"Cleaning" tapes don't actually clean. Those are often too abrasive, can snag heads (damage VCRs!), and mostly just push dirt around. Bad for VCRs. Those were sold to timid consumers, afraid to open "complicated" VCRs, cassette deck, etc. It was mostly a placebo with limited effectiveness.
People are very revisionist when it comes to Radio Shack, false rosy memories. That store sold lots of crap, all of it rebadged goods from Asia. Japan, China, Taiwan, etc. (In those days, 80s, Taiwan was junk like modern China. Taiwan is now more like Japan for many goods.)
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