“Where to Buy 3.5″ Floppy Disks in 2021: The Last Surviving Manufacturer in Czech Republic and Other Options”

Even after 37 years since its introduction, 3.5″ floppy disks with a capacity of 1.44 MB can still be bought. In the Czech Republic, only from one manufacturer and only in one e-shop, at least according to Heureka. Mironet charges for a package of 10 pieces of the MediaRange brand 1554 CZK.

10 years ago, the package was ten times cheaper, and even in 2020 it cost “only” CZK 400. Mechanics are more accessible, many shops offer external Sandberg brands at prices starting at CZK 700. This can be useful for reading old floppy disks on modern computers.

But paying 150 CZK for a new diskette is really extreme. For comparison, BD-Rs from MediaRange with a capacity of 50 GB are sold from a thousand in a pack of 25 pieces. And even that is a dead – or rather never born – format for most regular users.

But the biggest enthusiasts can turn abroad. German Amazon sells the same set of 3.5″ floppy disks for 17 euros (400 CZK). Ten pieces of the brand Nashuatec have for 19 euros (450 CZK)Verbatim for 30 euros (CZK 710) a Imation for 32 euros (760 CZK). Surprisingly, Aliexpress doesn’t have a bigger selection either, and the prices are even higher than Amazon.