Are Vhs Tapes Worth Anything Today (2024)

Find out how much money you could earn for films, blank tapes, TV recordings and more.

What are the most valuable VHS tapes?

The videotapes that make the most money are often ‘video nasties’, like cheap horror films or movies never released on DVD. The rarer your video is, the higher your chance of making money. Specific classics can also earn you some good money, like this 101 Dalmatians VHS tape listed on eBay for £15,000 - although this has been for sale for several years now, so just because someone thinks it’s worth £15k, it doesn’t mean anyone is willing to pay it!

That doesn't mean your collection will not sell on eBay or Facebook marketplace. Nostalgia plays a heavy part when selling films or boxsets released on video. You may own a movie that someone has been longing to watch again & again, or perhaps someone preferred to watch Disney films on tape.

Flying around the internet are many rumours and myths about the money you could make from rare VHS tapes. For example, if you have done any research around where to sell VHS tapes, you will have seen that Disney’s Black Diamond editions sell for thousands. It is a teasing headline that gives the impression selling your Disney tape collection could be easier than expected. However,Snopes recently debunked this myth, and there is a good reason why.

Family films, like Disney's animation collection, were popular to buy on tape. They were great for children to watch again and again. The majority of families owned at least one Disney animation on VHS. Hence, the vast popularity of Disney films and other blockbusters has made it difficult to sell on tape, and the Black Diamond editions do not sell for the thousands of pounds claimed byDaily Mail and The Sun.

Thankfully, some tapes do make money, and I’ve made a few rules (well, guidelines) to determine whether you own them.

Without a doubt, the rarer the tape, the higher it will sell. As mentioned earlier, mainstream films do not sell for as much as you would like. The key to making money from tapes is selling films out of print (OOP). OOP are films never released onto DVD. A quick check on the film’s Wikipedia page will give you information on its’ distribution to tell whether your tape is an OOP. One thing to note is that many OOP valuable VHS tapes tend to be B-movie horror or banned films.

Low budget horror films and banned (or ‘video nasty’) films go hand in hand. This overlap is because of the Video Recordings Act in 1984, which meant that every home movie had to be certified by the BBFC (British Board of Film Censors). Subsequently, many rare B-movie horror films broke the censorship guidelines due to explicit and violent scenes. Now, these banned and OOP horror films sell for a fortune; for example, Don’t Open The Window has recently sold for £250 on eBay. Likewise, if you happen to own a film from Knockout or Trytel, they are said to be of high value by a VHS expert because of the production’s micro-budgets and small home movie distribution.

Time has served VHS tapes well. They are a beautiful time capsule back to the eighties and nineties— especially rare releases of home movies that contained original edits or mistakes in the tape case’s artwork.

First releases of films are often valuable to collectors because they contain scenes and mistakes that are not in later releases. Again, horror films typically sell for more money. The first edition of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre recently sold for $405 (£291) on eBay because it is pre-certified as the Video Recording Act came in after its release.

Similarly, Halloween sells for a few hundred pounds if you have the VHS tape released by Media Home Video. Especially if you happen to have the 1978 release ofHalloween with the misspelling of Media (Meda), you are really in the money. This incredibly rare and sought after tape sold for over $1300 (£937) in 2013! Sadly, last month this same version only made $350 (£250)

So, there is another way to tease people into buying your tapes as a collectable item. One way to do this is to pay IGS (Investment Grade Service) to grade your videos. They will assess the quality of your VHS and place it in a sealed display box.
By searching through eBay’s sold page for IGS-sealed VHS tapes, you will see tonnes of videos selling for up to thousands of pounds. For example, Empire Strikes Back sold for £1440.66 because it is in mint condition and sealed by IGS.

However, there is a word of warning withgrading VHS tapes: collecting videotapes is a recent investment that has many underlying problems. To find out more, I advise you to read our article on whether you should grade your videotapes. It is a comprehensive guide explaining why collectors choose to grade their tapes and whether it is worth the money.

Okay, the last rule for selling your tapes is intangible and, to be frank, based on luck. Nostalgia can make people silly with money, especially when a video reminds someone of their childhood. If you own an obscure children’s film or television show that is not shown on TV anymore, you have a good chance of making a bit of pocket money.

By targeting the right audience and putting a reasonable price on the tape, you can profit from selling (even though it won’t be in the thousands). Similarly, live music concerts can make a pretty penny because of fans’ nostalgia for concerts a long time ago – or just not having the opportunity to see the artist at the time. You can sell legit recordings of a show or even your home recording for money.

Nineties artists are always a popular choice for people to buy, and funnily enough, this is the only genre of valuable VHS tapes where owning a well-known title is good. However you decide to market and sell your tapes, ensure you do your research around the value of the tapes. There is plenty of online information, and even having a quick check on what has sold on eBay will help you price your tapes correctly. The general rule for selling is the more niche, the better.

Are blank VHS tapes worth anything?

The market for blank VHS tapes has shrunk over the last 15 years, with VCR players being out of production for more than a decade. If you own an extensive collection of blank VHS tapes, you can sell them for around £10 on eBay. As a word of advice, it is better to sell them as soon as possible because the magnetic reel degrades over time.

What are TV recordings worth?

Do TV recordings have any monetary value? No. But they do have a collector’s interest.

You cannot sell TV recordings for money due to copyright laws. However, that doesn’t mean to say you cannot give your recordings another lease of life. Some YouTubers and collectors are asking for television footage to complete their archives. By researching Facebook, Twitter, and blog pages, you will find collectors to donate your tapes to. The second option for getting rid of your television recordings is by advertising them on eBay or Gumtree as blank tapes with footage to record over. Your videos will pass eBay’s copyright check but will sell for very little – it would be easier to donate them instead.

Can VHS tapes be thrown in the bin?

You shouldn’t throw VHS tapes in the bin, at least not directly. VHS tapes are made from plastic and magnetic tape, which don’t break down easily in landfills. The chemicals in them can also be harmful to the environment over time. While they aren’t considered hazardous waste, it’s still a bad idea to toss them out with your regular rubbish.

While throwing them in the bin is tempting, it’s not the best option for the planet. So, before disposing of your tapes, you should invest one of our digitisation services, which preserve your memories by converting VHS to DVD, VHS to USB or digital file. After archiving your footage, you can dispose of your tapes in the right way - see below for more on this.

Can I Recycle VHS Tapes?

Technically, VHS tapes can be recycled, but it’s not as straightforward as tossing them in your household recycling bin. Most curbside recycling programmes don’t accept VHS tapes because they’re made from a mix of materials, including plastic, magnetic tape, and metal components, which complicates the process.

However, there are a few ways you can recycle them:

• Specialised Recycling Centres: Some recycling centres or services, such as Terracycle, accept VHS tapes and other e-waste. These centres can break down the materials properly.
• Postal Recycling Programmes: Some companies offer mail-in programmes for VHS tapes. They recycle the tapes in an environmentally friendly way, although you may have to cover postage costs.
• Upcycling or Reusing: You can get creative and reuse VHS tapes for art or crafts projects. Some artists or makers might be interested in taking them off your hands for their own projects.
  
• Donation: If your tapes are still in good condition, some charities, second-hand shops, or online platforms like Freecycle may accept them.

So while you can technically recycle VHS tapes, it’s often a bit of a process. If you're looking for the most eco-friendly route, consider one of these options over binning them!