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    Cassette Decks

    As I had a spare shelf in my stereo set-up, and an external antenna, I was curious regarding the price of second-hand FM/AM tuners. The answer was that people were giving them away and I bought one for €0.99.

    However, at least in Germany, cassette decks seem to be holding their value and the going rate on eBay seems to be at least €70 for a good brand. I'm a little mystified as to why. Anyone any ideas?

    #2
    I have precisely zero data to back up this assertion, but I'm going to say "hipsters".

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      #3
      Haha, I was going to say exactly the same!

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        #4
        I'd have imagined cassette decks would be insufficiently authentic for hipsters, who'd insist on listening to music through a …

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          #5
          That's SteamPunk

          This is Hipster

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            #6


            EDIT: Blimey, that's quite a big picture.

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              #7
              I don't think even hipsters, despite their tins of Pabst and gallons of "irony", are going to be listening to the Eagles yet.

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                #8
                People who still own cassettes with material they can't get elsewhere e.g. taped off the radio. I've got about three carrier bags full. The price surprises me a bit as I bought a cassette deck for Ł20 about 12 years ago, so maybe there is a trendiness aspect too. But popularly outmoded formats remain perfectly functional. I was using a cassette walkman well into this century cos it was cheap and I own cassettes.

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                  #9
                  I've definitely seen cassingles released recently by contemporary acts, with hipster "irony" I'm sure.

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                    #10
                    Well done, Ray, for using the correct terminology. I was playing Bow Wow Wow the other night while DJing. Not on cassingle, obviously.

                    I'd forgotten the cigarette style packaging of the best cassingle.


                    I note that they are bringing out "Back In Black" on cassette again. Which is good as mine gave out in 1984.

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                      #11
                      Cassette album sales grew 112% in the UK in 2017.

                      Sales grew by less in the U.S. but in both cases the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and it’s sequel’s soundtrack seems to have triggered the novelty appeal.

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                        #12
                        The Guardian predicted a cassette revival in their 2010 ‘next decade’ cultural crystal ball.

                        I’ve been trying to sell 3 for a fiver on our upmarket carboot stall ever since and have only once sold more than 3. I always ask ‘still got a Walkman, then?’ And invariably the answer is ‘no- an old car’.

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                          #13
                          I know a few people who release their music on cassette, in fact noise and experimental bands have never really abandoned the format. It's cheap to produce, and the gradual sound degradation is often part of the appeal.

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                            #14

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                              #15
                              Bit early for Rowan Atkinson in leather trousers...

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                                #16
                                The Techmoan channel on YouTube is great for explanations of all these old-school (and obsolete) formats.

                                In fact, he does an unboxing of an 8-track player, which I think is the same model as Toby G posted. I say unboxing--it must have been sitting in a warehouse—unopened—for forty years.

                                In another video, he fixes one of these:

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                                  #17
                                  I don't even know what that is.

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                                    #18
                                    I've still got my Sharp RT-10 which I inherited from my grandfather. He used to have it hooked up to an amp, but I prefer to listen on the headphones as most of my tapes are of stuff mrs b doesn't much care for (obscure old metal bands and Britrock never-weres).

                                    Sound quality's still good even for a machine that's almost 40 years old, and RT-10s are handsome little buggers too:

                                    Last edited by blameless; 20-03-2018, 12:00.

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                                      #19
                                      I bought a K7 (a little bit of French for you there...) from an experimental band from SF after seeing them at a festival (as well as link for a download...) and you'd be surprised how many new release are available in that format when you explore sites like Bandcamp...

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Sits View Post
                                        I don't even know what that is.
                                        It's a set of kitchen scales, surely?

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                                          #21
                                          In fact, he does an unboxing of an 8-track player, which I think is the same model as Toby G posted. I say unboxing--it must have been sitting in a warehouse—unopened—for forty years.

                                          I subscribe to another YouTube channel (Lazy Game Reviews) that does similar things with computer tech. Recent unboxings of "new" (ancient, but still in their original shrink-wrap) equipment include a 1991 PC (with an Intel 286 chip - woohoo!) and a 1995 digital camera.

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                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by Sits View Post
                                            I don't even know what that is.
                                            It's a battery-operated 8-track player. Pressing the plunger cycles between the four tracks channels.
                                            Last edited by Stumpy Pepys; 20-03-2018, 15:32.

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                                              #23
                                              I have a NAD tuner and cassette deck waiting to be hooked up with a turntable at some point. I have a lot of cassettes, wish I’d taken better care of them. My husband nicked a few and took them to Russia as “you have loads of them”, for which I haven’t forgiven him. There should be a special box on the divorce form. I’m stewing again now.

                                              Last edited by MsD; 20-03-2018, 15:27.

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