Audio cassettes are now fetching high prices on the collector’s market. One of them even panics the bidding with a price that exceeds 3,000 euros. Maybe you have it in your belongings?
The return of physical media no longer only concerns vinyls or CDs. In recent years, the audio cassette has once again attracted music lovers. This format, long put aside, appeals to a new generation curious to own a tangible object, but also to collectors looking for rare pieces. Indeed, certain cassettes produced in very small quantities now fetch high prices during resales between enthusiasts. And one in particular.
Among the notable sales on the platform Discogswe first find recordings linked to the debut of artists who subsequently became famous. One of the most sought-after cassettes, for example, is the very first demo by the Swedish band Ghost. Produced in an artisanal manner and distributed in very few copies at the end of the 2000s, it contains three tracks recorded before the group experienced international success. During a resale, it reached around 1,850 euros.
In another register, a set of cassettes bringing together the releases of the experimental label United Diaries also reached a significant sum. This box set brings together many publications that are difficult to find individually today. Even with duplicates and a few missing items, it represents a valuable testimony to a poorly documented independent music scene. This lot sold for around 1,500 euros.
Another highly coveted item, the first cassette of the group Xero, an ephemeral group which preceded the creation of Linkin Park. Released in an extremely limited number, it marks the beginning of a project that will become one of the best-known rock groups of the 2000s, enough to make it a highly sought-after piece. A copy thus changed hands for around 2,800 euros.
The ranking also includes cassettes linked to artists who were already famous at the time of their broadcast, but distributed under very special conditions. This is the case of a recording associated with Prince, at a period when he presented himself under the name The Artist. This cassette was not sold in stores. It was presented to a selected audience during an event organized by the fashion house Versace during Paris Fashion Week. There were notably extracts of songs which would later be published on an official album. This promotional support sold for around 3,000 euros.
But the cassette that surpasses all others brings together several rare elements at once: a group still unknown at the time of recording, a tiny print run and a detail printed directly on the support. This is the eponymous cassette from the group Deftness, released in 1990 in only fifteen copies, with the telephone number of their first manager indicated on the cover. The resale price? 3,100 euros.
The opportunity to get our hands on recordings whose existence we had forgotten. As you will have understood, collectors are particularly fond of media which document the very first steps of a group which has become cult or even demos recorded during concerts. So, sort through your things!
