Thought about throwing out your old collection of VHS tapes? Think again. It might be surprising to some, but on eBay, mint condition VHS tapes have been selling from anywhere between a couple of dozens to thousands of dollars! Forget about finding sunken treasure, you might just have a few gold nuggets stored away in your attic.
The purple dinosaur enthralled kids with his educational adventures along with his interactive songs and dances. When Barney and Friends aired in 1992, it was cited by researchers in places as prestigious as Yale University for being a “model of what preschool television should be.”
Before the series became a runaway hit on PBS, many of Barney’s earlier adventures were released straight to video cassette, and since then those tapes have become harder to come by. Apparently enough people are regretting throwing them out and even the discount store Walmart has been taking advantage of this, selling Barney: Waiting for Santa, originally released in 1990, for $52. And that’s just their online store!
Looking to make a few extra bucks with an old VHS? Doesn’t undersell your copy of the Hunchback of Notre Dame for just a few pennies. The film’s value might come from the fact that many critics consider The Hunchback of Notre Dame to be Disney’s darkest animated film as it tackles some intense themes.
Not only does the film itself have an ensemble cast including Demi Moore, Tom Hulce, and Kevin Kline, it produced numerous sequels and even a live action, on-stage performance. Most recently, eBay seller danidiva listed a Disney Masterpiece Collection edition of the Disney classic for an impressive $90!
Technically not considered sci-fi, Star Wars is actually considered a classic space opera, whose films emphasize interplanetary battles, futuristic weapons, and romantic notions of chivalry. Many remember their first viewing of the original trilogy on the VCR tape box set that their parents probably got them. Hopefully those kids held on to those tapes in to their adulthood.
Recently, the trilogy consisting of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi sold for about one hundred dollars according to decluttr.com. This was, however, the 1997 gold edition which is has a slightly higher price tag.
Who can’t remember curling up on the couch and pressing play to this heartwarming Disney film? Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is an impossible-to-forget classic, about Snow White who eventually is forced to live in the forest with her dwarf friends, Grumpy, Dopey, Sleepy, uh who else…Sneezy, right?
Turns out there’s more than a few who would like to relive those memories of Snow White in early VHS quality. For a film released in 1938, it’s incredible to learn that copies of it have been selling online for around $150. It just goes to show how timeless this film really is.
NEXT: These next prices will likely blow the dust off your old VHS tapes!
Fantasia doesn’t follow a single, linear story-line, it instead consists of eight animated segments, most of which are set to music performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Fans who re-watch Fantasia are not only watching what was, at the time, considered to be the peak of animation, they are also watching the comeback of Mickey Mouse, who at the time was declining in popularity.
For that kind of history, the Black Diamond Edition of Fantasia is selling for a decent amount. Particularly, the version that shows Mickey Mouse on the cover with his famous sorcerers’ outfit. If you have a similar copy tucked away in your attic, know that a similar one was recently listed for $157 on eBay!
Even though Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, recently announced that he would be remaking the 1970 Beatles documentary, owners of the original may find they are holding on to a valuable piece of property.
Not only was the 1970 version of Let It Be a documentary which followed The Beatles as they worked on their twelfth and final studio album, it also earned the famous band both a Grammy and an Academy Award, both for best soundtrack. Nearly 50 years later, VHS copies of the classic documentary have been selling on eBay for between $100 – $200.
A lot of adults born in the 1980s and early 1990s will probably remember watching this series as children. The Thomas & Friends series originally aired in 1984 and is still being aired to this day, meaning that Thomas the Train Engine and his friends’ adventures have enthralled several generations.
Being one of the longest running kids shows, it’s no wonder that many adults want to share some of their favorite childhood episodes with their own children. The series released around 100 episodes on tape which have since become collector’s items. According to pastfactory.com, some of those people are willing to pay up to $200 per tape!
The 1994 Disney film was a six year long project from conception to release. The time and work seems to have been worth it since The Lion King became the most profitable film that Disney had ever released up to that point, grossing close to one billion dollars.
Since then, the film has gone down as an American classic, even being archived in the Library of Congress. Fans can also archive the film themselves, for a price. Mint condition copies of The Lion King have been spotted going for as high as $250 online. One bold salesman has even listed it on eBay, as part of a collection, for over a million dollars!
NEXT: Bold or just brazen? You decide after seeing how much this next VHS tape sold for!
