Your Old VHS Movies Could Be Worth Big Money! Find Out Which Ones Collectors Want
You probably have a stash of old VHS tapes somewhere that you have no idea what to do with. Even if you wanted to watch them, your VCR gave up the ghost a dozen years ago.
I haven’t parted with any of my old movie cassettes, even the ones that I’ve long since replaced with newer formats. Get rid of my Planet of the Apes widescreen box set? You maniacs! NEVER!
And I’m holding onto the the original trilogy Star Wars tapes because they’re one of the last remnants of the movies before George Lucas gave them the special edition treatment and decided those were going to be the standard henceforth. Blah.
Turns out, there’s a collectors’ market for classic films on VHS, and some movies could fetch in upwards of $10,000. A recent USA Today story revealed that some classic movies on VHS have eye-popping sticker prices on eBay and auction houses.
The condition and the edition of the VHS tape are key factors in its collectors’ value. Factory-sealed tapes in mint condition will fetch the highest prices.
A first print tape of The Goonies was going for $125,000. That would definitely buy some Baby Ruths.
A seller was asking $39,000 for a 2002 limited edition tape of E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial.
Disney tapes in their plastic clamshell cases also have a huge collectors’ market. A copy of Dumbo was on eBay for $20,000. The Little Mermaid with the hilarious Phallus Castle cover had an asking price of $2,200.
Will the sellers actually get those prices? I’m guessing no. But it’s fun to watch them try.
A more realistic valuation for a collectors’ VHS movie would be something like this graded copy of 1989’s Batman for $300.
If you’re looking to watch an old VHS movie instead of investing in one, there are tons of cheap options. But beware that videotape quality degrades a lot over time, so don’t expect anything like the 1080p HD stuff we’ve grown accustomed to in the 21st century.
Top Dollar Collectibles
August 2023
Find the most valuable — and fun — keepsakes in the worlds of sports, toys and superheroes
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