For two pins: the price of a decent cassette box

I've long since stopped pretending that I'm in any way "rock-and-roll", and further evidence of my non-rock-and-roll status is the fact that I bought these plastic cassette cases today. Yeah, punk rock!

I'll bring my bazooka 'round for an inspection: Niluccio on noise's new cassette boxes

Yes, it's true. I bought these because I noticed recently that I appear to have about 40-50 cassette tapes (pre-recorded "official" ones, not former blanks) which are just the paper/cardboard liners without cases. That's because, over the years, I've picked up a fair few of these not-very-fashionable items (amazingly, they're often only 20 pence in charity shops) and have usually disposed of the completely horrible original plastic case. Hmm, interesting, no? Why do I even bother to mention it? Writing a whole blog about something so mundane! Well, why indeed. My answer: for one thing, the supposedly "mundane" or rarely-mentioned aspects of music/music appreciation are often more interesting than they first appear. Did you know, for example, that these cassette boxes currently cost anything between 50 pence and £1 each? No, me neither. And that the "no pins" version is significantly cheaper than the type with those bits of retaining plastic for the two spool apertures? (I got the no pins type). And what it is it, anyway, about tapes and underground music culture these days? For the past 10-15 years I've been dimly aware that the DIY scene (especially but not exclusively the noise-rock end of the culture) has been churning its stuff out on tape. Is it cheapness and convenience? Seems so. I can only presume it's a bit more than that though - surely it's also a sort of retro-based defiance of all that's slick and modern, especially streaming. Tapes are notoriously (and literally) "clunky". They scream 1970s - their "cultural moment", according to Wikipedia. Anyway, one way and another I've ended up - rather pathetic middle-aged man that I am - with an unbelievable number of cassette tapes, all of which will now be housed in a little plastic box.  Plastic isn't a particularly lovable material, but - despite disliking it in other areas of life - I've ended up as the owner of shelves and shelves of this cheapo, fragile, space-consuming and not-exactly-biodegradable stuff. It was never meant to be like this, but there you are. As my mother used to say, "for two pins I'd give you a clout over the head". I'm sure she would. But, dear old mum, my cassettes and their boxes are not for sale or trade. At any price.