NOS cartridges

I have a number of 20 and 30 plus years old carts (all MM or MI tho') and ALL sound very good in deed.
I had two new MC carts (Ortofon) and both of them had suspension problems and had to be replaced (a 6 month effort in each case).
Now go figure...
Grettings,

A lot of may have to do with the temperature and humidity they were stored at. Preferably cooler temps and lower humidity I think would keep them in better condition longer.

Dear Rickmac: I agree with the other people posts. Don't worry about. I already buy over 60+ second handa and NOS vintage carrtridges and only one of them with a suspension problem.

Do you think that your Grace 707 tonearm performs in good condition afeter all those years that when manufactured? are you sure that its bearing and internal wire are like " new " in quality performance?, but performs very well: right?

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Big Difference between wire, bearings, and rubber elastomers. I have stated this before. Experts before, in the age of vinyl nirvana, in the 1980's always recommended that cartridges be replaced every 18 months regardless of useage, including NOS, never used. This is due to the oxidation that occurs naturally. This happens to Pinch Rollers, Belts, etc...on tape decks as well. But these are much easier treated with rubber cleaner/conditioner to restore the rubber. This is not easy, and almost impossible to do with the damper in a cartridge. Its definately risky buying old, NOS cartridges for this reason. its human nature, gonna happen, you cant change that. so, much safer to buy New Cartridges that are within proper date. i know that many of you post here whatever Raul says, but thats his opinion, and he is entitled to it. But doesn't make it right. Id be wary of NOS cartridges, unless you can buy new quality replacement stylii, like those from JICO. Then its a different story. Ray

I hardly think that I belong to Raul's posse considering the disagreements we have had in the past. As I said I use older cartridges all the time, in a recent test in HIFICRITIC a 18 year old Shure V-15, put in as a reference, outscored several NEW MCs and MMs, some by a large margin. Although I use MCs myself and have since the 70s older MMs can work well. I recently bought a Grace F9E on a used Linn, worked fine and I sold it to a MM user. Took me back to my Grace dealer days. I thought changing your cartridge every 18 months was intended to sell you a new cartridge, it may have applied to el cheapo cartridges but no one I knew paid any attention to it. Nor was it in the dealer lit in the days when there was such a thing. Some of the most respected reviewers talk about cartridges they have used for years, I have never read of one discarding a cartridge because it was old.