My TDK Cassettes Collection

Here the last tapes, i`ve got

that are used ones, because there are no sealed to find. Here you also can see the "stars", they also mark the quality of the tape - more stars, higher quality.

These are tapes, where you was able to record news or other information and send with mail - on the back you can write the adress .

And here`s an important one for collection - the first generation of SA / Japan from 1974 in very good condition.

I still have one with a damaged seal, but new - if somebody is interested in - please pn.

 

Meanwhile i`ve got some of used TDK Metal Tapes, to get a closer look to mechanism and case, especially the frame and their differences.

I wanted to make some records - but there`s a big problem - the MA-R from 1979 and 1982 have no Tape Type Identifier Apertures :

My deck has an automatic Tape Recognition, and the Calibration is connected to the Tape type. These tapes are recognized as "Normal" / Type I - so the calibration doesn`t work.
The only thing i can do is to change the frame from the 1984 model to the older ones, it`s too fiddly to make self-made holes in the frame ( you need four... ) ;-)
Does anybody have experiences with the calibration of these tapes without the ID apertures . Does Auto Calibration in the corresponding decks work exactly ?

 

After a while i got new tapes, let`s have a look

some used, as placeholders, for example a very old one from 1968 - the C-60F SD ( this first ones only have the " HIFI "- print - the later ones from `71 - `72 already have a logo-lookalike HIFI-symbol ) , and i looked for a long time for the first D - the D-C90 from 1972 for Japan Region with japanese letters. The two Krom have different declarations. I was surprised by discovering the Picnic Basket in RED, i only had the BLUE version. The blistered MA-XG is a very nice edition - in very good condition. By the way - i now try to get good conditioned blistered packs, there will come some SA - type - blisters. The PATTY & JIMMY Cassette is also from SANRIO Merchandise, like the Hello Kitties for example.
Now there are 630 Cassettes in the Collection, and about 10, i`m waiting for. And about 40 Cassettes still are in my watch list.
Next time i will actualize the pdf - catalogue from my databank and post a link for interessents. To be continued.
Have a good time

 

Amazing collection @soluna ! I would love to see it in person, impressive just by quantity!

 

The better cassette decks have manual or manual overide to choose the type of eq, like all Nakamichis, Tandberg and Revox decks and most all Sonys too.

As far as performance, the ‘79 MA-R is still an amazing tape, but actually still slightly inferior to later post 1982 MA-R when used in a TOTL Nakamichi, where the slight difference in THD and MOL can actually be measured. In lesser decks, the capability of the tape easily outperforms what the deck can provide in recording. Audible? Perhaps not, but easily measured and that was what allowed TDK to command such a premium for them. FWIW, SSMM had superior THD, but the tape is definitely more fragile, and did not hild up as well after 45years. Most all Sony MM and SMM I have recorded with, experience dips in HF in random places. Most every MA-R and also MA-XG (in metal shell) held up far better, many perfectly. Vertex is also superior in retention and side to side azimuth and track, but less so in MOL and THD. Again, bragging rights FAR more than audio actual performance. Vertex performs best in a smooth capstan deck. Frosted capstan decks grab the back coating a bit too much it appears to me. The shell isn’t as cool as SONY ceramics or TDKs metal but it is still up there, even if a lot of it is flash. I mean really, rub on gold transfer for labeling and individual serial numbers per cassette? But back then, it sure sounded amazing.

 

@Perryinva Thanx for the post, unfortunally the two test tape both have crinkled tape on the first minutes, but the rest seems OK. And i was wrong with " `79 and `82 " - only the `79 - tapes have no holes for tape type. It`s not easy to discover the year without declaration on foil.

 

By the way - there are a couple of new tapes, especially double-blister-packages like written upon - i will post later.

 

Today, after long break, i post news, only a few of news, because the tapes, i really look for, will be more and more rarer...
Meanwhile i bought some DAT - Tapes for the collection -( THESE are also Audio Cassettes... ) :

- ( the little "Cassette" in the "golden" Frame-Wheel is a paper notebook with TDK-lookalike )

and some of the Cassettes are changed to the similar Double-Blister-Packages :


Later i will add some single tapes, i found. Have a good time .

 

All the Blister packages were bought in USA by a friend. It seems , that these Packages only were produced for the american region ( also Canada - you can see some with french declaration, and spanish - for South America ). And only the main stream tapes were sold in that way. I didn`t see similar blister packages with this special design ( more representative, and a hole to hang it ) for europian/australian and asian ( with japanese declaration ) regions. In these regions there are only the block blisters with 2 or more cassettes. Such i have a few, but only for the cassettes, that only were produced in block blisters, like the F 90, and the ROKU ( from these there are not sealed single tapes existing. Yet a little item - the tapes for europian region have a splitted english, german and french declaration, and some additional spanish and portuguese. Asia must live with the japanese texts ;-)

 

There`s still another little fact about blisters - some of them are with single sealed tapes packed together in the blister package, some not - there are only the blank cassettes without foil in it - in the last cases i hold the sealed tapes, i already have , in the collection.

 

Yes , you*re right, i haven`t known the right teminology, iT´s good to learn some additional specials. I never bought my new cassettes for recordings in those days as header cards - i always bought 5-er packs, mostly Maxell XLII-S. I remember a price of 20 DM. Same with my Mini Discs, mostly Sony.
And of course i have some real Blister packs in the collection. ( Can`t send a photo, server issue )

 

I even sometimes have problems to call the single parts of a cassette - shell, cover, case,reel ( can i say spool ? ) and so on. And yes, such a rack would be a nice accessory.
Here are one of my Blister Packs

but how would you call this

 

As I'm in the similar boat, but my rabbit hole goes even deeper, really enjoyed browsing through your thread.

Which ones are you still missing? Have you managed to find really rare stuff, like the calcite series?
Also, are you collecting TDK demonstration tapes?

 

Hello, here are some of the tapes i`m looking for - also "Calcite"


i found one of calcite on buyee/zen market, but it`s only the cassette, without the original case, inlet, let alone the seal foil :


and yes, i also looking for demonstration tapes, but all the some i found still were too expensive, like this :
https://www.ebay.de/itm/15671653030...G6MK4C&hash=item247d087a7d:g:HZcAAOSwVkhnteAS

it`s too expensive, because there the paper card box is missing... I`m waiting for another parcel, there, for example will be the third "Colitas" - i already have two. Then i will send the link to the new pdf from my databank catalogue.

 

Yeah, calcite is tricky to get a hold of. I have one coming my way - used, but with original J-card, unfortunately written.

And, yeah, the beautiful Demo MA-Rs are great and expensive.
Got the POPS one used, but in good condition and with the box:


But not sure if I'm going to collect the others unless I come by a great deal.

 

I already have missed some cassettes, because i waited too long, for example the two time editor cassettes... And i think, after years i`m not willing to pay too much money. At the bay at the moment are 3 sealed Hello Kitty TDK - i would needed, but the seals are with little damages - so the price i too high for now. Some years ago, i would have bought them... And the prices for shipment and storage by the intermediaries in US and Japonia were increasing, so i must think every deal.

 

and - again to juxa - do you know, if there are existing 2 kinds of "Special Sound TDK " ? One sealed, but not in box like my post from ebay, and one with box, but not sealed like yours ? Or am i not able to discover the seal on your "POPS" cassette ?