Nostalgia Thrills: are VHS tapes worth anything in 2025, and what to spot when looking for treasure?

• Don’t throw away your old video cassette just yet.
• The great VHS revival is beginning in 2025, as recent films are set to be released on the humble tape format.
• So what should you look out for as a collector, or as someone who might have hidden gold in their attic?

The humble analogue format is making a comeback - and no, not cassette tapes on this occasion. Think chunkier and a stack of titles lined up next to your TV set.

I talk about the humble video cassette tape, which according to some analysts is making its long-overdue comeback after JVC, one of the last remaining businesses to mass produce the format, stopped production of both tapes and VCR’s in 2008.

In fact, if you really want to impress the pub quiz team, you can tell them the last Hollywood film to earn a release on VHS was David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, which was released on video on March 14 2006.

Much like its vinyl counterpart also, it turns out that there could be some good money to be made within those dusty boxes of the once ‘dead format’ in your attic, if however they lack a certain logo on them and especially if they come from a certain time period.

So what makes a VHS tape valuable in the United Kingdom, and are any new films being released on the once popular home format?

How can you tell if a VHS tape is worth money?

The biggest identifier when it comes to a VHS tapes value is if it bears a BBFC age rating on the front; if it doesn’t, then you own a title that was released pre-certification… and one that may have come out before the big “video nasties” moral panic in the ‘80s.

A pre-certified (pre-cert) VHS tape is a videotape released in the UK before the Video Recordings Act (VRA) of 1984, which introduced mandatory classification by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). These tapes were often uncensored, unregulated, and released without an official rating, meaning some contained content that would later be cut or banned outright.

Pre-cert tapes are highly collectible, especially horror films and so-called "video nasties"—a term used for violent or controversial films targeted by UK censors in the early 80s. Because they were pulled from shelves or re-released in edited forms after the VRA came into effect, original pre-cert versions can be rare and valuable.

Which VHS tapes are the most valuable in 2025?

Collectors often look for tapes with rental clamshell cases, original artwork, and distributor labels from companies like VIPCO, Intervision, and Thorn EMI. Some of the most sought-after pre-cert VHS tapes include The Evil Dead (1982), Cannibal Holocaust (1980), and Driller Killer (1979).

For example, a copy of Wes Craven’s classic A Nightmare on Elm Street is currently listed on eBay for £250 - though ardent eBay buffs will tell you to look under “sold and completed items” for more of an idea how much your VHS tape could be worth.

According to an interview with Tracy Martin back in 2024, the Collectables Expert stated the following VHS tapes are considered the most valuable in the UK:

The eight most valuable VHS tapes in the United Kingdom

• 101 Dalmatians [Black Diamond release, clamshell] (1992) – £3,000
• The Evil Dead [pre-cert] (1982) – £350-£400
• Beast in the Heat [pre-cert] (1977) – £400
• Zombie Flesh Eaters [pre-cert] (1979) – £50-£150
• Now that's What I Call Music 5 (1985) – £77
• Back to the Future [clamshell] (1986) – £40-£50
• ET [clamshell] (1987) – £60-£70,
• The Making of Star Wars (1977 – one of the first on Magnetic Home Video) – £122

Are VHS tapes still being made, and where can you find them?

Though gone are the days of businesses rolling out large releases of films and television series on the humble VHS tape, there are still some recent releases that have managed to find their way onto the format.

One notable release is that of the 2024 film Alien:Romulus, which had a limited run of green VHS tapes once the film was released for home viewing. In 2025, there is set to be releases on VHS for more niche titles such as Y2K, Stream and V/H/S/8.

Do you still own any old VHS tapes and are any of them before the Video Recording Act’s enforcement? Let us know your memories of the format or if you still collect them by leaving a comment down below.