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About VHS
As promised some time ago, I’ll be covering the topic of rare VHS tapes, or presumed rare ones. I’ll start by saying that the rarity of a VHS tape is immediately determined by the title it contains; the title must not have been released on DVD, because from the point of view of long-term preservation, there is no reason to buy a VHS if the same title exists on DVD. DVDs last longer over time simply because they are a medium in which reading involves no “physical contact,” unlike VHS tapes, where even if the tape and the VCR heads are not in “close” contact, the tape still passes through a mechanism that causes wear on the medium.
Having said that, let’s move on to the real topic.
However unavailable a title may be on DVD and, for our collection, we want it, it’s important to understand that paying outrageous sums makes no sense, (then everyone does what they want with their own money) as already mentioned because the medium is not stable over time and, moreover, because we can never know exactly what condition the VHS is in, even if the seller assures perfect operation. After viewing the whole tape, you could still get “surprises,” because no seller, however honest, will watch the entire movie before sending it to you; at best, they’ll watch the first few minutes, the middle, and the last few. In the worst case, they’ll tell you the VHS looks good, remembering the last time they watched it—but that was 10 years ago……and of course the time and preservation factor comes into play, a problem that can also arise with the so-called “new old stock,” that is, sealed or shrink-wrapped VHS tapes. A small “tear” in the seal is enough for thermal factors and the passage of time to do their work, not to mention the usual sneaky people who, with special machines, reseal VHS tapes.
Another group worth addressing is those who sell VHS tapes without saying a word in the listing about whether they work, and believe me there are many of them on eBay. In these cases, the advice is to ask, using the “question to seller,” whether the VHS works/plays well. If the answer is yes, without beating around the bush, then you can “take a chance” and buy it; if instead there’s a lot of roundabout talk, post-sale promises, supposed lack of time, or references to the last time they watched the VHS……well……“run away” ! ! !
Another topic is VHS tapes without the original case and sleeve. However rare and/or collectible it may be, the VHS must be complete, with case, original sleeve/cover and, though this is not “strictly binding” because if you don’t have catalogs you can’t know it, also the illustrated booklet where it was included in the original edition.
Don’t buy VHS tapes that, even though they have the original cover, don’t have a title label on the “tape body”; they could be poorly made copies. Sure, then there’s also the “perfectionist” who makes a copy and reattaches the label from the original that got damaged, but unfortunately this can only be checked after the purchase, and since the seller is often a private individual and returns are not предусмотрены……
Last but not least, the price topic, even though there would be more to say, but I think I’ve “bored” you enough, I’ll tell you what I would pay: at most 50 euro for a VHS that has a title never released on DVD and is in good condition (no tears in the cover, no damage to the case or the VHS body, top and side labels present) and comes from a former sale. As for former rentals, it has to be evaluated case by case, but since there’s no certainty about the condition and because of repeated viewings, even for a title not published on DVD and “unique on eBay” I wouldn’t go beyond 40 euro. Beware of those who ask for stratospheric prices under the excuse of rarity, it’s just “CHICKEN HUNTING”, also because if I had a VHS and I were sure it was worth a certain amount, say 200 euro, well……I wouldn’t sell it.
