Disney VHS Tapes Fetch Thousands in eBay Auctions

For those who grew up during the Disney Renaissance in the 90’s or earlier, things like Disney+ did not exist. Even DVD players were still in the future. This meant that if you wanted to watch Beauty and the Beast or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you had to own a VHS of the film.

Photo Credit: TK MARIAN LADIONA, Flickr

While VHS tapes and players are not widely used today, they used to be one of the most important things for families to own. When it comes to Disney, hundreds of titles can be found on VHS. The system was developed in the 1970s and lasted a few decades as the main way to watch movies on demand without commercials.

Nowadays, if you still have your old VHS tapes, they are probably stuck in a labeled box somewhere in the back corner of your basement, as there are now streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more that will allow subscribers to watch not only new content but older films as well.

Credit: Disney

Streaming platforms have nearly eliminated DVD’s at this point as well, as many are no longer looking to hold a physical copy of a movie unless it is one they really love.

The fall of VHS and DVD can easily be seen through the closure of Blockbuster. Blockbuster was the old solution to watching a movie without having to buy it, but as streaming platforms took over, we saw fewer and fewer stores find success. At the moment, only one Blockbuster store remains, located in Oregon.

But those Blockbuster stores may still be in luck if they did not sell their products for a couple of dollars a pop during liquidation.

It is being shared that the price of VHS tapes is currently booming in the online world, with eBay sellers turning a heavy profit of tens of thousands of dollars.

USA Today announced, “Recent VHS tapes of iconic movies like “Back to the Future” and classic Disney films are being sold for hundreds and even thousands on eBay.

Credit: Universal Pictures

Video cassettes are a rarity in the era of streaming. If you have a classic and the tape is in the right condition, you’ve got a treasure in your hands.

VHS owners should know that tapes degrade 10% to 20% over 10 to 25 years, and footage can be jagged as the tapes age, according to photography company Kodak. Tapes don’t last long due to the remanence decay of the magnetic charge, causing blacked-out scenes, discoloration, and eventually, the entire loss of footage.

Shockingly, some of the amounts that these videos are selling for are truly life changing.

Below is a list acquired from USA Today of non-Disney VHS tapes that are selling for thousands:

• The Goonies—You can purchase a tape of the 1985 film starring Sean Astin and Ke Huy Quan for $125,000.
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – The 20th-anniversary limited edition VHS tape released in 2002 is currently being sold for $39,000.
• Back to the Future – A VHS tape for the 1985 classic film is for sale on eBay for $14,080.
• The Fast and the Furious—A tape for the 2001 movie starring the iconic action franchise, in brand condition sealed with the watermark, is being sold on eBay for $1,250.
• Twister – A graded sealed VHS for the 1996 Oscar-nominated movie is being sold for $1,999.99.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street – This sealed VHS tape for the 1984 American supernatural slasher film is selling for $37,500
• Batman Forever – A tape for the 1995 comic book film starring Jim Carey and Nicole Kidman in brand-new condition is selling for 1,999.99.

Credit: Universal Pictures

Of course, on eBay, sellers can price their DVDs at whatever cost they deem to be fit, so these prices mean little to nothing if they are not bought. The interesting thing here, however, is the fact that there are multiple listings of the same “rare” VHS tapes listed for similar amounts, which confirms that the VHS collector market certainly exists and is quite lucrative. 

When it comes to Disney, fans may have a chance to make tens of thousands of dollars.

One listing reads, “RARE Walt Disney’s Beauty and The Beast VHS 1992 Black Diamond Classic EUC” and it is selling for $15,999.99.

Another states, “RARE: Black Diamond Cinderella VHS” sells for $25,000.00. To add insult to injury, the photo of the VHS still has the retail sticker on it, which says it originally sold for $26.99.

Credit: Disney

USA Today also shared their list of high-selling Disney VHS tapes, which included:

• Pinocchio (1993) – $10,000
• Dumbo (1885) – $20,000
• Beauty and The Beast (1992) – $35,000
• 101 Dalmatians (1961) – $9,999.99
• The Lion King (1994) – $3,825
• Aladdin (1992) – $500

Credit: Disney

While the publication only found Aladdin for $500.00, there is currently a copy on eBay on sale for a whopping $1,000,000.00! 

The VHS has 163 people watching it and is listed as a hot item with the notation “people want this” placed on the listing by eBay due to traffic.

While some VHS tapes are selling for insane amounts, there are a ton of other sellers pricing their VHS tapes at much more reasonable costs. One listing which says, “Lot 17 Vtg Disney VHS Tapes Movies Christmas Disney Family 80s 90s Rare Ones” is selling for $20.00 and features movies like The Grinch, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, Santa Claus, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, and more.

Related: How Much Are Your Vintage Disney VHS Tapes Really Worth?

Credit: Universal Pictures

If you are looking to preserve your VHS tapes, it is reported that “Videotapes should be stored vertically and in their boxes. Don’t stack tapes on top of one another. Store magnetic tapes away from anything that can create an electro-magnetic field. This includes loudspeakers and other articles containing magnets, and also high voltage lines and surge protectors.” Keeping them in dry environments is also key.

As we have shared in the past, the Black Diamond edition of Disney VHS tapes are among some of the more lucrative. 

“The Black Diamond Collection is a highly sought-after series of VHS tapes released between 1984 and 1994 by Walt Disney Studios. These tapes were part of the Walt Disney Classics series and feature the iconic diamond-shaped “The Classics” logo on the upper spine of each clamshell case.”

So, if you are looking to make an extra buck, comparing what VHS editions are selling for thousands to your collection might be like hitting the jackpot!

Have you ever thought of selling your VHS collection?