Had a guy at a record store tell me to never store tapes vertically

He said it would warp the shells over time, so I kept all my cassettes stacked flat in a milk crate for like two years. But then I pulled out a rare mix I traded for at a show and the tape was all crinkled from the weight on top of it. I guess his advice was good for some cases but not when you pile them ten deep. Anyone else run into storage advice that backfired like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_fiona1mo ago

Wait, you stacked them flat ten high and still had problems? I did almost the same thing back in college because some guy at a flea market told me flat was safer than vertical. Ended up with a few tapes that sounded warbly and wobbly after a while from the weight. I think the trick is to keep them somewhere in the middle, not crammed too tight either way. Maybe a box with dividers or just a smaller crate so you don't overstuff it. Sorry that happened to your rare mix tape, that kind of loss stings for sure.

wyatt7711mo ago

Yeah, I remember reading somewhere that the weight of stacked tapes can actually press down on the bottom ones and warp the shell over time (even with those hard plastic cases). A buddy of mine used to work at a record store and he told me they always stored them vertically because the tape reels sit more naturally that way, less stress on the spools. The warbly sound you got is probably from the tape getting pinched or slightly stretched inside the cartridge from all that pressure. It's a bummer how one bad storage choice can mess up a tape you really cared about, especially a mix someone made for you.