June 7 is National VCR Day, so please remember to be kind and rewind!
Remember VHS tapes?
The home video technology before streaming, before DVD’s and even before laser disc was the official medium to watch movies long before Netflix and Hulu.
Now, if you happen to have some of your old VHS tapes and if they are in good condition, they actually might be worth a small fortune, according to the New York Post, especially if they are sealed and never been used.
For example, a sealed, mint-condition “Star Wars” VHS tape from 1977 sold for $57,600 in New Jersey by Goldin Auctions, a collectibles auctioneer, in December 2021, according to Fox Business.
“Most VHS tapes aren’t worth that much money and will sell for only a few dollars,” Baruch Labunski, the CEO at Rank Secure, a Toronto-based digital analytics firm, told FOX Business. “Rarity and nostalgia are what makes some VHS tapes valuable.”
If the tapes are opened and show signs of wear and tear, you are lucky if you get a couple bucks, according to the New York Post.
“An original ‘Star Wars’ tape can fetch $3,500 if it’s in a sealed package. A three-piece ‘Halloween’ movie set can bring in $500. A lot has been made of the Walt Disney Home Video releases from 1981. The Black Diamond editions bring in the most money, with most ranging between $50 and $300,” Labunski said.
It might be worth poking around sites like eBay or other collectable sites to see what you can get.
“Most VHS tapes are sold on eBay,” Labunski said. “Looking at the recent sales of Disney movies, the price range was $20 to $316. Cult classic VHS movie prices ranged from $35 to $200.”
