Today, CDs and DVDs have largely replaced VHS recordings. During the period before the widespread use of this popular technology, many Americans purchased machines called VHS tape recorders in order to record and watch reproduced broadcast television shows and to play VHS tapes sold by film distributors. Large numbers of VHS tapes once circulated in the commercial marketplace in the era before streamed media.
With the rapid advent of more effective recording technologies, numerous households traded in their breakable VHS tapes and recording devices for sturdier CDs and DVDs. The disks played in many computers and tended to last much longer than VHS tape. Yet now, a new collectibles marketplace has arisen for these once outdated items.
Many old technologies that fade from popularity eventually return to the commercial marketplace in the form of collectibles eagerly sought by some hobbyists and antique dealers. For instance, you’ll discover avid collectors of Depression glassware, vintage flapper attire, and even old newspaper clippings. The next time you feel any temptation to toss away a box of old VHS tapes from an attic shelf or a storage facility unit, resist the urge and search through the material carefully first. Reportedly, some versions of VHS tapes now command thousands of dollars as valuable collectibles.
The VHS tapes of popular Disney movies rank especially high on the search lists of some tape collectors. For decades, the company founded by artist Walt Disney generated praise for the production of epic movies and iconic cartoon characters aimed at the children’s entertainment sector. Classic animated films depicting beautiful, colorful artwork and very high quality production features made Disney movies exceptionally popular. The Disney Company gained an acclaimed international reputation for producing materials suitable for young people.
Now, if you locate some surviving VHS Disney tapes, you may discover a highly prized collector’s item. Tape cases containing a black diamond symbol and the words “The Classics” on the spine denote a special edition Disney VHS tape which some VHS tape collectors eagerly seek today. These items sometimes sell for as much as $250 each. A diamond symbol beside Walt Disney’s signature on the case has attained an even more valuable status as a collectible. Some investors reportedly pay thousands of dollars for this type of memorabilia.
Collectors of Disney VHS tapes also seek rare editions of Disney movies. One buyer on eBay paid as much as $9,000 for a copy of Beauty and the Beast. In some VHS versions of this film, the song “Human Again” occurred as a segment within the movie, but the music did not appear in many later VHS editions. This discrepancy has made the older tapes exceedingly valuable in the opinion of some collectors.
The investors who seek collectible VHS products often search for limited editions, or tapes with unusual artwork, or unexpected production flaws. Just as some coin and stamp collectors hope to find errors that make certain items unusual, the people who assemble old VHS tape collections often attribute value to production mistakes. One illustration relates to a limited edition of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. At the time of the release of this VHS tape, the artwork on the case cover displayed cartoon characters and a golden palace in the background. However, one palace turret in the colorful art work evidently failed to meet Disney’s high standards for artwork aimed as young people and the company ordered the illustrations on the case revised. The earlier, defective edition will bring prices as high as $6,000 from some collectors today.