6 Rare Disney VHS Tapes That Are Worth a Lot of Money Today

Nowadays, if there’s a Disney movie you’d like to watch, all you have to do is fire up the Disney+ streaming app, scroll through the service’s nearly endless titles and menus, and pick the movie you’d like to watch right now. If the movie is popular—like Moana, The Lion King, or Inside Out—chances are you’ll find it with minimal hassles. 

That wasn’t always the case, though. In fact, up until the early 2000s, you really only had two options if you were trying to watch a Disney movie: You either had to see it in theaters when it first came out or have a copy of it on VHS tape at home. Certain movies were only available on VHS for a limited time, too, as Disney consistently put titles back in the so-called Disney Vault to create scarcity and to pump up sales numbers. That made it harder to savor some classics and introduce them to the next generation.

Considering that VHS is a dead physical media format today, some vintage Disney VHS tapes—including Disney Black Diamond Edition releases—are worth a lot on third-party resale platforms. We rounded up some of the most valuable from eBay, with specific titles selling for upwards of $10,000. Who knows? You could even have a small fortune coming your way if you have one of these clamshell cases stashed away in a box or closet at your parent’s house.

1. The Little Mermaid (1989) // Nearly $10,000
2. Cars (2006) // $5000+
3. Beauty and the Beast (1991) // Nearly $2000
4. Disney Blue Box Rentals (1978) // Nearly $1000
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) // $399
6. The Great Mouse Detective (1986) // $200

The Little Mermaid (1989) // Nearly $10,000

One of the most infamous Disney home video releases is also one of the most sought-after and valuable with collectors. Released just six months after the animated film arrived in theaters in late fall of 1989, The Little Mermaid made a huge splash with young Millennials on VHS, but the box art was so controversial that Disney put it into the vault soon after release.

What was so shocking about the cover of The Little Mermaid? Well, King Triton’s castle in the background of the art appears to feature a golden penis as one of the spires. It doesn’t help that the phallic-shaped tower is in the center of the box’s art, making it pretty hard to miss. (Though after looking into it, Snopes determined that, contrary to rumors, it’s unlikely that the art was the work of a disgruntled employee.)

Alternate covers were made for future releases of this animated tale, but if you have a copy of the 1990 original in good condition, it could net you a pretty penny (even if the VHS tape isn’t factory-sealed). In fact, this listing on eBay is for nearly $10,000, though most only earn a few hundred bucks on the site.

Cars (2006) // $5000+

Though it might seem surprising given the advent of DVDs and Blu-ray, Disney was releasing VHS tapes all the way until 2007. One of the last VHS releases from Disney was Pixar’s Cars, and it was only available for purchase through the mail-order catalog for Disney Movie Club members, so you couldn’t even buy it in stores at the time. Copies of Cars on VHS are rare, so if you have one that’s factory-sealed and in mint condition, it can rake in upwards of $5000 on eBay (most earn around $1000, however).

Beauty and the Beast (1991) // Nearly $2000

Beauty and The Beast was one of the most successful movies of 1991, earning rave reviews from film critics and general audiences alike. In fact, it made history at the 64th annual Academy Awards as the first animated film ever nominated for Best Picture. We found a vintage VHS copy of the flick that recently sold for upwards of $2000 on eBay, but for the most part, this clamshell case will only earn a few hundred dollars on the site.

Disney Blue Box Rentals (1978) // Nearly $1000

During the late ’70s and early ’80s, Disney made video store owners buy special boxed editions of their VHS tapes (blue cases were for rental copies, white cases were for retail). White tapes were often too expensive for the general public: They went for around $80 per copy (about $306 when adjusted for inflation), so customers opted to rent.

Disney phased out the blue-box program during the early ’80s because the company realized that people wanted to own these movies. As a result, only 13 Disney titles were initially released with blue boxes. They weren’t meant for resale, so video store owners either threw them away, destroyed them, or held onto them to sell on the private market.

If you have any of these special Disney blue box rental tapes, then they could be worth as much as $1000 on eBay. We found blue boxes of Dumbo, On Vacation with Mickey Mouse and Friends, and The Adventures of Chip’ N’ Dale, all going for at least $500 each on eBay.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) // $399

The Nightmare Before Christmas was a moderate hit when it was released in theaters in 1993. It’s since become a mainstay around the holiday season, working as both a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie (depending on who you ask).

We spotted a sealed VHS copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas that’s being sold for almost $400 on eBay. The VHS still has promotion stickers on the shrink wrap, including a coupon for Duracell Batteries and another coupon for a Jack Skellington mug from A&W Root Beer (both most likely expired). Other sellers have tried to sell their copies for around $300, too.

The Great Mouse Detective (1986) // $200

While it wasn’t the biggest hit for Disney during the late ’80s, The Great Mouse Detective has its defenders—especially since younger Millennials rediscovered the animated film once it was released on home video. If you have a VHS copy at home, it could be worth upwards of $200 if it’s in good condition.

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