Britain’s last cassette shop is bringing tapes back to the masses

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Joe Roberts for Metro.co.uk


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Technology is booming all around us, but this young man is living firmly in the past.

Alex Tadross, 28, may appear like your average millennial, but he is actually running the last cassette-only shop in the UK.

His unusual story began in 2017, when he started record label Sour Grapes with his two friends, Borja Reguiera and Giorgio Carbone.

They found vinyl was too expensive to produce music on, and no one was interested in CDs, so they turned to cassettes.

He said: ‘Cassettes were the most affordable option for the bands on our label.

‘They’re a nice middle-ground because they’re a bit quirkier than a CD.

‘Eventually we bought loads and loads of cassettes and opened Mars Tapes in February 2019.’

Despite a surge in streaming music online, Alex says business at his shop in Affleck’s Palace, Manchester, is never better.

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He said: ‘Ever since word got out about us it has got busier, especially since we reopened after lockdown.

‘We have had a few young people, like teenagers, coming in starting their own retro cassette collection.

‘They come in almost every week to buy something new, which is great.’

Alex admits he’s had some interesting reactions from friends and family.

He said: ‘My family find it hilarious and a little crazy that I’ve set up my own shop, but they’re always sending me old cassettes they have in case they’re worth anything.

‘People think it’s this really quirky thing, but it’s been good so far.’

[Goofy]

I don't own a cassette player, haven't had one in years......... tbh i don't even have a cd or dvd player either (other than my laptop) - digital is just so much easier.

[Muddy]

I don't own a cassette player, haven't had one in years......... tbh i don't even have a cd or dvd player either (other than my laptop) - digital is just so much easier.

I have a stereo level component dual cassette player in the attic. :d

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Cassettes were great...until your tape deck ate you favorite cassette tape. Or you wore out the tape from playing it over and over and over.

[Muddy]

Cassettes were great...until your tape deck ate you favorite cassette tape. Or you wore out the tape from playing it over and over and over.

Do you remember sitting by the radio with a cassette recorder waiting for your favorite song to come on so you could record it? And then the god dam DJ talked for the first 30 seconds of the song...

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Do you remember sitting by the radio with a cassette recorder waiting for your favorite song to come on so you could record it? And then the god dam DJ talked for the first 30 seconds of the song...

Yup...happened every damn time too :banghead:

[deebakes]

:uwank:

[Godfather]

I feel no nostalgia towards cassettes... like everyone said, they sucked, they wore out, the got tangled and you'd have to sit there winding them with a pen. Even brand new with a good cassette player, did they ever sound better than vinyl?

The sound of vinyl is timeless and awesome, record cases are fun to look through and I think a nice turn table looks great as part of the decor in a room.... not so much with CD or cassettes IMO.

[deebakes]

in first vehicle, a tape got stuck in the deck but at least it always played... then i lost the radio, so the only thing that i listened to when driving for senior year of high school was purple rain soundtrack... still love it :lol:

[Muddy]

:lol:

[deebakes]

my high school gf's name happened to be nikki... she was not a fan of the darling nikki song on the soundtrack, she would always hit the button that flipped it to the other side of the tape, it would be somewhere near the start of i would die for you, i heard that song a lot :lol:

[Griffin]

My wife hates when I bust into Pure Prairie Leagues' Amie .

I think it's the mimicked country twang. :-k