This item has always been stored in the padded case unless in use. The plastic feet that were on the bottom of the case cracked and broke off for some reason. I am always very careful with any of my music/recording gear so I’m really not sure why that happened but, I can assure you that everything else is in pristine condition. This has been an excellent microphone especially when used for vocals or acoustic and wind instruments. I am a hobby electric guitarist and was using it to learn about studio recording so it was not used very heavily. This microphone does require +48V phantom power to operate so I’d recommend using a decent high-powered interface or mic preamp in order to get the best detail out of it.