Which are the most expensive VHS tapes ever sold?
If you’re still holding on to your old VHS tapes, then you might be in for a surprise!
Have a rummage through your collection and see if you’ve got any of the ones featured below.
If you have, you could be looking at an extra $900 to $1,800 in your back pocket.
So, let’s get into it!
Here’s a list of the 10 most expensive VHS tapes.
The 10 Most Expensive VHS Tapes
The list of VHS tapes and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as Metro & Wikipedia.
These are the 10 most expensive VHS tapes:
10. The Black Decameron
Estimated Value: $900
This Italian/French 1972 collection of tales about five unrelated relationships on the African continent, was directed by Piero Vivarelli and produced by Alfredo Bini.
Viewers beware, it contains a lot of nude scenes and could easily be classed as softcore.
And, because of its strong emphasis on nudity, it was banned in the UK.
However, this helped the film to become a cult classic, firmly cementing it among the most expensive videotapes of all time.
9. The Flesh Eaters
Estimated Value: $950
The Flesh Eaters is a 1964 American horror/science fiction thriller directed by Jack Curtis.
The film became known as one of the first-ever “gore” films, due to its outbursts of violence and brutally graphic scenes.
It follows Jan Letterman, Laura Winters, Grant Murdoch, and Peter Bartell as they encounter a strange microbe on a remote island that can devour flesh in an instant.
Marine biologist, Bartell, tries to recover as much of the substance as he can, so he can cultivate a group of monstrous “flesh eaters” that can eat their victims in a matter of seconds.
Upon release, The Flesh Eaters was met with mixed reviews from critics and developed a cult following due to its gruesome special effects.
8. Africa Addio
Estimated Value: $1,000
Africa Addio, or Farewell Africa as it’s also known, is a 1966 Italian mondo documentary film.
It was co-directed, co-edited, and co-written by Gualtiero Jacopettu and Franco Prosperi.
In a nutshell, it’s about the end of the colonial era in Africa and was shot over three years.
The film helped to cement the legitimacy of the Mondo film genre and was met with a mixed response upon release.
Still, if you manage to get your hands on one, you could be looking at an extra $1,000 in your bank account.
7. Lemora, Lady Dracula
Estimated Value: $1,100
Lemora, Lady Dracula, also known as The Legendary Curse of Lemora, is an American horror film that was released in 1973.
It was written and directed by Richard Blackburn, and stars Cheryl Smith, Hy Pyke, and Lesley Gilb.
The story follows a young girl who visits her father in a mysterious town, only to uncover a circle of vampires eager to make her one of their own.
When the film was released, critics regarded it as “anti-catholic” and plastered it with negative reviews.
But, like The Flesh Eaters, it managed to build up a cult following over the years, which helped increase its value.
6. Don’t Open the Window
Estimated Value: $1,100
Spanish-Italian science fiction horror movie, Don’t Open the Window, was written and directed by Jorge Grau.
It was released in 1974 and starred Cristina Galbó, Ray Lovelock, and Arthur Kennedy.
It follows two protagonists who are wrongly accused of multiple murders in the English countryside. Zombies are the real culprits.
The zombies were brought back to life by a farming tool that was supposed to eradicate insects using ultra-sonic radiation, but instead, gave rise to the undead.
Don’t Open the Window was met with a positive response from critics upon release, with praise given for the direction of Jorge Grau.
5. Celestine, Maid at Your Service
Estimated Value: $1,250
If you’re into racy French comedies, then this should be right up your street.
After the police raid, a clandestine brothel, prostitute Célestine, escapes to the countryside.
She uses her talents to seduce two servants in exchange for a job as a maid at a well-off country house.
Once in, she finds herself being forced to help rob the house by a previous henchman from the brothel.
The 93-minute long film starred Lina Romay as Célestine and was directed by Jesús Franco (as Clifford Brown).
4. Journey Into The Beyond
Estimated Value: $1,250
Fancy a journey into the supernatural?
Well, Journey Into The Beyond is precisely that!
If you enjoyed The Omen and The Exorcist, then you’ll be blown away by the supernatural psychic phenomena this film has to offer.
It documents all forms of occult phenomena, like faith healing and exorcism, and explores the unknown while searching for connections between life and death.
The unthinkable becomes a reality, and the impossible becomes possible!
With an estimated value of around $1,250, it’s one of the most expensive VHS tapes you’ll ever watch if you can find one, of course!
3. The Legend of Hillbilly John
Estimated Value: $1,250
When a young man and his grandfather decide it would be a good idea to take on the Devil, you know it’s going to be a film worth watching.
The story was inspired by old Appalachian folklore and was directed by John Newland.
When the grandfather dies (spoiler alert), the young man decides to carry on his journey and take down the most sinister creature on the planet – Satan!
Seeing how rare it is, if you do get your hands on one, you could be looking at a valuation of $1,250.
2. The Beast In Heat
Estimated Value: $1,500
The Beast In Heat (La Bestia in calore) is a 1977 Italian exploitation film, written, directed, and edited by Luigi Batzella.
It’s about a female SS officer/doctor who creates a mutant, half-man, half-beast like creature to torture and molest the prisoners of a female prison.
To ensure the beast is kept in a constant state of arousal, the doctor feeds it a diet of mega-aphrodisiacs.
If the beast wasn’t enough for the prisoners to endure, they’re also subjected to a series of interrogations, electric shocks, and beatings!
Upon release, the film didn’t go down well with critics, with comments being made about its bad editing, acting, and plot.
Nonetheless, in today’s market, it’s viewed as one of the rarest and most expensive VHS tapes on the planet.
1. Dr. Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks
Estimated Value: $1,880
Beating them all to the top of the list is the 1974 Italian horror film, Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks.
The 89-minute horror follows Dr.Frankenstein as he embarks on a mission to build a giant humanoid creature.
He attempts to bring a Neanderthal man back to life after his villagers lynched him.
Unfortunately, everything doesn’t go according to plan. The creature, (Goliath), escapes and seeks revenge for his unjust, wreaking havoc on the village in which he came.
So, if you manage to find one of these VHS tapes in your attic, dust it off, clean it up, and list it on eBay as quickly as you can, as it’s reportedly worth almost $2,000!
Summary
We hope you enjoyed our list of the 15 most expensive VHS tapes.
I don’t know about you, but there’s something special about popping on a VHS tape on a wintery Sunday afternoon, don’t you think?
If you enjoyed this article, check out:
Here’s a quick recap of the 15 most expensive VHS tapes:
- Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks
- The Beast In Heat
- The Legend of Hillbilly John
- Journey Into The Beyond
- Celestine
- Don’t Open the Window
- Lemora, Lady Dracula
- Africa Addio
- The Flesh Eaters
- The Black Decameron
