Outline:
These days, many of us depend onstreaming services to watch our favorite movies. However, dedicated fans often purchase movies on Blu-ray for preservation. Prior to Blu-rays, DVDs were the popular choice and functioned in a similar manner. But if you grew up with VHS (which stands for “Video Home System”) tapes, you understand that they demanded some work because you had to rewind them after each use. Nevertheless, many collectors are nownostalgicfor those days, and a fewVHS cassettes could potentially beworth a significant amount of money now.
Amassing movies, particularly in VHS format, is a form of devotion—whether it’s the older generation recalling theirtheater experiencesor the recently middle-aged remembering the video rental experience,” saysNancy Naglin, the editor and publisher ofVideoScope magazine. “The movies that people collect—and those with the exorbitant price tags—are connected to the era oflifeWhen you’re studying film and discovering life through its lens, that’s what makes them valuable. You’re spending money to keep your personal story alive.
Whether you have been gathering VHS tapes for years or are considering beginning a collection, we reached out to multiple professionals in the field to find outwhat causes some VHS tapes to hold greater value than others. We’re also providing a list of 17 titles that have fetched a significant amount over the years.
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Which VHS Tapes Have Value?
Gary Sohmers, who served as a pop culture appraiser for 13 seasons on PBS’Antiques Roadshow, and Cole Ferry, a personal property appraiser and member of the Appraisers Association of America, states that multiple elements contribute to the value of VHS tapes.
- RarityWhat causes a VHS tape to be valuable to collectors?” Sohmers explains. “It’s movies or television shows that have never been made available on streaming platforms, or have never been released in any other format like DVD or Blu-ray.
- Desirability“If a media title generates more interest than the number of available copies, the price increases, and when it is re-released in any format, the prices tend to stabilize, similar to any economic product,” he states.
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ConditionA sealed copy would hold even more value,” he says. “In today’s world, individuals can have a sealed VHS tape encased and evaluated by a service to maintain its pristine condition, which can occasionally increase its worth.
Ferry mentions that dedicated collectors consult one of several grading services, such as CGC (Certified Guaranty Company).
This evaluation method, carried out by a neutral expert, gives the item a numerical score on a scale from one to ten, allowing for numerous decimal places of precision,” he explains. “The tape is then ‘blocked’ or sealed in plastic to ensure that no additional changes are made once the report is released.
- GenreHorror, science fiction, and reissues of Disney classics are among the most sought-after genres,” Ferry says. “Poor distribution, printing mistakes, and included promotions all help make these tapes rare and appealing.
VHS collector and music writer Dan Gormansays the VHS market is “mostly based on speculation”nature.”
Typically, the extremely rare tapes—often obscure films that were released in very small numbers—are the ones that consistently fetch high prices. For many years, an original VHS copy ofStories from the Dead Zone(an obscure horror film) was one of the most desired tapes and was occasionally sold for thousands,” he explains.
When more conventional films, such as a sealed, graded copy ofBack to the Future, sell at “astronomically high prices,” Gorman states that this is frequently caused by a “speculative bubble.”
“Assessing typical recordings like this has occurred repeatedly across various forms of media before; it has taken place with comic books and video games, among other things,” he points out.
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17 VHS Cassettes That Have Value
Heritage AuctionsOne of the world’s leading auction companies has sold numerous valuable VHS tapes throughout the years. By analyzing data from the auction house’s previous sales, we have created a list of high-value VHS tapes that have recently attracted the attention of collectors.
1. ‘Chopping Mall’
- Sold for: $5,750 in 2022
- VHS and Film Release Year: 1986
2. ‘Young Frankenstein’
- Sold for: $6,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1981
- Movie Release Year: 1974
3. ‘The Godfather Part II’
- Sold for: $7,500 in 2023
- VHS Release Year: 1979
- Movie Release Year: 1974
4. ‘Back to the Future II’
- Sold for: $16,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1990
- Movie Release Year: 1989
5. ‘Top Gun’
- Sold for: $17,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1987
- Movie Release Year: 1986
6. ‘Ghostbusters’
- Sold for: $23,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1985
- Movie Release Year: 1984
7. ‘Rocky’
- Sold for: $27,000 in the year 2023
- VHS Release Year: 1982
- Movie Release Year: 1976
8. ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’
- Sold for: $32,000
- VHS Release Year: 1983
- Movie Release Year: 1977
9. ‘Jaws’
- Sold for: $32,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1983
- Movie Release Year: 1975
10. ‘The Thing’
- Sold for: $37,000 in 2022
- VHS and Film Release Year: 1982
11. ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’
- Sold for: $23,000 in 2024
- VHS Release Date: 1982
- Movie Release Year: 1977
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Uncommon VHS Cassettes That Hold Significant Value
12. ‘Halloween II’
- Sold for: $15,000 in 2022
- VHS and Film Release Year: 1981
13. ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’
- Sold for: $15,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1985
- Movie Release Year: 1984
14. ‘The Return of the Living Dead’
- Sold for: $18,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1984
15. ‘First Blood’
- Sold for $22,000 in 2022
- VHS and Film Release Year: 1982
The Most Valuable VHS Cassettes
16. ‘The Goonies’
- Sold for: $50,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1986
- Movie Release Year: 1985
17. ‘Back to the Future’
- Sold for: $75,000 in 2022
- VHS Release Year: 1986
- Movie Release Year: 1985
Up Next:
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Sources:
- Nancy Naglin serves as the editor and publisher ofVideoScope magazine.
- Gary Sohmersis a pop culture evaluator who has been featured on 13 seasons of PBS’Antiques Roadshow.
- Cole Ferry works as a personal property appraiser and is part of the Appraisers Association of America.
- Dan Gormanis a VHS enthusiast and music journalist.