> Digitizing my old tapes was one of the most rewarding side projects

I also wanted to do that, but then I realised I needed to invest more time and may need some hardware, so one day I simply had enough, went to a commercial shop and had them turn all the old stuff into digital. The cost wasn't that huge either, so considering that I could also save time (doing it myself), I am ok with that investment. Hopefully the future has digital everywhere. Storage to be cheaper too, ideally.