Thoughts on VHS prices and grading?

[bigmike]

Looking at the recent HA auction results and upcoming auctions. Just curious what your thoughts are on these crazy high prices for VHS tapes? Alongside with now grading them?? Any explanations or what do you guys think of it?

[eatbrie]

No explanation.  Just pure stupidity.  On my part too.  During my last move, I threw out about 2,000 DVDs and VHSs.  It filled up an entire trash container.  I didn’t even know I had them until I found them and didn’t think twice about it. 

I also have a roll of blank paper used to print Star Wars posters.  Just completely white sheets.  Near mint.  Awesome!!!!!  Wait until I send it to Prop Store.  I’m going to make a fortune.

T

[crowzilla]

No explanation.  Just pure stupidity.  On my part too.  During my last move, I threw out about 2,000 DVDs and VHSs.  It filled up an entire trash container.  I didn’t even know I had them until I found them and didn’t think twice about it. 

Were they all factory sealed?
Every high price I see is for sealed tapes.

[bigmike]

Yes sealed. But bidding over $10k?

[Stefano]

[...] During my last move, I threw out about 2,000 DVDs and VHSs.  It filled up an entire trash container.  I didn’t even know I had them until I found them and didn’t think twice about it. [...]

Please tell me that you at least donated them, and didn't actually send them into a garbage truck to be destroyed??

[Stefano]

Yes sealed. But bidding over $10k?

Must be very rare titles, or perhaps they have some unusual provenance, like being owned by a former cast member?  I spent some time looking at VHS auctions on eBay not long ago, and didn't see any realized prices in that range, from what I was looking at.  I wonder if HA requires going through some expensive grading company? 

I have a couple sealed VHS tapes from MCA's Hammer Horror Collection in the '90s, but I'm sure it's nothing that would command very much comparably... Certainly not in the thousands like the figure you cite!

[crowzilla]

Must be very rare titles, or perhaps they have some unusual provenance, like being owned by a former cast member?  I spent some time looking at VHS auctions on eBay not long ago, and didn't see any realized prices in that range, from what I was looking at.  I wonder if HA requires going through some expensive grading company? 

I'm seeing a ton of high prices when I look through the sold listings, but it's trying to separate the fact from the fiction that is difficult.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=vhs&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1&_sop=16

Obviously there is no way Inspector Gadget sold for a milly, Raiders and Gremlins possibly, Return of the Jedi for $9,500 I believe, as well as Killer Klowns, First Blood(s), and a few others.
I think the rise in Star Wars collectibles in general has helped the posters somewhat over the past year, as we keep seeing tons of record prices for Star Wars posters every auction, while other titles continue to plod along.

[bigmike]

HA has a VHS auction right now. Nightmare on elm Street bidding is at 8k so far. Jaws over 10k. Return of the Living Dead over 4k right now.

[Antoine1973]

Unless they're factory sealed, VHS tapes are basically worthless.  Personally, I don't get this new collecting trend at all (HA has a VHS for Back to the Future and one for The Goonies that sold respectively for 75K and 50K, really??), but I guess everyone is entitled to do what they want with their disposable income...

[Stefano]

I'm seeing a ton of high prices when I look through the sold listings, but it's trying to separate the fact from the fiction that is difficult.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=vhs&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1&_sop=16

Yeah, a lot of those high prices are crazy.  But out of 200K results, only about 50 sold for over $5K.  So they seem to be a tiny subset of statistical outliers going for that high.  And interestingly, none of those high-prices were the result of any kind of bidding war.  It's usually just a single bidder, or a Buy-it-Now listing.  So maybe there are a few wealthy people out there who just don't care about the price. 

Although some people have speculated about the legitimacy of these sales, I do think these are probably legit eBay sales, because based on eBay's fee structure, the seller would have to pay a percentage of the final sale, which would be a hefty sum to fork over if there is no actual buyer. 

But I have to admit it's all a bit strange.  Grainy analogue tape selling for more than posters?  Where are all these VHS collectors coming from?  They don't even make VCRs anymore, so it's an unusual collectable. 

[eatbrie]

It is unusable, especially if it is only worth something if factory sealed.  So you just keep a VHS in its plastic on a shelf for everyone to see?  I'm too old for this shit hahaha

T

[giugno]

I know this is a discussing in regards to VHS sales at the auction houses... but I believe this video is pretty prudent, even though it's in regards to sealed Video Games and not VHS. Though, fairly similar and new to the market... everything surrounding it seems pretty messy..

https://youtu.be/rvLFEh7V18A
This video, take it as you will as a random person on YouTube creating a video, seems pretty in-depth and well researched and, unfortunately, seems highly plausible..

[crowzilla]

Yeah, a lot of those high prices are crazy.  But out of 200K results, only about 50 sold for over $5K.  So they seem to be a tiny subset of statistical outliers going for that high.  And interestingly, none of those high-prices were the result of any kind of bidding war.  It's usually just a single bidder, or a Buy-it-Now listing.  So maybe there are a few wealthy people out there who just don't care about the price. 
...
But I have to admit it's all a bit strange.  Grainy analogue tape selling for more than posters?  Where are all these VHS collectors coming from?  They don't even make VCRs anymore, so it's an unusual collectable.

The fact that any sell for over $1000 (or even $100) is strange to me. As you pointed out, grainy analog tape selling for that. If it's about the cover images, the posters are much better.
$3600 (with four different bidders over $2K) for a Friday the 13th VHS? https://www.ebay.com/itm/155106994908? Definitely better off buying the poster.

Same for the Jaws at $2600 https://www.ebay.com/itm/185559336105?

And while there are only a handful of sales on ebay over $5,000, there are also only a handful of poster sales on ebay over $5,000 also. There seems to be a lot of solid (meaning multi-bidder activity) sales in the $500 to $2,500 range.  But who are we to say how other collectors should spend their money.

[crowzilla]

Over the weekend, Goldin sold this Star Wars for $114,000 at auction.

[wonka]

But who are we to say how other collectors should spend their money.

Kinda sums it up, doesn't it?

Strange to read a thread of a very niche hobby negatively critiquing/questioning another one.