Hearing children opening presents on Christmas day, 1974. 50+ years ago. The familiar whistle of a long lost grandfather. A very enthusiastic child singing songs into the microphone. Two siblings fighting, as always. A first voice lesson, and playing an instrument.

Just a sample of the memories I just saved from old cassette tapes. Don’t let them disappear forever

#cassetteconversion #digitalconversion #cassettes #audiopreservation

This is an actual VHS tape sent to a national digitizing service—returned unconverted due to heavy mold contamination. The content? A wedding video.

It’s easy to assume that your old VHS tapes are safe, especially if they’ve been sitting undisturbed in a closet or cabinet. But time doesn’t just make these tapes obsolete—it actively destroys them.

The photo above shows exactly what can happen, even under "good" storage conditions. This wedding tape was kept inside a home, not a basement or attic, and yet mold still developed deep within the reels. I sent it out to a well-known national service last year, and they mailed it back without transferring it—too risky for their equipment, they said. They were right. Playing a moldy tape like this could permanently damage VCR heads.

The Harsh Reality: VHS Degrades Day by Day

VHS and VHS-C tapes were never designed to last decades. Most consumer-grade tapes start to break down after 10–20 years, regardless of how carefully they’ve been stored. Here's what happens:

• Mold and Mildew: Tapes can grow mold even in dry homes. Just a small shift in humidity or temperature over time can lead to irreversible contamination.

• Magnetic Signal Loss: The magnetic particles that hold your video degrade naturally over time—images can fade, audio can drop out, or the tape may stop playing altogether.

• Shell Warping or Binder Breakdown: Physical parts of the cassette and tape can deform, stick, or flake, especially if exposed to fluctuating temperatures.

Cleaning Mold Isn’t Easy—or Cheap

Can moldy tapes be cleaned? Sometimes. But:

• It’s a slow, delicate process that involves disassembling the cassette and cleaning the tape inch by inch.

• Specialized tools and ventilated environments are required—this isn’t a DIY job.

• Even after cleaning, the tape may still be too damaged to recover.

And every day the mold sets in deeper, the chance of recovery gets slimmer.

Local, Safe, and Personal—Let’s Get Them Digitized Now

If your tapes contain irreplaceable memories—weddings, graduations, loved ones long gone—don’t wait. Bring them to me here at OneNest Media, right here in Scarborough. Avoid the risks of shipping tapes across the country. I’ll inspect each tape, work carefully with what’s salvageable, and transfer everything I can to modern, safe digital formats.

Let this moldy tape be a warning, not your reality.

Remember the Sony Handycam? I do, I had it sitting in my basement with a missing cord and 23 discs containing priceless memories of my children. If anything happened to it in those years it would have been all lost. I converted them all to MP4 videos, gave flash drives to my family. Once in MP4 you can also save them on your Youtube account and watch anywhere. I have the cords and software required and can do the same for you. 📽️

#sonyhandycam #videoconversion #familymemories #familyarchive #onenestmedia

Recently, I had the privilege of working on a unique document dating all the way back to 1776 — an original military commission from the Revolutionary War era. The client did not have the actual document, it was a picture of it and like many centuries-old artifacts, the ink had faded and the details were becoming difficult to read.

Using digital tools, I enhanced the legibility of the document while maintaining its original aged appearance. Since the photo was taken at an angle that needed adjustment, as well as selective touch-ups to ensure the handwritten text remained true to the original while becoming more accessible to modern eyes.

It was an honor to assist in preserving and presenting such a meaningful piece of American history.

In 1949 my mother was stricken with polio and was separated from her family in Orono Maine to be treated at the Hyde Home in Bath. Along with this photo I found a note her mother had written on a small piece of paper. It said, “A smile that kept me company while Mary was at Hyde Home.” I wanted to keep that heartfelt note in some way linked to the photo that was so beloved by my Grandmother. I used Photoshop to place a scan of the writing at the bottom of the photo. I love how it came out. Small touches like this can take a linked memory with a photo and make it complete.