A 1983 copy of “Jaws” and a 1981 copy of “Carrie.”
Heritage Auctions
Texas-based Heritage Auctions is auctioning 100 VHS tapes of classic horror movies this Halloween.
They may be antiquated, but vintage VHS tapes can command scarily high prices at auction.
In June, a sealed tape of “Back to the Future” was sold by Heritage Auctions for $75,000.
Watching scary movies is a definitive Halloween activity. While many are tuning into seasonally-appropriate spooky content on platforms like Netflix, Heritage Auctions is plugging into a more traditional video format.
The Texas-based auction house is selling off 100 vintage VHS horror tapes in a special Halloween auction. Bidding opened on October 10, and ends October 31.
These vintage VHS horror tapes are likely to come with a hefty price tag — and you might struggle to watch them.
Funai Electric, the last Japanese company to manufacture VCRs, stopped production back in 2016.
Heritage Auctions’ sale of vintage VHS horror tapes includes classics like “Carrie,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Jaws,” and “Ghostbusters.”
Heritage Auctions
Source: Heritage Auctions
All of the tapes up for auction are factory-sealed in their original packaging — and some are expected to sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Heritage Auctions
A 1983 copy of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” is already going for $10,500. This figure is likely to rise as the final day of bidding — Halloween — approaches.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Heritage Auctions
“Jaws”, released in 1975, was the highest grossing film of all time until “Star Wars” in 1977.
Bettman Archive/Getty Images
Source: Guinness World Records
There’s also an early edition of John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” which misspells lead character Michael Myers’ name on the back. Bids stand at $11,000.
Heritage Auctions
The copy of “Halloween” from 1981 has notoriously creepy cover art. Fans have pointed out an open-mouthed screaming face in the knuckles, but the artist says this wasn’t intentional.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Insider
Bids for a 1982 copy of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” stand at $7,750.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Screen Rant
There’s also a 1986 tape of slasher film “Chopping Mall,” with bids at $4,100. It comes from the collection of original cover artist, Corey Wolfe, who signed the packaging.
Heritage Auctions
VHS was the definitive format for home video in the 70s, 80s and 90s, but the advent of DVDs and streaming turned the tapes to relics.
Epics/Getty Images
Source: The Telegraph
“The Lion King,” released on home video in 1995, was the biggest selling movie on VHS shifting 32 million copies. Pictured is producer Don Hahn at a Q&A.
Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images
Source: IMDb
The last major release on VHS was David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence” in 2006.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Source: Los Angeles Times
After its demise as a home video format, the VHS collectors’ market is slowly emerging.
Heritage Auctions
Source: The Hill
Right now, buyers are mainly interested in early-editions and sealed tapes, but less-pedigreed and used tapes could be worth something soon as well.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Movieweb
In June, a collector bought a near-mint-condition copy of “Back to the Future” for $75,000 at Heritage Auctions — the highest price ever paid at auction for a VHS tape.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Heritage Auctions
Heritage Auctions also sold a tape of “Ghostbusters” for $23,750 in June — and they’ve got two more from 1985 up for grabs this Halloween.
Heritage Auctions
Source: Heritage Auctions
