Quarter-inch magnetic tape is the optimum medium for those who love music, have style, and possess poetry in their soul.
And what makes 1/4" so special? It is the size tape that was used in 8-track tapes in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, as well as the shorter-lived 4-track cartridges of the 60s and of course the higher-end audiophile reel-to-reel tapes that rose to prominence as a way of enjoying recordings at home in the 70s.
Eight-track tapes, especially, deserve their place in history as a good idea that was crushed by prissy consumer demands. From their earliest form in the mid 60s to their rise to dominance and subsequent widespread demise, mostly complete by 1982, to their complete disappearance around 1989, 8-track tapes were at turns efficient, frustrating, easy to use, hard to find, fun to look at, and curiously inspiring of devotion.
Devotion, these days, from hard-core music fans and sympathetic completist collectors, that is; cassette tapes won the battle over 8-track tapes among general consumers, and CDs of course beat everyone by the late 80s.
But 8-track tapes were produced of several major (and other) 80s albums; yes it's possible to find Culture Club's Waking Up With The House On Fire (1985), George Harrison's Cloud Nine (1987), Genesis' Invisible Touch (1986), and many many other albums from the 1980s on actual, official 8-track tapes thanks to record companies like Columbia House that catered, for God knows what reason, to the diminishing-cum-left-for-dead 8-track buying community.
Aside from that, though, most people who buy 8-tracks are to some degree fans of 1970s rock. When you see a box of 8-tracks at a thift store or a relative's attic, odds are that you will see Eagles, BTO, Kansas, Nazareth, and artists of that ilk. Zappa, Beatles, Pink Floyd and David Bowie if you're lucky. Elvis Costello, the Damned, Blue Cheer and Strawberry Alarm Clock if you're particularly blessed that day. Whatever you find, an album always seems to sound better on 8-track tape, and by virtue of the state of the hobby today, you do find new music to listen to. You kinda have to, as the selection available to you is based on luck rather than comprehensiveness.
Fixing 8-track tapes is nearly always a requirement -- if not for one tape, then certainly for the next one you get. Fixing them is part of the fun, and easy anyway (see our fully illustrated guide to 8-track tape repair).
This section of Quarter Inchers features stereo 8-track tapes, from all eras, for sale (or auction) currently on eBay. If you look around enough, you will probably be able to find several titles that interest you for very cheap. Note that there is no dedicated 8-track tape category on eBay; this site looks at eBay and picks out just those offers that feature 8-track tapes. If you are looking for a specific artist or tape, try the artist categories in the menu or a search of our listings.
(A note about eBay: the auction site is still the best place to find used and new 8-track tapes, as many thousands are always available, and the selection is always turning over. Don't be hesitant to buy something if you see what you like -- there is competition, and repairing is easy and fun, so look around and dive in!)