet
posted by dreaming in stereo at 9:35 PM on December 15, 2008

Anything that's pro-audio, e.g. DAT, will almost certainly find a home (buyer even), because even if studios upgrade, they tend to keep the old kit around too, and anyone who's still using these formats is probably paying a fortune for them.
posted by iivix at 1:27 AM on December 16, 2008

You could always send Steve Albini an email. He'd likely buy 'em off of you, if they're in decent condition.
posted by klangklangston at 11:48 AM on December 16, 2008

Just wanted to say thanks guys for the suggestions! It ended up only being half a box (6 reels) of 1/4", and the production dept of the local university happily snarfed them up. They didn't want the VHS or Audio cassettes however, so I guess those are going to the great landfill in the heaven south side of town.
posted by cavalier at 8:16 AM on December 23, 2008