Serious about keeping those tapes in good condition? Invest in some archival quality cases. The original boxes weren't made to last forever. And here's a tip - get some white cotton gloves for handling. Oil and dirt from your hands won't do those tapes any favors. And obv, if you're not watching them, take 'em out of the player. Prolonged contact can degrade the tape quality.

I just make sure my tapes ain't near any windows where sunlight can hit 'em. Fades the covers and can mess with the tape. Dust covers are cool too if you're really looking to keep them pristine.

You're doing good avoiding magnets, but don't forget about speakers and motors. They can emit magnetic fields too! Even your TV and monitors can be harmful if the tapes are too close. It's all about that distance!

should just toss em in the microwave, best way to watch 'em spark back to life lol jk, keep them far away from heat sources obviously

Don't forget to rewind them tapes before storing! And every once in a while, you'll want to play them through to prevent the tape from sticking. It's old school, but it works.

Have you thought about digitizing them? It's a solid way to preserve the content in the long-term. There's some decent converters out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. Plus, once you have them in digital format, you can back 'em up in multiple places. Hardware might fail but having cloud backups or multiple HDD copies can save the day.

Keep 'em cool and dry, bud. Heat and humidity are the worst for VHS tapes - could really mess up the magnetic tape inside. If you can, store 'em upright like books, and don't stack horizontally. Prolongs life and avoids unnecessary pressure on the tapes.