Storage in a horizontal position can put pressure on tape edges that protrude slightly from the tape pack and can damage them. The condition of these tape edges can be critical to the successful playback of the tape. Make backup copies of particularly valuable tapes. It is not uncommon for VCRs to malfunction and damage tapes or for cassettes to be dropped on hard surfaces and damaged. Check your local yellow pages for listings of video production organizations, many of which can duplicate small-format videocassettes.
Many photographic stores can also duplicate small-format, domestic videocassettes.
Be sure to clean your VCR at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer. The effects of dirt and debris in a VCR are cumulative and often result in damage to a tape when the tape guiding elements in the tape path become sticky or encrusted. Picture quality can also be degraded by accumulated dirt and debris. Bibliography National Committee to Save America's Cultural Collections. Caring for Your Collections .