We talk a lot about rare video games here at Retro Dodo and the consoles that we used to own back in the day that now cost more than our houses, but I bet you haven’t thought about how much your old VHS tapes used to be worth.
If I’m honest, I haven’t thought about my VHS tapes for a long time. We had so many when I was growing up as a kid, from episodes of my favourite series like Pingu and the Muppets to full-length Motion Pictures like Titanic. When the DVD came out and VHS tapes became obsolete, I think we gave them all away to a charity shop, though they certainly weren’t in as pristine condition as the examples in this list, although I might have paid more attention to what I had if I knew how much money some of them sold for now!
I’ve compiled a list of rare and expensive VHS tapes for you to browse below, and some of the astronomical prices will blow your mind. They’re all sealed and graded, with factors like box surface, corner and edge integrity, and the condition of the outer seal all combining to give them an overall score. So, take a trip back into the 80s as we look at first releases, signed copies, and the rarest and most expensive VHS tapes to have sold over on specialist collectibles auction site Heritage Auctions.
Table of Contents
1. Back To The Future
- Release Year: 1986
- Grading: VGA 80+ NM
- Notable Features: Horizontal Overlap/White MCA Home Video Watermark
- Auction Price: $75,000 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
Back To The Future is undoubtedly one of the greatest films of all time and one of the main films that springs to mind whenever I or anyone else thinks of the 80s. It encapsulates everything about the decade, and Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown has some of the most quotable lines from any movie of all time. Micheal J. Fox might be the poster boy for the film, but it’s Biff Tannen actor Tom Wilson who is the star of this listing.
This sealed VHS complete with the MCA Home video watermarks and stamped tape came from Wilson’s private collection. An accompanying note with the listing says that he was given this from the studio after making the film but thought he would get round to using it at a later date, writing ‘I thought VHS would be around forever.’ This is a genuine slice of history from the studio that made the film, owned by the actor himself who agreed to sign the VHS once it sold, which is why it boasts an incredible price tag of $75,000.
2. The Goonies
- Release Year: 1986
- Grading: VGA 85 NM+
- Notable Features: Horiz. Overlap / White Wraparound Warner HV Watermark, Warner Home Video
- Auction Price: $50,000 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
As you might have gathered from the two listings so far and my explanation in the intro, the main reason most of these VHS tapes have sold for so much money is that they are all sealed and graded. While it’s hard to find a graded tape at 10 as they’re all quite old now (there are two in this list, however!) ratings of 8+ seem to be what the collectors are after. This Sealed copy of The Goonies, another 80s classic adventure, sold back in 2022 for a whopping $50,000.
If you’re into your Harry Potter, then you might recognise the name Chris Columbus. Before working on the movies, he was a writer on The Goonies, and of course, it also features the classic stylings of Mr Spielberg, the voice of Thanos Josh Brolin, and our favourite Hobbit Sean ‘Samwise’ Astin. With an 8.5 rating for the box and seal and Warner HV watermark wrapping, it’s another perfect slice of the 80s for all the nostalgia hunters out there.
3. The Thing
- Release Year: 1982 First Release
- Grading: IGS Box 8 NM and Seal 7.5 NM
- Notable Features: Two-Toned Tape, Wraparound MCA Watermarks, Red MCAT Tape Etch
- Auction Price: $37,500 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
If you can find a VHS with two-tone tape on the wraparound seal, then you know you’re in the money. This copy of The Thing sold back in 2022 for more than I bought the Narrowboat I used to live on which is absolutely bonkers. The Thing is one of those movies that didn’t do very well back in the day; people weren’t ready for its bleak outlook on being visited by extraterrestrials or the strong gore factor, and the critics hated everything about it which didn’t help the film’s popularity. Today, it’s a masterpiece and people love everything about it, especially the world-class film score by the unbelievable Ennio Morricone which I urge you to check out if you’ve not heard it.
Rainbow watermarks and two-toned tape partnered with an overall Box Grade of 8 and Seal of 7.5 puts this VHS in Near Mint condition. It’s a sealed copy of the original release of the film and undoubtedly made a certain John Carpenter fan happy after parting with $37,500 of their hard-earned cash.
4. Jaws
- Release Year: 1983
- Grading: IGS Box & Seal 8.5 MINT
- Notable Features: Wraparound MCA HV Watermarks, MCA Home Video
- Auction Price: $32,500 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
You’re gonna need a bigger boat to keep this classic thriller safe in your collection, especially since it sold for $32,500 back in 2022 and is currently open to offers of $48,500 or more from the present buyer! With the MCA HV Watermarks still very much intact and a Box and Seal rating of 8.5, it’s a Mint Condition example of the iconic 1983 film.
Heritage Auctions have even gone into grading the seal surface and tightness, giving them a 9 for both. Obviously you or the current owner would never ever want to unwrap that seal for this price, meaning that it will hopefully stay in perfect condition for many years to come. Who knows how much this VHS could be worth in ten years?
