Had a weird talk with a night clerk at 2am that changed how I see thrift store finds

I was digging through a bin of old VHS tapes at a 24 hour thrift store last Tuesday around 2am. The clerk walked over and said "you know half these tapes have mold inside and nobody checks before buying." He pulled out a copy of The Thing and showed me white specks on the tape itself. He told me he sees people grab old media all the time and bring it back saying it doesn't work. Has anyone else been burned by moldy tapes from late night thrifting?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesf412h agoMost Upvoted

Three out of five tapes I grabbed from a similar spot last year were basically science experiments. I bought a box of Disney classics once and the mold was so bad it looked like someone sprinkled pepper on the reels. Now I just sniff the plastic case before buying anything.

burns.jenny1h ago

That night clerk was definitely doing you a solid... most people just let you walk out with junk and don't say a word. I got burned on a box of old concert VHS tapes last fall, and the mold was so bad it smelled like an old basement mixed with gym socks. Now I always pull the tape a little bit out of the case and look for any white or black speckles before I even think about buying. It's a total gamble with anything from the 80s or 90s, especially if the cases feel damp or sticky.