This remnant will be replaced soon. The FAQ is back, with a new design! How do I get rid of my tape collection Used to be, two bucks was okay: Formerly, it was generally accepted that if you have tapes of Phish shows that you don't listen to or otherwise don't want anymore, that you could "liquidate" them. That choice of verb was probably initiated by Charlie Dirksen. It doesn't mean selling them, as with bootlegs, but recouping some of the investment in them, usually at a loss. So, for example, blanks had typically cost about $1.60-$1.80, plus postage and deck wear, and so it became generally acceptable to offer a list of tapes for about $2 each. But, then, prices for blanks dropped. Now, no money, says policy: Note that it is now a violation of Phish's stated official taping/tading policy to exchange tapes for anything except similar media -- that is, tapes for tapes, CDs for CDS, etc. Presumably, it's not okay to trade tapes for CDs because comparable value is difficult to assess. However, given the wide variance in prices of either (blank tapes can be $.65 to $4 each, CDs can be from $1.14 to $4 each), it seems to remain to the people actually involved in an exchange to determine that the arranged swap is equitable to both parties and constutes a trade of comparable value. Seems to be, any blanks okay: It's certainly okay to trade tapes for blanks, in the same way that it's okay to send B&P. It also seems generally accepted to liquidate tapes for blank CDRs, although the value ratio is unclear. Two strategies: You could, of course, just offer up a list of tapes and hope folks eventually take them all, but face it -- you're getting rid of some of those tapes cuz they just aren't classic shows or high quality sound. More typical is to group the tapes together, in bunches of 5 or 10 or even 20 tapes, and tell folks they need/have to take an entire bundle. Up to you, of course, what to liquidate, but try not to put a bunch of first sets in a package - make the bunches even. Special thanks also to Scott Boyarsky. This page last updated January 24, 2007. All contents © 1992-2007 Ellis Godard. All rights reserved.