CASSETTE TAPE LIFESPAN

[trodden]

I've got a couple milk crates full of cassettes, staring from the late 80's, that I keep to play. They all seem to be good enough, despite the many years they spent in my hot, humid car and punk houses throughout the 90's. In fact, I ripped all my CD's to a couple hard drives and gave the CDs away, but plan on keeping these cassettes forever.

[vernier]

My cassettes from late 70s are fine. And ones from 1980s and 1990s as well. Quarter inch from late 50s to late 80s are good too. I've had some bad luck with newer stuff, mostly 1" from 90s and 2000s.

I have a reel of 1/2" ATR tape that's a little over 10 years old. Leaving lots of residue.

Yep, I think something definitely changed.