old tapes? at DVinfo.net

Jeremiah McLamb · May 27th, 2008, 09:42 AM

so i'm gathering quite a large collection of minidv tapes...hundreds and hundreds..thousands even. I don't like using tapes more than once...on rare occasion I'll use a tape twice...but i don't usually as I have had a few bad experiences doing that. My question is....is there some kind of recycling program for tapes...turn them in for some small cash? I really would like to just get them off my hands and out of my office.

thanks
jeremiah

Ethan Cooper · May 27th, 2008, 11:00 AM

I don't know about recycling programs for tape, it's an interesting question though.

*the following is tongue in cheek and is not intended to spark a knee jerk reaction, or otherwise offend anyone*

I've been searching for a way to profit off of America's new "green" obsession and maybe tape recycling coupled with some type of bogus carbon offset certificate is the goldmine I've been searching for....
I'm sure there's a way to convince people to pay me to take their tapes if I claim to dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner (which I would then douse in pesticides and CFC's and burn in my back yard). $.20 a tape too steep for this service?

Honestly though, 1000 miniDV tapes would fit into 2 normal sized packing boxes which could be stored in the corner of your attic if you don't feel like throwing them away. Or maybe you can have them bulk erased via huge electro magnet and donate them to an educational institution that has a need for tapes.

Jon Omiatek · May 27th, 2008, 11:16 AM

I donate them to local public access channels and school programs. The local public access erases them prior to use and also erases tapes for the local high schools as well. I donate them 1 year after I deliver the final production to the client. No need to store them anymore at that point.

Travis Cossel · May 27th, 2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Omiatek

I donate them to local public access channels and school programs. The local public access erases them prior to use and also erases tapes for the local high schools as well. I donate them 1 year after I deliver the final production to the client. No need to store them anymore at that point.

That's a great idea, and I bet you can write it off as a donation as well.

Graham Risdon · May 27th, 2008, 12:52 PM

Some people sell used tapes on eBay... they're mainly DVCAM though which are much more expensive than miniDV.. might be worth a try though..

Travis Cossel · May 27th, 2008, 12:57 PM

There might be a legal issue with selling off the tapes with client footage on them. Just realized that.

Jeremiah McLamb · May 27th, 2008, 02:10 PM

I'm not really looking to keep these tapes after a year or so...so no sense in boxing them up and throwing them in the attic where the constant temp change will screw 'em up any way...

....donating to a local school sounds like a good idea. Just need to find an easy way to mass erase these tapes. Suggestions?

...i guess I could also sell these tapes on ebay in mass...say 50 tapes $50?

what you guys think?

jeremiah

Jon Omiatek · May 29th, 2008, 07:56 AM

I tried the eBay route, you will be lucky to get .50 per tape. No one is interested in used tapes considering they are 2.25 new. I shoot high school sports and sold tapes to the band video guy for $1 each. Out of about 4000 tapes those are the only ones I could unload for $$$.

Erasing tapes takes a long time at least with the only eraser that I have access to. The tapes are like new once it's done, no timecode or data on the tape.

Ethan Cooper · May 29th, 2008, 08:04 AM

As far as bulk erasing tapes goes, I'd be kinda fun to take a box of old tapes down to your local junk yard and have the guys pass that huge electro magnet crane thing over the box a few times. Wonder if that would do the trick?

May 27th, 2008, 09:42 AM	#1
Jeremiah McLamb Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 174	old tapes? so i'm gathering quite a large collection of minidv tapes...hundreds and hundreds..thousands even. I don't like using tapes more than once...on rare occasion I'll use a tape twice...but i don't usually as I have had a few bad experiences doing that. My question is....is there some kind of recycling program for tapes...turn them in for some small cash? I really would like to just get them off my hands and out of my office. thanks jeremiah

May 27th, 2008, 11:00 AM	#2
Ethan Cooper Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 1,400 Images: 5	I don't know about recycling programs for tape, it's an interesting question though. the following is tongue in cheek and is not intended to spark a knee jerk reaction, or otherwise offend anyone I've been searching for a way to profit off of America's new "green" obsession and maybe tape recycling coupled with some type of bogus carbon offset certificate is the goldmine I've been searching for.... I'm sure there's a way to convince people to pay me to take their tapes if I claim to dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner (which I would then douse in pesticides and CFC's and burn in my back yard). $.20 a tape too steep for this service? Honestly though, 1000 miniDV tapes would fit into 2 normal sized packing boxes which could be stored in the corner of your attic if you don't feel like throwing them away. Or maybe you can have them bulk erased via huge electro magnet and donate them to an educational institution that has a need for tapes. __________________ ∅ -Ethan Cooper

May 27th, 2008, 12:57 PM	#6
Travis Cossel Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,933	There might be a legal issue with selling off the tapes with client footage on them. Just realized that. __________________ Black Label Films www.blacklabelweddingfilms.com

May 29th, 2008, 08:04 AM	#9
Ethan Cooper Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 1,400 Images: 5	As far as bulk erasing tapes goes, I'd be kinda fun to take a box of old tapes down to your local junk yard and have the guys pass that huge electro magnet crane thing over the box a few times. Wonder if that would do the trick? __________________ ∅ -Ethan Cooper

May 27th, 2008, 11:16 AM	#3
Jon Omiatek Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 755	I donate them to local public access channels and school programs. The local public access erases them prior to use and also erases tapes for the local high schools as well. I donate them 1 year after I deliver the final production to the client. No need to store them anymore at that point.

May 27th, 2008, 12:52 PM	#5
Graham Risdon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 192	Some people sell used tapes on eBay... they're mainly DVCAM though which are much more expensive than miniDV.. might be worth a try though..

May 27th, 2008, 02:10 PM	#7
Jeremiah McLamb Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 174	I'm not really looking to keep these tapes after a year or so...so no sense in boxing them up and throwing them in the attic where the constant temp change will screw 'em up any way... ....donating to a local school sounds like a good idea. Just need to find an easy way to mass erase these tapes. Suggestions? ...i guess I could also sell these tapes on ebay in mass...say 50 tapes $50? what you guys think? jeremiah

May 29th, 2008, 07:56 AM	#8
Jon Omiatek Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 755	I tried the eBay route, you will be lucky to get .50 per tape. No one is interested in used tapes considering they are 2.25 new. I shoot high school sports and sold tapes to the band video guy for $1 each. Out of about 4000 tapes those are the only ones I could unload for $$$. Erasing tapes takes a long time at least with the only eraser that I have access to. The tapes are like new once it's done, no timecode or data on the tape.