Cassette tapes now appear to be one of music’s hottest collectibles, with resale prices climbing as much as 1,000%.
A study by analytics firm Startle, examining 146 modern cassette releases sold on UK eBay, found the average tape now sells for roughly double its original retail price.
Some limited-run titles are fetching more than ten times their launch cost as demand outstrips tiny production batches.
While albums from the 2000s currently command the highest resale value (US$79 on average), tapes from the 2010s and 2020s are not far behind – a sign the boom isn’t limited to nostalgia collectors.
In the UK alone, cassette sales grew 204% in Q1 2025, while monthly searches for “cassette player” surged to 20,000.
Surprisingly, it’s Gen Z rather than older collectors who are driving the revival.
The rise has been linked to broader retro culture, including popular TV shows like Stranger Things which are set in the 80s.
For younger buyers, the appeal blends aesthetics, scarcity and a desire for ownership. Fans on Reddit say they turned to cassettes after artists vanished from Spotify, or because physical media “feels more real” in a rental-based streaming world.
The economics help too. Cassettes are cheaper to produce than vinyl and attractive for indie artists and major labels looking to capitalise on collectible merch trends.
Whether the surge lasts is unclear. Vinyl’s comeback has proven durable, while other retro tech fads have fizzled fast.
Among the biggest movers in the cassette market is Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous (2021), which originally retailed for US$28 but now averages US$320 on the secondary market.
Lana Del Rey’s Norman F**ing Rockwell! has jumped from US$19 to nearly US$250, while Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN has climbed from US$15 to US$106. Even new releases spike quickly, including Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl which has already risen from US$20 to around US$74 within weeks.