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

I too enjoy "obsolete" media. I have a Technics 1500 R2R. It makes awesome sounding recordings. A Wollensack 8075 8 track recorder. You have not heard the full potential of the 8 track cartrdige until you've made recordings on one of these. An Akai CR80DSS quad 8 track recorder for playing my Pink Floyd quad 8's. Wish You Were Here in discrete Quad on 8 track is simply amazing and the quad mix is a different edit on many songs as well. Tascam DA302 dual dat deck for my live tape trading. A Nakamichi Cassette 1 for cassette tape playback.

My video gear for "obsolete" media:

Betacam SP
Umatic
SVHS
Hi8
Betamax Hi Fi
Laserdisc

Still need to hunt down a CED player :)

Kubla,
Some tapes go for crazy money, it's the function of ego's and the bidding wars at EBAY.

However, during the last 48 hours the following reels closed at reasonable prices and long term searching will reward you.

Gershwin on Mercury Living Presence $9.00
Ella Fitzgerald "Sings Broadway" $7.01
Dave Brubeck "Time Changes" $11.51
Bob Dylan "Greatest Hits" $12.99
Mozart "Horn Concerto" London Blueback recording $17.00
Simon and Garfunkel $5.50
Rolling Stones "Greatest Hits" $8.99
Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd "Jazz Samba" $8.90
Jack Teagarden $1.77

Some of these may appeal and some may not. The point is, there are thousands of new items every week and many at affordable prices. If your a software junkie and enjoy the sound of analog, this is another source.

How about a Nagra reel to reel digital which was reviewed in Stereophile some time ago?

Kublakhan,
Go-4-it. And Go-2-it. I’ve been playing Reel-to-Reel tapes for 40 years. My playing time is 5% cd, 45% vinyl and 50% RtR tape. I buy decks, fix ‘em and get my friends reeling. TEAC as a company actually still supports its decks in the field. I have 50-year-old tapes that are in excellent shape. I’ve had 20-year-old (acetate) tapes fall apart in my hands. There’s a huge base of RtR users on Audio Karma.

Years before vinyl went stereo, studios were producing what some say were the pinnacle of analog – the two-track stereo tape. These gems were recorded at playing speed (no high speed duping) directly from masters to banks of recorders on an excellent media base. They are luxuriant in their richness. You hear everything in all frequency ranges. If you’re a patient buyer you can snag ‘em occasionally for under $15. (2-track King & I went for $207 two weeks ago – sheeesh!)

I say go for it, too.
I bought my first reel to reel deck, an Akai GX4000d, in a thrift store about a year ago for 10 bucks. Several months later I found a virtually unused Revox A77 in another thrift store for $15.00. Ever since that I've been buying reels on ebay. Some are gems, some aren't. Now I'm screwed as I'm really getting into this. I just bought a Technics that I'm going to modify by adding tube electronics.

Reel to reel is a doorway to another way of experiencing music that I think every audiophile should try. Not only does it sound different, but it feels different. Listening to music on reels becomes more of a "special event," and I don't think the price to performance ration can be touched.

By the way, I just heard that Doc of Bottlehead is going to start a label. I don't know what kind of music he will be recording, but the releases will 1/2 track, 10.5" reels @ 15ips.