Otari or Technics Reel-to-Reel ?

There are a total of 8,000-10,000 pre-recorded tapes offered every day on auction or buy-it-now basis on eBay. Prices are all over the map and most of the tapes are estate-sale purchases, offered by sellers who have no decks on which to play them. It's pretty wild but you can get lucky. I just won a classical album of Handel works by E. Power Biggs for a grand total of $5.04 -- $1.04 for the tape and $4.00 for shipping.

When you search for blank tape on ebay, use the key word "NOS" after "reel to reel tape." This will search for tapes in sealed boxes and "one pass," or lightly used tape.

Mind you, the selection ranges from older poor quality tape to high quality mastering tape. You should familiarize yourself with the different tape stock if going into this hobby.

Inna, remember this, before you record, make sure there are no "fluorescent lights" within 100 miles. Demagnetize the heads, buy rubber cleaner for pinch rollers, buy new pinch rollers for whatever machine if possible, head cleaner of course. Demagnetize the heads after recording each tape. Make sure you're not thinking about anything else when you record. Recording LP's is a lot of precise work, and these suggestions are a big step in getting good results.

Good luck.

"Demagnetize the heads after recording each tape." Whoa, there. If anything is gonna discourage a newbie, that's it. (I won't get into the fluorescent light thing.) I'm well aware that recording with magnetized heads is not a good thing, but good grief, let's be realistic. If it makes you more comfortable, buy the most sensitive magnetometer (like 5-0-5) you can find and learn just how many recordings it takes to move the needle.

And btw, Terry Witt (aka Terry's Rubber Rollers) has probably re-rubbered more pinch rollers than anyone else on earth and he recommends "plain old dish soap and water" (I use Dawn) for cleaning pinch rollers when they need it. I agree that it doesn't hurt to have a spare.

I don't know about RTR decks, but I demagnetize my Nakamichi head once a year maybe using Nak device. Frankly, I hear no or almost no difference, not sure.
In any case, I would experiment with that too. Things like that will not discourage me. I will also use Last head treatment and Last tape treatment. Walter from Last factory said I could use safely head treatment fluid for pinch rollers too if not too much. He has been using both for his own valuable tapes.
I am a tape head, I'll get it right, no worries.