Silke Jasso
Picture this: You had a really long day at school, you’re so frustrated, you go to the fridge and pull out a Capri-sun, go to your room, get the “Aladdin” VHS movie, rewind it manually, sit down, and press play. It’s truly a dream come true!
Videos by Rare
Gone are the days when you had to stand up and actually shut off the DVR to turn off the movie and then rewind it, taking it out and putting it in the box. I miss those VHS tapes so much. It was such an important part of my childhood that kids these days will never know. Now it’s all Netflix and Hulu, which is convenient, yes, but definitely not the same. Sure, Disney has created great animated movies like “Coco” and “Frozen”, but there was something about watching a movie with commercials before starting and playing those quirky PSA’s!
Are you someone who kept all those movies and don’t know what to do with them? Well, don’t worry, I have some really good news. Dust them off because you’re about to make some money! Yes, did you know that VHS tapes are making their way around again? But not for what you think…people are actually selling them and paying a hefty amount of cash for them. Now, I’m not saying all Disney VHS tapes are valuable, but some are roaming about eBay from $50 to $6,000!
How do you know which ones are selling for a large sum? Well, they have to be part of the “Disney Black Diamond Collection.” Those tapes were released between 1984 and 1994, and the black diamond can be found on the spine of the VHS case.
The full list of the “Black Diamond Collection” is:
- “Robin Hood” (1984, 1991)
- “Pinocchio” (1985, 1993)
- “Dumbo” (1985, 1991)
- “Sword in the Stone” (1986, 1991)
- “Alice in Wonderland” (1986, 1991)
- “Sleeping Beauty” (1986)
- “Lady and the Tramp” (1987)
- “Cinderella” (1988)
- “Bambi” (1989)
- “The Little Mermaid” (1990)
- “Peter Pan” (1990)
- “The Jungle Book” (1991)
- “The Rescuers Down Under” (1991)
- “Fantasia” (1991)
- “101 Dalmatians” (1992)
- “The Great Mouse Detective” (1992)
- “The Rescuers” (1992)
- “Beauty and the Beast” (1992)
- “Aladdin” (1993)
- “The Fox and the Hound” (1994)
I know, I know, I’ll get to the point. So which are the top 5 Disney movies with the highest bidders?
1. “101 Dalmatians”: $6,000
Surprisingly enough, the top one on the list is one of the cutest movies ever made. According to the Gamer.com, the most valuable of the “Black Diamond Collection” is “101 Dalmatians” worth approximately $6,000! I mean, obviously, there is a huge value for VHS tapes since they are no longer produced, but $6,000 is so crazy! Imagine you have two of those, that’s $12,000. That’s enough to cover my student loans. Sheeesh. It’s crazy to think that our parents probably only paid $20 for it, and now people will get $6,000. I guess people really do love puppers.
2. “The Little Mermaid”: $3,200
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk0b6FoH3mU/
“The Little Mermaid” is currently listed for $3,200 with its original case. This VHS version is special since it is more valuable due to it being discontinued since it’s cover art changed while it was on shelves. Since it’s release in 1989, it became one of the most popular children’s movies, earning over $84 million at box offices worldwide.
It was Disney’s 28th animated feature and was originally released with the artwork shown in the Instagram post, but creators quickly changed it after some “arguments” with the artists. But like I said, that only means that you can sell it for more if it’s the original box.
3. “Beauty and The Beast”: $1,200
“Beauty and the Beast” is part of “A Walt Disney Classic” meaning some of the boxes have it written on the cassette itself. If so, these are worth quite a penny as well, starting at $1,200! The words need to be printed on the tape itself above the movie title, but you need to make sure the version has both the diamond and the phrase. “Disney’s Black Diamonds” editions were part of the firm’s attempt to sell directly to the home market, which is considered more valuable.
This one is another one of my favorite movies since it wasn’t your “typical” Disney film. I mean sure, it had romance and music and laughter in it, but it also broke away from the stereotypical romance by creating a female protagonist who needs to rely on the prince for help. Belle is definitely one of the best Disney characters ever created.
4. “Aladdin” VHS: $749.99
“Aladdin” is also part of the “Black Diamond Disney”, released in 1993. Currently, It’s selling for $749.99 by one user, which if you think that’s high, you’re wrong. The seller was originally biding it for $1,499.99! Yikes! Did you know that Disney is making a live adaptation of it with Will Smith as Genie? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Smith, but nothing will ever beat Robin Williams as the Genie himself. Rest in Peace, Williams.
5. “Bambi”: $245
Bambi was easily one of the first movies I fell in love with, because of how sad it was. I remember crying my eyes out, trying to help Bambi anyway I could despite him being a character in a movie. Thumper and Bambi will forever be the perfect depiction of friendship. Have $245 on hand? Go to eBay and buy it! It’s worth it.
Honestly, this amount of money sounds great, and all I want to do now is go raid my childhood home and sell them all. That being said, it’s important to note that they are still outdated and for the most part, are considered antiques. So, people might not purchase them anytime soon. BUT, think of it this way….if they are worth that much right now, imagine in 10 years!
If you still want to sell them, just because well, money is money…you can check out how much people are selling their VHS’ for here on eBay.
