Isn't this the sweetest cassette tape you've ever seen?

I think that was my first exposure to Debussy back when I picked up my MC-202 for $50. Guitar Showcase had the stacked up like cord-wood.
Wish I knew where it got off to!
 

I had many such tapes back in the Golden Age of cassettes.

I can tell you without reservation they are the worst cassettes possible.

They look great, but they stretch and distort the tape, make squealing noises when played, and are generally poorly made.

Good cassette tapes use liners around the open reels to keep the tape held in place and moving smoothly.

Pro reel tapes don't have these issues because the tape is wider, under greater tension, and run with far more precise machinery.
 

too bad it doesnt work so well, but they really look nice. I was actually thinking of purchasing one for my collection. I might still buy one just though. :)
 

these were pretty common back in the day as I remember it.
I sort of loved/hated cassettes - most of what i listened to was on tape but depending on the brand there were all sorts of issues with them.
BASF shed a lot of oxide on to the heads requiring constant cleaning.
The dirty orange color of the labels was almost a warning to stay away.
I seem to remember TDK being the most consistently reliable.
...so why would anyone want to collect them?
 

What a gorgeous cassette!