Remember the days when our entertainment came in the form of bulky VHS tapes and trips to the local video store? Those were simpler times, and little did we know that our dusty VHS collections might be a rare treasure today.
If you're prone to hoarding like myself, and happen to have a box or two of VHS tapes in the garage, you might be sitting on a stack of cash.
Take a stroll down memory lane with classic films like 'E.T', 'Back to the Future' and 'The Goonies'. You'll find them going for jaw-dropping amounts on eBay.
Here are the VHS tapes worth the most ammount of money in 2023:
Note: Prices are $USD, according to New York Post.
'Halloween II' (1987) - $1,200 Brand new condition.
'The Fast and the Furious' (2002) - $1,250 Condition: Brand New
SOURCE: l-and-f-goods on eBay
'Conan the Barbarian' (1985) - $2,320
Brand new condition.
'Gremlins' (1985) - $4,500 Brand new condition.
SOURCE: kendralittrell on eBay
'Teen Wolf' (1985) - $6,758.40 Brand new condition.
'Pinocchio' (1993) - $10,000 Brand new condition.
SOURCE: sirpicksalot on eBay
'The Great Mouse Detective' (1992) - $10,000 Brand new condition.
'Back to the Future' (1989) - $14,080 Brand new condition.
SOURCE: farmerjustin on eBay
'First Blood' (1982) $15,000 Brand new condition.
'Dumbo' (1985) - $20,000 Like new condition.
SOURCE: wal2walparty on eBay
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1985) - $37,500 Brand new condition.
'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 20th Anniversary Limited Edition' (2002) -: $39,000 Brand new condition.
SOURCE: bctrading123 on eBay
'The Goonies' (1986) - $125,000 Brand new condition.
SOURCE: hella_fella on eBay
However, before you rush to list your entire VHS collection, remember that condition matters a lot.
VHS tapes have a lifespan, and unlike diamonds, they aren't forever.
According to the experts at Kodak, these tapes degrade by 10 to 20% over 10 to 25 years. The same can't be said for myself, but I digress.
Over time, age can damage the footage, which can cause discolouration, blacked-out scenes, and eventual loss of films we loved. Storage conditions, tape quality, rewinds, and copies can deteriorate our tapes a whole lot quicker.
Kodak also suggests keeping your VHS tapes in a cool and dry place to keep them going for as long as possible.
While we don't know how many of these mint-condition tapes have actually sold for big bucks, one thing's for sure - people are willing to empty their wallets for a little piece of nostalgia.