5. Star Wars
- Release Year: 1983
- Grading: VGA 85+ NM+
- Notable Features: 20th Century Fox Video Drawer Box, Flatback, Rear White CBS Fox Watermarks
- Auction Price: $32,500 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
According to the official listing that ended back in February 2023, there are less than five known copies of this sealed 1983 CBS Fox version of the first Star Wars film, let alone a drawer box version. This listing was for one of two known drawer box VHS copies, so we’re talking about a true piece of collector history from a galaxy far, far away and an insanely rare piece of Star Wars memorabilia. There’s no wonder it went for $32,500, especially considering that it has a CBS Fox Video watermark on the Near Mint seal.
I love the look of the back of this VHS too; it’s funny to think of Star Wars as a thing that no one knew about considering it’s such a massive franchise today. George Lucas really knew how to make incredible films; everything this guy touched turned into gold, which ironically is what you’ll need a lot of to buy this VHS.
6. Rocky
- Release Year: 1982
- Grading: VGA 85 NM+
- Notable Features: Drawer Box, Flatback Seal, White 20th Century Fox Video Watermarks, 20th Century Fox Video
- Auction Price: $27,500 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
Cue the Eye of the Tiger playing in the background, because Stallone is up next with the iconic Rocky. This 1982 release is incredibly special as it’s the only known sealed VHS copy of the original release of the first Rocky movie. That’s right, the only one that we know of in circulation right now, and it has a Box and Seal grading of 85 NM+. It’s as close as you’re going to get to owning the original release unless you travel back in time and get one hot off the press.
Considering this VHS was released over 4 decades ago at the time of writing, it’s still in amazing condition. I wish I had been the kind of person to put VHS tapes away for a rainy day like this, although I’m not sure my copy of the Power Rangers Movie with Ivan Ooze would have fetched as much money as Stallone’s seminal title!
7. Ghostbusters
- Release Year: 1985
- Grading: VGA 85+ NM+
- Notable Features: Vertical Overlap/White RCA-CP Home Video Watermark/Raised Logo, RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
- Auction Price: $23,750 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
Who ya gonna call? Well, if you’ve got $23,750 to spend on a copy of Ghostbusters from 1985, then I imagine you can call whoever you want. This is a superb example of a piece of 80s pop culture still sealed and preserved for modern collectors. The raised ghost logo on the cover, the RCA seal, the Near Mint condition box – how it managed to avoid getting all glooped up by Slimer over the years I’ll never know.
While the owner paid just under $24k for this VHS, it’s currently available to make offers using the link in the bullet points segment above, with offers starting at a raised markup of $35, 625. So who knows; if one of our readers fancies adding this to their collection, then I might be updating this list and bumping Venkman and the gang up our list!
8. First Blood
- Release Year: 1982
- Grading: GS Box 10 EPIC and Seal 9 MINT
- Notable Features: Thorn / HBO Back Cover Promo Rambo: First Blood Part II, Thorn EMI Video
- Auction Price: $22,500 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
Stallone is back again, this time with First Blood. It’s also our first 10 EPIC-graded VHS too, making this not just one of the rarest VHS tapes in history, but one of the finest examples of 80s culture going! It looks amazing; the corners are intact, the edges are perfect, and the only real places that it loses any marks are 0.5 reductions to seal tightness. Just look at the artwork on the back too – they don’t make releases like this anymore!
9. The Return of the Living Dead
- Release Year: 1984
- Grading: IGS Box & Seal EPIC
- Notable Features: Front HBO Video Watermarks, Thorn EMI HBO Video
- Auction Price: $18,750 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
Two 10 EPIC-graded VHS tapes in a row – don’t say we don’t treat you! Again, owning a VHS for 4 decades and still managing to keep it in pristine condition is a real feat, which is why Heritage Auctions sold this copy of Return of the Living Dead on VHS for $18,750 back in October 2022.
It’s a clamshell VHS case which will have helped to keep everything neat and tidy over the years and still has an immaculate seal with a 10 grade. Whether I’m looking at games or any other type of collectible, I’m drawn in by artwork, and this is something that I would love to have on my shelf if I had the money!
10. Top Gun Diet Pepsi Promo
- Release Year: 1987
- Grading: IGS Box & Seal 8 NM
- Notable Features: Rear Paramount Watermarks, Paramount Home Video
- Auction Price: $17,500 (Heritage Auctions)
- Find Copies On: eBay
The final entry on our list is a 1987 copy of Top Gun. Still, it’s not just any copy of Top Gun; it’s a Diet Pepsi promotional copy with the Pepsi branding on the back of the VHS cover. The cover is totally different from the main retail version and has an overall grade of 8.
While it certainly hasn’t been out on any missions, it looks a little used around the edges but is still incredibly well looked after and a great collectible for any Tom Cruise or Val Kilmer fans out there, or maybe collectors of Pepsi memorabilia too. Hey, it’s niche, but we’re here for it!
