Reel to reel deck -Talk me in or out of buying

I have had various reel to reel decks in my system for almost 40 years and still play one frequently. Blank tape are still available but the choices are quite limited compared to the past. If you are interested in pre-recorded tapes they are still relatively easy to find but can be expensive. I purchased a DAT recorder about 10 years ago to copy some of my lp collection. While the sound was very good I still preferred the warmer analog sound from reel to reel. I agree with one of the posters about R/R they are not convenient to play, maintain and store but by all means go for it.

Dopogue - LMAO!!!!!!

I have a Magnachord and a few old reels of pre-recorded tapes.
the hiss is God awful but it's a blast to operate (better than a glass front washer) and it is built for posterity. Like the old horn speakers, there is something right going on here amongst the many wrongs. I play it about once a month and it always brings a grin. Buy it and have fun! Leave it to your grandchildren!
cheers,
Sam
P.S. Careful not to drop it on your toes!

The best way to pick up tunes with an instrument is to use slower speed on the faster recordings to find out the details to repeat which you can't certainly do with any CD device or even DAT...

I cannot agree with the opinion tape would not last. I have 300+ TDK, REVOX, BASF and other tapes, all on heavy 26" metal reels - along with 2 STUDER studio machines: no prob whatsoever! What do you think radio stations and record companies store most of their stuff on?!
I can sympathise with you, Kublakhan - RTR has its own charm. The fact that you can't find certain spots on the tape in decent time is no argument, because you want to play the whole tape from beginning to end anyway. You can cut and paste in the real world, not only on a computer screen and after all it can sound pretty good! The only argument I can see against is that you don't have any tapes. There are no prerecorded tapes around so you would have to make your own archive first - and that can last a life long! Good luck!