NOS blank cassette tape purchases [Archive]

Marco

25-12-2009, 13:59

Guys (all tape fans),

I've just bought a load of these from my regular NOS blank cassette tape seller on Ebay:

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/856/tdktape.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/i/tdktape.jpg/)

NOS TDK SA90 from 1985 are my favourite blank tapes - they offer truly superb sound quality and make immaculate recordings :)

If anyone else fancies buying some, the item listing is here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TDK-SA-90-1985-SEALED-BLANK-HIGH-BIAS-CASSETTE-TAPE_W0QQitemZ200364847403QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Bl ank_Media?hash=item2ea6acf12b

I also bought some of these NOS Scotch ones:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9722/scotchtape2.jpg (http://img197.imageshack.us/i/scotchtape2.jpg/)

and these:

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1540/scotchtape.jpg (http://img15.imageshack.us/i/scotchtape.jpg/)

Merry Christmas everyone! http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/1407/santas.gif (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/santas.gif/)

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/4503/smileysleigh.gif (http://img683.imageshack.us/i/smileysleigh.gif/)

Marco.

DSJR

25-12-2009, 21:24

Scotch had a reputation for shedding and/or re-gringing the tape heads at one time, although I liked their betamax formulations..

Can't go wrong with SA though, as most machines from the late seventies were set up around this tape, which didn't seem to change overmuch over the years - not severely enough to worry about anyway I think and it got better if anything.

Marco

25-12-2009, 21:54

Interesting, Dave. Can't say that I've ever had any problem with Scotch tapes, and I like the tonal quality they give recordings (I also like BASF Chromdioxid Extra II for similar reasons) :)

Interesting links: http://vintagecassettes.com/basf/basf_files/ebasf85.htm

http://vintagecassettes.com/tdk/tdk.htm

...and YouTube vid:

b-pqJsq-IeY

TDK 'SA' is indeed very reliable, but the 1985 version shown above is IMO, sonically, a cut above the rest, as is the 1982 version below (82-85 is the era for highest quality TDKs):

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/7126/image2008.jpg (http://img693.imageshack.us/i/image2008.jpg/)

Marco.

Beechwoods

26-12-2009, 05:43

Thanks Marco!

Giant Haystacks

26-12-2009, 10:02

there is a uk seller on e bay at the minute selling a lot of quality tapes thats mrx pro sony metal master basf chrome many maybe 20-30 maybe worth a look also

Marco

26-12-2009, 10:42

Thanks Marco!

No worries, matey - have you treated yourself to some blanks? :)

Giant (what's your proper first name, btw?),

Could you provide a link please to the UK seller? Cheers! :cool:

Marco.

Spectral Morn

26-12-2009, 10:49

No worries, matey - have you treated yourself to some blanks? :)

Giant (what's your proper first name, btw?),

His name is Francis...he is a friend of mine.

Could you provide a link please to the UK seller? Cheers! :cool:

Marco.

He usually plays that info very close to his chest ;)

Regards D S D L

Marco

26-12-2009, 11:33

LOL - cheers, Neil! :)

Marco.

DSJR

26-12-2009, 12:27

I really liked Thats tapes if the machine could be adjusted for them..

Giant Haystacks

26-12-2009, 23:26

i am not good at technical things but man who was advertising was using example
thats tape and in brackets nakamichi revox tandberg they are not cheap but if someone wanted to cherry pick
i have many quality metal and chrome which was sort of my hobby for past 6 to 8 years and i started selling some of the weaker examples and i be getting intrest from eastern europe poland russia ill write out my collection in the new year if any of the aos want to cherry pick some people its daleks im the audio tape

Beechwoods

27-12-2009, 06:25

Could you provide a link please to the UK seller? Cheers! :cool:

Funnily enough, he's a member here, though only a couple of posts so far. He's a very active member over on Tapeheads, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of turntables to boot:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/stuartypoorty/m.html

Personally, following a few 'private deals' all my blank tape needs are sorted for a few decades, including some very nice Maxell XLI-S tapes which are a bit special in the world of Type I tapes (cobalt formulation, very much like a Type III).

I used to use Thats tape a lot back when Richer Sounds sold them for a couple of quid a go for the Metal types. I thought they were fab and still have a lot of recordings on them. IIRC Thats were manufactured by Taiyo Yuden, who are considered by many to make some of the best CDr blanks you can get these days.

jandl100

27-12-2009, 11:18

I always use TDK SA90 and already have a drawer full of unused blanks! ... I don't know their vintage though, maybe they aren't the favoured year, but they sound fine to me. :)

Such is the excellent quality with these tapes on a decent deck that I don't use Dolby at all, and get next to no tape hiss.

Spectral Morn

27-12-2009, 11:42

Funnily enough, he's a member here, though only a couple of posts so far. He's a very active member over on Tapeheads, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of turntables to boot:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/stuartypoorty/m.html

Personally, following a few 'private deals' all my blank tape needs are sorted for a few decades, including some very nice Maxell XLI-S tapes which are a bit special in the world of Type I tapes (cobalt formulation, very much like a Type III).