If you’re looking to make an offer to somebody they can’t refuse, then you should start with your VHS collection of the Godfather trilogy. Not only was the original Godfather voted by Empire magazine as the greatest movie ever made, but Godfather II was considered by many to be the best sequel in movie history.
As a result, anyone who owns a VHS copy of the famed trilogy can consider themselves holding on to some valuable piece of movie history, no matter the price. But, those individuals holding on to the limited edition black and gold VHS set should know that one recently sold on eBay for no less than $300.
The classic 1959 animated film depicts the ethereal Princess Aurora, who is cursed to fall into an eternal slumber by the evil fairy (and recent blockbuster star), Maleficent. A Disney favorite to many, VHS copies of the film have been selling on eBay for anywhere between a few dollars to a few hundreds.
An original, Walt Disney’s Masterpiece Collection copy of the classic film was recently listed on eBay for a whopping $412. According to seller sandylue, the limited edition tape comes complete with a proof of purchase, confirming its originality. It also comes with 15 minutes of bonus programming!
Originally, the World Champion Wrestling event, Bash at the Beach was a pay-per-view event which began in 1992. Several years later, the Bash at the Beach events, which arguably contained some of Hulk Hogan’s most career defining moments, were released on VHS.
In the 1994 WCW: Bash at the Beach, Hogan made his in-ring debut defeating Ric Flair. The 2000 WCW: Bash at the Beach displays Hogan’s final display for the World Champion Wrestling company. It has also been seen selling for more than than any of the other Bash at the Beach VHS tapes, with workandmoney.com reporting the highest price being at $500.
The Sword in the Stone has gone down in Disney history as being the last film that was released while Walt Disney was still heading the company. It was also one of the first films that the Sherman Brothers worked on, the two brothers who went on to compose soundtracks for films like Merry Poppins and Disneyland rides like the iconic “It’s a Small World.”
While thegamer.com did not actually confirm that the eBay seller who posted The Sword in the Stone actually got their asking price of $1,000, based on some of the other sales seen on this list it may not be too surprising if they did.
If you’re looking to purchase a little more than just, the “bear” necessities, consider looking for that copy of The Jungle Book VHS tape taking up space in your home. Turns out that some owners of this Disney film were able to make s pretty penny selling it online.
That being said, it might be hard for some to sell this film and not be able to relive all the adventures of Mowgli and Baloo in their original form whenever they want. Copies of The Jungle Book were spotted by staff of thegamer.com for over one thousand dollars – $1,200, to be exact. Sounds pretty decent for an old VHS tape, no?
Considered by many film critics and audiences to be one of the best movies of its generation, 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a timeless story about love and friendship. It’s cultural significance can not be overstated, so much so that the United States National Film Registry selected it for preservation for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that many are willing to spend a pretty penny to relive some of their favorite moments in that classical, VHS way. According to Past Factory, a copy of the 1980s classic was recently sold for an impressive $2,000.
NEXT: Is it worth giving up your old VHS tapes? The next valued price might change your mind!
Hopefully, if as a child you were a fan of The Rescuers, and its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, you held on to the VHS copies of those two films. For those who were lucky enough to keep them (in good condition, according to thegamer.com) it’s possible now to sell them for a fairly decent profit to those who are looking forward to relieving the adventures of Bernard and Miss Bianca.
Of course, according to thegamer.com, the $2,500 price tag was actually for a Black Diamond Edition, which is considered rare. So next time you’re planning on cleaning up your attic, keep your eyes open for those two films because, if found, you might’ve just paid for your next big trip!
The story of an unlikely duo, The Fox and the Hound follows two anthropomorphic animals (obviously, it’s Disney), who usually behave as adversaries in nature. Together, the two try and maintain their deep friendship despite the pressures from society and their own emerging animal instincts pushing them to do otherwise. The story is arguably very cute, but who could’ve imagined how much it would go for?
At $12 million, this 1981 classic was Disney’s most expensive film to make at that time, which might seem silly compared to how much films cost today. That said, as of November, 2019, a copy of the film is currently being listed on eBay for $5,000, which could make it one of the most expensive things any owner of the VHS tape has to sell in their home.
The Little Mermaid’s 1989 release marked the beginning of the Disney Renaissance, or the decade between 1989-1999 when Disney went back to producing more animated films which were hugely popular with audiences and critics alike. The film’s success was furthered by the two Academy Awards it earned for Best Original Score and for the song, “Under the Sea.”
