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now i love buying vinyl. i think the sound quality is better and it's fun to build out a physical collection of my favorite music. BUT, they are SO expensive that for a person not made of money like myself, i can only splurge on one every once and awhile. seriously, like 30 dollars for a vinyl i just cannot justify sometimes.
BUY A CASSETTE PLAYER AND BUY CASSETTES!!! this has become my new favorite way to build out a music collection while still enjoying the physicality of a tape. also tapes are just so cheap compared to vinyl. go to your local record store and they should have boxes just overflowing with tapes going anywhere from 1 dollar to like 10 MAXIMUM. at this point i just buy random 1 dollar tapes in the hope that i am exposed to some new music i haven't heard before, and i am always pleased!!
now is the sound quality a little worse? yes, but that is a trade-off i am willing to make at this point. also most portable cassette players have radio functions, and nothing is better than falling asleep to AM radio.
Feb 14, 2025
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I was skeptical at first thinking it was solely a nostalgia-chasing trend, but I found out quickly that tape cassettes can sound really great! I think the lo-fi bias comes from our collective memory of car decks that were never cleaned and tapes that baked on Toyota Corolla dashboards for years. I was able to find a decent used Sony player, and then I realized the real benefits:
1. A lot of bands still release cassettes. It's cheaper for them to make, which means you don't have to drop $25 just to support a band you like
2. Used cassettes are SO CHEAP. It's a bit of a gamble on the quality, but when we're talking a couple dollars for a decent copy of your favorite album, it's a no-brainer. I have a local shop where I'm able to get them to check out whether they look ok or not.
3. It's the perfect middle ground between the frictionless aspect of streaming (where we fall into that "analysis paralysis"), and the slow, purposeful ritual of listening to a vinyl record from front to back. When you pop a tape in, you still get to bring it wherever, but you'll likely commit to it all the way through.
I can say so much more about the technical aspects, but maybe I'll save it unless people have questions.
Feb 29, 2024
Started collecting Cassettes a year ago. Results?
Pros;
-great to show off to house guests
-less expensive in the long run
-physically playing music = good for the soul
-keeps you off your phone
-keeps you patient and makes you appreciate the music more
-good excuse to go into music shops and have fun!
-cheaper than vinyl!
Cons;
-Static noise underneath music
-Expensive in the short-term than a Spotify subscription
-requires batteries
-less options for albums/artists than vinyl (newer music = more money)
-tape can get ruined easily if not taken care of
In the end, it's up to you! Collecting things is a fun hobby anyways and collecting something that gives back (tunes and sick beats!) is worth it.
Feb 9, 2025
a cassette will cost you a third of what an LP will, while offering you that same sense of physical ownership. but it puts everyone โ major label, indie label, local band, bedroom improviser, mixtape compiler, bootlegger โ on the same level. cheap to make, easy to do in very tiny limited runs, easy to make into beautiful objects.
the affordability and the small form factor make them easy to keep picking up - at any merch stand, bandcamp page, overseas record store or charity shop. even if I do most of my listening digitally these days, it's a lovely treat to bring the walkman out if I'm walking into town.
Dec 4, 2024
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the amc a-list is well-known gem, but it is really one of the best deals available, especially after the recent change they made to it. four movies a week! what! However I get sometimes you just have to go to the cinema on a budget, tickets can be expensive. STILL, support your local independent theater if you can!! at least around me there are multiple rep theaters (shoutout the coolidge theater in Boston and the Brattle in Cambridge) that constantly show old films and introduce classics to a new audience. I will die for these theaters, and I try to find a balance between using my a-list for new movies and seeing rep screenings at the indies! you can do both! I LOVE MOVIES!!!!
Feb 17, 2025
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get drunk, embarrass yourself, itโs worth it, it will strengthen your bonds (as long as itโs not your boss)
Feb 18, 2025
as both a movie and a physical media lover, starting a dvd/blue-ray/criterion collection and buying a blue-ray player was one of the best choices I've ever made. record stores, thrift stores, and other random places sell dvds of incredible movies for like 1 dollar each, so it makes it super easy to start a collection, and you have a physical watchlist to go through. I've also started buying criterion and I am in love with those, but they can be quite expensive so I do it sparingly, and only when there is a 50% sale which happens like 2-3 times a year. get off the streaming services and start watching your movies off a disc!!!
Feb 15, 2025