I used to use Thats tape a lot back when Richer Sounds sold them for a couple of quid a go for the Metal types. I thought they were fab and still have a lot of recordings on them. IIRC Thats were manufactured by Taiyo Yuden, who are considered by many to make some of the best CDr blanks you can get these days.

I do wish that Stuart would only put his tape listings in the right place. He has flooded the Revox section on E-Bay with his tapes.

Regards D S D L

Marco

27-12-2009, 23:53

Hi Nick,

Funnily enough, he's a member here, though only a couple of posts so far. He's a very active member over on Tapeheads, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of turntables to boot:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/stuartypoorty/m.html

For some reason I'm not getting anything on that link now (earlier on I could see a large list of tapes there).... :scratch:

Now it just says:
Your search returned 0 items :confused:

Any idea what's going on?

Marco.

Alex_UK

28-12-2009, 00:12

Same for me yesterday - I wondered what was going on too!

Marco

28-12-2009, 00:32

Perhaps Neil or Nick can provide a renewed link which provides the necessary info? :)

Marco.

Spectral Morn

28-12-2009, 10:41

Perhaps Neil or Nick can provide a renewed link which provides the necessary info? :)

Marco.

His listing has ended for some reason....I thought a few had a couple of days to run.

Regards D S D L

Marco

28-12-2009, 11:25

Hi Neil,

I see... I thought his stuff on Ebay was on a 'Buy it now' permanent thing, like the guy I use for NOS tapes in the States. If it's not, the link is of no use to me.

Marco.

Spectral Morn

28-12-2009, 16:33

Hi Neil,

I see... I thought his stuff on Ebay was on a 'Buy it now' permanent thing, like the guy I use for NOS tapes in the States. If it's not, the link is of no use to me.

Marco.

No hes an auction guy, based on this showing....with some high estimates of where the bidding should start on some of his tapes.

Regards D S D L

Alex_UK

28-12-2009, 17:43

No hes an auction guy, based on this showing....with some high estimates of where the bidding should start on some of his tapes.

22 new auctions started today.

Beechwoods

28-12-2009, 17:54

No hes an auction guy, based on this showing....with some high estimates of where the bidding should start on some of his tapes.

Regards D S D L

I get the feeling he's aiming at collectors who're after a sealed example of a variety of tapes, not people wanting to build up a stock of tapes to use, but I may be wrong.

Marco

28-12-2009, 18:42

No, Nick, I think you're absolutely right, so it's not really for me.

Good luck to him, though!

Marco.

dmckean

29-12-2009, 05:51

My wife is glad I don't have an expensive tape collecting hobby.

Giant Haystacks

28-01-2010, 17:26

hi a good buy for someone 1 day left of auction ,quality cassettes pick up only,i have tryed hard and failed (box of 124 blank audio used tapes)gillingham kent . so may suit someone as nos tapes of this period they cost a lot now

darkstar078

31-01-2010, 13:52

Hey Marco,

If you're looking for sealed empty cassettes I can help. I am talking about TDK SA, That's VX, Sony, Maxell C90-C60 tapes, though I have to say supply is very limited. And this is not a joke!
No price mentioned but trust me on this one only for free will be cheaper ;)

Spectral Morn

31-01-2010, 14:26

Marco

31-01-2010, 14:53

Spectral Morn

31-01-2010, 15:12

How much you talkin about then, dude? Leave some for Neil, too! ;)

Marco.

P.S What's your proper first name?

Thank you :)

We need to see what darkstar078 is wanting to do. He is Pming me at the moment.

I have to go out now. I will reply to your PM when I come back.

Regards D S D L

Marco

02-02-2010, 05:21

"Darkstar", I'm still waiting! :rolleyes:

Neil, have you heard anything from him on the tape situation?

Marco.

Spectral Morn

02-02-2010, 17:25

"Darkstar", I'm still waiting! :rolleyes:

Neil, have you heard anything from him on the tape situation?

Marco.

No..bar the initial PM. I suggested we split the tapes 50/50 between the different tape types to make it fare. I said that you were interested in his offer, as was I. I asked how much he was looking for what he had, and what indeed he had. Since then nothing.

I will let you know when he comes back to me.

Regards D S D L

Kris

02-02-2010, 17:30

Hey Marco, If you're looking for sealed empty cassettes I can help . . . . .trust me on this one only for free will be cheaper ;)

Pity the cassettes are empty. They'd be worth more than a giveaway price if they were loaded with tape . . .

:lolsign:

darkstar078

04-02-2010, 01:05

Pity the cassettes are empty. They'd be worth more than a giveaway price if they were loaded with tape . . .

Damn Kris, I couldn't have fooled you ;)
Actually I was thinking to open the housing and change the chrometape for normal one.
Would he have noticed the change??? I doubt it. With a deck with auto-calibration he would easily be able to make finest recordings. :lolsign:

Cheers guys,
Darkstar078