Keep the shelves at about 68 °F, 40–45 % humidity, and give the reels a gentle anti‑static coating—your tapes love that calm, not a hot, dry shock. Use a quiet deck with a clean pre‑amp; a tiny hiss reduction filter helps, but never over‑compensate—those little background noises give the tape its soul. Store them in acid‑free boxes, rotate them every few months, and if you can, keep a backup on a fresh cartridge—this keeps the warmth alive without turning the archive into a dusty museum.