Valuable VHS tapes: These films are particularly worth a lot

Although DVD, Blue-Ray and streaming services have long since replaced the VCR, there are some collectors who pay high prices for valuable VHS tapes. With a bit of luck, you might also have a little treasure in your closet.

These films are particularly valuable VHS tapes

VHS cassettes may no longer be in fashion, but among collectors some films do have a high value. Titles that are in demand and sought after may even fetch five-figure sums.

• Perhaps the most expensive VHS tape ever is an original shrink-wrapped first edition of “Back to the Future”, which fetched $75,000 at auction. This collector’s item was particularly coveted not least because it belonged to the actor Tom Wilson. He played the villain Biff Tannen in the film series and enclosed a handwritten note with his voucher copy.

• Also still in its original packaging was the VHS of “Star Wars” that changed hands in December 2021. A fabulous 57,600 US dollars was paid for the classic film from 1977 at an auction.

• Disney films can also earn a lot of money. Especially the English-language editions sometimes fetch top prices. For example, the film “Aladdin” in the Black Diamond Edition can fetch up to 22,000 euros in the best case. But other Disney films, such as “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Jungle Book” or “Dumbo”, are also sometimes worth over 1,000 euros.

• Blockbusters from the seventies and eighties of the last century are very much in demand. In addition to the films Back to the Future and Star Wars mentioned above, top prices are also paid for films such as “First Blood”, “Jaws” (Jaws), and “Raiders of the lost Ark” (Indiana Jones).

How to turn your film treasures into cash

Selling VHS tapes to turn them into cash is very tempting. However, not every old film is a sought-after collector’s item.

• The rarer and older a title is, the higher its value can be. This is because collectors are mainly looking for classics, rarities, first editions or special editions.

• The condition of a VHS cassette also has a great influence on its value. Especially originally packaged copies usually fetch top prices. But it is also possible to sell used films that are in good condition.

• Even in the best condition, a rare film does not necessarily fetch top prices. A first guide to a realistic price can be found at online auctions on the Internet. For example, the Disney classic “Aladdin” in the English-language Black Diamond edition is usually offered there for around 900 euros, instead of 22,000 dollars.

• If you really want to part with one or the other film, you can offer it yourself on an appropriate platform. Note, however, that with a low starting bid you run the risk of having to sell the cassette well below the price you are aiming for, if necessary. With fixed prices or a correspondingly high starting bid, you avoid this risk.