If you yearn for the ’80s — for the sounds of gated reverb blasting through the boombox — but you’re a sucker for digital conveniences, a new Kickstarter campaign may satisfy that nostalgia without compromising musical integrity. A startup called Taybles is offering its line of cassette tape-shaped coffee tables at a big discount.
It’s been about six years since the first Cassette Tape Coffee Table was created by Taylor Calmus in the manager’s closet of the apartment building he was working in at the time. The first product was simple, built from plywood, and found its home in Calmus’ own living room. But after showing the retro piece to his friend and business partner, Justin Nanfelt, they decided to up the quality, enlist Taylor’s brother Zach, and try to sell Cassette Tape Coffee Tables online.
Since then they say the’ve sold their tables to nostalgic customers in 10 countries. The high-quality tables came at a cost. The “A-Side” tables sell for between $1,700 and $2,300.
Frugal fans gave feedback, asking Taybles to offer a more affordable model. Taybles responded with a Kickstarter campaign, offering The B-Side for $250.
“The easiest way to describe the difference between the A-Side table and the B-Side table is with this analogy,” Nanfelt told Digital Trends. “Think of the A-Side as an original masterpiece painting and the B-Side as a more mass-produced print of that same painting.”
Both tables are scaled 10.5 to 1 of a cassette tape. While the A-Side is handcrafted in Los Angeles and completely customizable, with options like LED lights and bar-top epoxy, the B-Side is built overseas with fewer features, though it still includes a whiteboard top and hidden storage drawer. The Taybles team hopes it will connect with both young and old audiences.
“The campaign will allow past generations to reminisce about their favorite tapes, expose a new generation to what cassettes were all about, and allow both to be part of the journey in making the first run of tables a reality,” Nanfelt said.
Over 225 backers have pledged money for a B-Side, earning the campaign over $66,500 with two weeks still left to go.