A unique little portable tape player emerged around the same time as the 4-track called the PlayTape. They were actually a 2-track tape that could hold around 4 songs and many were self-winding. The key to the PlayTape was portability and it followed in the footsteps of the small radios which had captured the attention of the late ’50’s and early ’60’s.
Sears was the exclusive seller at the beginning and put the price at $19.95. Right away everything from The Beatles to Sinatra was introduced on the format. By 1967, PlayTapes were available in color cartridges which designated their format and length:
- Red cartridge - once song like a 45 r.p.m. “single” - $1.00
- Black cartridge - 4 songs - $1.49
- Blue cartridge - children songs - $1.00 - $1.50
- White cartridge - 8 songs - $2.98
- Gray cartridge - voice and education format - $1.00 - $1.50
The marketers of the PlayTape targeted the youth music and business For the latter it produced a dictation machine that never caught on. And the other marketing ploy they never developed was the new car stereo one. Although, to its credit the PlayTape made inroads into Europe for a while.
Unfortunately, the PlayTape was caught in the grip of a market that was burgeoning with better technology and after Bill Lear’s 8-track became portable the PlayTape dropped out of sight.
I still have my PlayTape in the original box but it has sat idle since the early ’70’s so i’m not sure if it works.