Francine Sustaita Daniel Gibson demonstrates a manual eight-track player.

Everything about the Arlington home of Kathy and Daniel Gibson testifies to the couple's love of music. From the thousands of music titles to the numerous sound systems throughout the house, the home itself echoes their mutual obsession with music. Their collection has become so extensive that the Gibsons have transformed it into an online cottage industry, running an internet-based music supply business from a well-stocked shed in the back yard.

"We have people who come over to the house and see this stuff, and it just blows them away," confirms Kathy Gibson. "They go out to the shed and open that up and can't believe their eyes."

It's not just the formidable amount of music that prompts visitors to take a step back in awe; it's the format. Forget compact cassettes, slender c.d.'s, and heat-sensitive l.p.'s. At Kate's Track Shack, all you'll find are eight-track tapes.

Although considered something of a musical dinosaur in today's compact disc and MP3-friendly world, the eight-track tape continues to enjoy a devoted -- some would say rabid -- following. The tapes were first manufactured for mass public consumption in the early 1960s; by 1966 they had become so popular that Ford began offering in-dash players as an option on new cars. The tapes hit the height of their popularity in the early '70s but then began a decline, replaced by the more portable cassettes and, later, by the much more durable compact disc.

By the 1980s, the writing was on the wall in the form of bottomed-out sales, and in 1983 major record labels dropped the tapes from production, concentrating instead on c.d.'s, l.p.'s and cassettes. Music clubs such as Columbia House and RCA held on to the gasping market until 1988. By 1990, it seemed that the eight-track was gone for good.

Like lava lamps and fondue before it, however, the eight-track would not go quietly. Thanks to die-hard fans and the internet, today the eight-track is alive and kicking. For the Gibsons, who have watched the phenomenon unfold over the past three years, it is a resurrection nothing short of remarkable.

"My husband had a few eight-tracks and an old player, so when my dad came across about 200 tapes at a garage sale, he bought them," explains Kathy, a stay-at-home mom with three energetic girls ages 4, 6, and 10. "They sounded OK, and there were some that Dan wanted, but the rest of them we didn't want to keep. So we decided we'd try putting them on the internet and sell them cheap, just to see if anyone would take them."

The tapes were snapped up so quickly that the couple realized they were on to something, and the online business Kate's Track Shack was born. Friends and family members were told to stay on the lookout at garage sales and thrift stores, and as word spread, people went to the site not only to buy obscure music but to sell collections.

"We bought almost 10,000 tapes this spring," she says. "We bought about 1,700 titles from a guy who lives out in the country and just didn't want to have them around anymore. Daniel's also part of a newsgroup that swaps tapes, so we get a lot that way, too."

The experience has been a crash course in eight-track history; for example, they can tell which tapes will fetch $50 or more and which need to go in the bargain bin. Among the sought-after rarities are eight-tracks by Madonna, U2, and Prince because they were released only by music clubs and in limited quantities. The business has grown from a spare bedroom-turned-storeroom to occupying a few shelves in the garage to its current state of demanding a shed of its own -- and several boxes waiting to be opened.

On e-Bay, the online auction site, some of the rarest tapes can be found going for upwards of $100. Record stores vary widely, with most overlooking them completely, while other used stores have a going rate of $10 a tape. Bargain hunters find their best bets at garage sales and thrift stores, where many people are happy just to unload a box of tunes in an outdated format. Kate's Track Shack offers most tapes for $1.

Many of the buyers are like the Gibsons -- two music lovers who will both turn 40 this year and fondly remember the days of eight-tracks and muscle cars. Not surprisingly, Daniel Gibson has an eight-track player in the dash of his Camaro and a second player renovated and ready to go in the Chevy Impala he's restoring.

"He's got another one ready to go into my Jeep, but I'm not quite ready to give up my c.d. player," Kathy admits. "We have a c.d. player there, so if we're going on a long trip that's what we'll listen to. Just about any other time, we have eight-tracks playing."

Their home office configuration includes a Claricon quadraphonic system, which created surround sound before most people knew what "Dolby" meant. The family also has a Telex system that plays up to 12 tapes continuously -- perfect for those long parties.

"We've been amazed by the people we've met through this and the stories we've heard," says Kathy, noting they recently sold 500 titles to a collector in Ireland. "We had a woman who bought 50 tapes and was using them as invitations to her husband's 40th birthday party."

Of course, not all eight-tracks are in mint condition, having endured sun exposure, dank garages, and the occasional substitute as a beer coaster. Daniel Gibson developed a thriving sideline by providing tape repair and created a template to replace faded or damaged labels. They also sell equipment, for those who have the tapes but not the tuner.

To the outsider, repairing an eight-track tape might sound sort of like taking a sick goldfish to the vet when there's a perfectly good toilet nearby, but those who can't bear to part with their timeless tunes find they only have to pony up a couple of bucks to get the tape back on track.

"He hasn't found one yet that he couldn't fix," she notes proudly. "One guy literally threw a big wad of tape in a box and sent it to us to fix. Daniel's found a lot of tricks, so it doesn't take him long at all to fix things."

If it all sounds a bit unlikely, skeptics may hop online and see just how extensive the eight-track fan base has grown in recent years (www.katestrackshack.com). The Gibsons' enterprise has caught media attention domestically and abroad, and it's something both look forward to doing for some time to come.

"This is a long-term business," Kathy confirms. "I've seen all those ads on the internet about home-based businesses, and this is by far better than anything else I've found. Maybe when we get old we'll sell it all, but I think eight-tracks will be around for a long time."