As I've said many times, one of the main contributors to how well a tape sounds, is how careful the owner was. Not necessarily the previous owner because in most cases, the seller is just that. Someone that buys large lots of tapes from schools, radio stations, libraries and private parties. Many don't know what they have, let alone, the condition of the tape itself. Who they got them from will seldom be known ( except for name stickers in/on the boxes) but you can make some pretty good guesses ( especially with the smaller sellers). The type of tape is pretty obvious but things like marks from a personal cataloging system on the spine of the box is also good. With listings with pictures of the tape in the box, many folks wrote, either on a sticker on the reel or the inside of the top, where on side 1 the music starts. It's great when some of the sellers dribble out a collection slowly enough that you can actually receive a tape and audition it while others are still being listed. When I see a seller with some of the higher priced stuff (1/2 track RCA/Mercury) I'll bid a little more than usual and have it shipped quickly before the next listings end. Of course this sounds great in theory, but lately, there's been some bidders with much deeper pockets than mine and my big bid is chump change to them. These guys are going to get what they want. I just get out of their way and let them buy their collection in a couple of months. Me,.. I prefer the hunt.