Today, those who look forward to going back to the undersea adventures with the 16 year old mermaid, Ariel and her loyal companions, Flounder and Sebastian the crab, are definitely in for a treat. But for those whose VHS tape is sitting around collecting dust, keep in mind that eBay seller, the-crew-at-08cents, recently listed the tape, featuring an out of print “controversial” cover, for $6,992!
The original 1978 film Halloween launched a long line of slasher horror films. For the past 40 years, audiences have been terrified by longtime antagonist Michael Myers in his expressionless mask. And turns out there are some people who have been willing to shell out quite a few dollars to to relive those original frights.
Back in 2013, a copy of an original VHS tape of John Carpenter’s Halloween was listed on eBay. By the time bidding was over, the former owner of the VHS tape found themselves with quite a bit of cash – $13,220 to be exact. Looks like anyone who held on to a copy of this film may potentially be getting more than just candy in their trick-or-treat bag.
One of Disney’s shortest animated feature length films, Dumbo is the story of an elephant who, after being constantly teased for having larger than average ears, discovers he has the ability to fly with them. Released in 1941, the film barely managed to cover its initial costs due to the closing the European market due to the ongoing world war.
Owners of the VHS tape of Dumbo will more than cover their own costs to buy it however. In spite of the shorter run time totaling 64 minutes, copies of the childhood classic were recently seen listed for as much as $14,500 on eBay.
The film based on the folktale from 1001 Arabian Nights was the first animated feature to reach half a billion dollars at the box-office. Until The Lion King was released, Aladdin was also Disney’s highest grossing film, and was the recipient of two Academy Awards and a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for its memorable opening song.
Not only was the film itself profitable, but some owners of the original VCR edition found it to be quite profitable as well. Sellers of the rare Black Diamond Edition and it’s sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves have earned, according to LadBible, $17,500 for it.
Beauty and the Beast is the third film of what was considered, between the years of 1989 to 1999, to be the Disney Renaissance period. Not only is the film considered to be a Disney classic, but its soundtrack was so good that it won an Academy Award for it the same year that the film was released.
VHS tapes of Beauty and the Beast were produced between October of 1992 to April of 1993, making a VHS tape copy of this film harder to find than usual. The price that some are willing to pay reflects that though, and according to media outlet, Vice, there are more than a few willing to pay as high as $17,500 for it.
The 1961 animated classic had more than just puppies, it also had one of the best film villains, according to the American Film Institute. Cruella de Vil, who eventually hires two thugs to steal the litter of adorable puppies, was considered evil enough to be listed number 39 on AFI’s list, putting her higher than Freddy Kruger and even the Joker.
It looks like the combination of nearly endless puppies and one of film’s most evil characters has caused people to open up their wallets for anything 101 Dalmatians related. While the VHS tape alone seems to go for a modest amount, in a collection with other Disney classics, the tape has been listed on eBay for a over $25,000!
The 1955 Disney classic tells the romantic story of Lady, an American Cocker Spaniel, and Tramp, a stray mutt, who meet and go on adventures as they both helplessly fall in love with each other. Fans found the story, and the memorable pasta scene, to be adorable, but who could’ve guessed how many some of them were willing to pay for a VHS copy?
Anyone with a dusty VHS Lady and the Tramp copy lying around the house might want to consider gathering them up in a Disney VHS tape collection and offering them up the tape online, as a copy of the tape was also listed for over $25,000 on eBay as part of a bigger collection. Wowza!
Bambi is such an emotionally rich movie that, according to The Washington Times, parents needed to prepare their children for some of the sadder moments on screen. That being said, the film is a cultural classic according to both the Library of Congress and the National Film Registry.
The original tape was fairly inexpensive, costing customers a mere $10 back in the height of the VHS period in 1989. Today, copies of the VHS tape have a significantly higher price tag on eBay, particularly as part of a Disney collection. As part of such a collection, the tearjerker classic was recently listed for $25,476 on eBay.
Just when Disney’s financial situation seemed dire after the box-office flops of Bambi and Pinocchio (yes, you read that right, they were once considered box-office failures), Cinderella swooped in like a fairy godmother looking out for her soon-to-be princess and saved the day.
Cinderella showed up on VHS for the first time in 1988 as part of the Walt Disney Classics collection. It seems like it could be missing in many people’s VHS tape collections and as a result, it could be worth a lot more than what was originally paid for those who still managed to keep hold of it. Cinderella has been seen as part of a Disney collection on eBay being listed for over $25,000!
Sources: Washington Times, MSN, Library of Congress
