Do you have a VHS tape collection in your TV room cabinet or storage closet? If so, you might be surprised to know that you can turn those tapes into cash.
The best places to sell VHS tapes can help you declutter and earn some extra money in the process. Whether you are looking to get rid of your tapes quickly or maximize your profits, there are places both on and offline that can help.
Top Places to Sell VHS Tapes
The best places to sell VHS tapes offer a broad audience, ease of accessibility and affordable fees. You can list your tapes on one or more of these sites to get the highest payout possible.
1. 5miles
5miles is a free local buy-and-sell app that aims to connect you with buyers who live within five miles of your location. However, it will also advertise your VHS tapes to buyers outside of your local area.
With 5miles, you can list a fixed sale price or do a bidding/auction listing. Better yet, this platform includes user reviews for buyers and sellers. You can use these reviews to better understand who you’re working with.
In addition, it’s wise to encourage people that buy from you to leave a review for you. The more positive reviews you have on sites like 5miles, the better your chances of selling successfully in the future.
2. Amazon
Amazon Marketplace is another great option to sell your VHS tapes. Since Amazon is such a popular site for buyers, your audience as a seller will be plentiful.
When you sell on Amazon, you’ll pay 99 cents for every item you sell and a 15{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa} referral fee. There is also a “closing fee” of $1.80 per item when you sell media on the platform.
Due to the fact that the fees are somewhat high when compared to Craigslist and Facebook, you may want to try other selling venues first.
If you can find a good audience on a fee-free site, you can use it to sell other items in the future. There are many sites like Craigslist you can use to sell VHS tapes and other items as well.
3. Craigslist
Speaking of Craigslist, it is an old standby and one of the longest-running sites you’ll find. Despite the platform’s simplicity, it still boasts over 300 million page views monthly.
It has a specific category under its For Sale banner that is designated for CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes.
The site tends to be a popular place to sell these items. Check VHS listings near you to get an idea of what they’re selling for and which shows and movies are most popular.
As a bonus, there are no selling fees when you sell VHS tapes on Craigslist.
4. Etsy
Etsy is another great place to sell VHS tapes. It is most known for offering handmade goods for sale. However, they do allow sellers to sell vintage items as well.
According to Etsy terms, “vintage” items are anything over 20 years of age. This includes most VHS tapes.
Etsy has fair fees compared to sites like Amazon and eBay. Listing on Etsy is only $0.20 per listing.
When your item sells, you’ll pay 6.5{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa}, plus a payment processing fee of 3{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa} plus $0.25. You can also pay another 15{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa} and get your tapes advertised through offsite ads.
If you make selling on Etsy a regular thing, you can sign up for Etsy Plus. Etsy Plus costs $10 per month and provides additional selling tools, including customizable storefronts, listing and advertising credits and discounts on custom URLs.
5. Mercari
Mercari is a buy-and-sell site that works similarly to eBay. You will pay a 10{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa} fee when you sell your VHS tapes on Mercari. You’ll also pay a 2.9{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa} +$0.30 processing fee when you sell.
Fortunately, it’s free to list your items on Mercari.
Mercari has a rating system that can benefit you as a seller. Buyers are required to rate sellers on the platform. If you sell on Mercari, you’ll establish a user rating system that gives you a star system rating and tells how many items you’ve sold.
When you’re selling a lot of items, whether they are VHS tapes, clothing and accessories or other items, Mercari can help you do that at a lower fee structure than eBay.
That said, Mercari doesn’t have the audience that eBay and sites like it have. Consequently, you’ll have to balance that risk with the higher fee payout you’d incur on eBay.
6. eBay
One benefit of eBay is that it boasts a worldwide market. The site has over one billion visitors each month, second only to Amazon.
A cool thing about listing your VHS tapes on eBay is that you can choose a Buy It Now price or put your tape(s) up for auction.
Having that choice could help you sell faster or increase your profit. One thing to remember is that you will pay fees when selling on eBay.
Along with the standard payment processing fee of 2.9{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa} + $0.30, you’ll pay a percentage of the sales price of your VHS tapes to eBay. The current selling fee for movies and TV items is 14.95{1652eb1ffa4184925f6a63a9c04ea6b421acb7a78117241e7d4325cdca8339fa}
7. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace can be a great option for selling your old VHS tapes. You’ll attract local buyers, along with a healthy viewing audience.
Better yet, you have the benefit of being able to see a potential buyer’s Facebook profile before agreeing to do business with them.
Also, there are no fees for selling VHS tapes on Facebook Marketplace if you’re not doing so as a business.
You can even consider listing on Facebook’s local buy/sell sites to attract more local buyers. Target groups with members in your city to share your items for sale.
8. Garage Sale
Another way to sell your VHS tapes is by having a garage sale. This can be an especially successful option if you live in a populated area.
If you want to ensure more visitors to your garage sale, consider holding it when your neighborhood has a community-wide garage sale weekend.
However, if this is not an option, be sure to advertise your garage sale dates and times on Facebook, Craigslist and Nextdoor.
Remember that it’s common for garage sale visitors to want to bargain for lower prices. To accommodate for negotiation, you’ll want to set your prices a bit higher so you don’t end up selling items for less than you’d like.
9. Local Resellers
You might be able to find local resellers that want to buy your VHS tapes. This could include pawn shops and consignment shops specializing in electronics or gaming. It could also include antique stores.
You may even be able to find local resellers in your area’s Craigslist listing. Search in the CD/DVD/VHS section or the “wanted” section to find someone to buy your VHS tapes.
10. OfferUp
OfferUp is a site that focuses on helping people sell locally. You can list your VHS tapes or other items within just a minute or so when using the OfferUp app.
The site prioritizes safety with user profiles, ratings, badges and transaction history. You can even message users within OfferUp’s messaging app.
It’s possible to sell your VHS tapes for free on OfferUp. However, if you sell to someone not in your local area, you may have to pay shipping fees. See the OfferUp website for more information.
Other apps like OfferUp can help you list VHS tapes and other items you want to sell quickly as well.
Methodology
When evaluating different places to sell VHS tapes, there were key criteria we assessed to determine the best options. In-depth research was performed to identify the top ways to sell used VHS tapes.
For online options, we focused on options that met at least one of the following criteria:
- Apple App Store rating of 4.0 or higher
- Reputation among industry leaders
- Ease of use
- Low fees
- Potential for decent payouts
For local options, we focused on the following factors:
- Ease of accessibility
- Likelihood of purchasing VHS tapes
- Potential for decent payouts
We chose this methodology in order to ensure we’re doing our due diligence as we determine the best places for you to consider when selling VHS tapes.
Which VHS Tapes Are Worth Selling?
While you should try and sell any VHS tapes you have, there are specific VHS tapes that tend to be more popular than others. For instance, children’s shows and movies tend to sell well in VHS format. Disney movies, in particular, are popular items.
Other VHS tapes that tend to sell well include:
- Sporting event tapes, such as WrestleMania and similar events
- Cult Classic movies such as Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- Limited edition/limited release movies
- Banned movies
- Other rare movies or popular movies
If you are looking for more VHS tapes to sell, check out local garage sales, where people often want to declutter without concern about value.
Tips to Sell VHS Tapes for Cash
These tips can help garner success when you sell VHS tapes, whether your goal is to have less stuff or maximize your profit.
Test Your Tapes
Grab a bucket of popcorn and do a test run of your tapes before you sell them. Although some collectors are happy to buy non-working tapes, you’ll want to know whether or not they work so you can write an honest listing.
Condition Matters
The condition of your VHS tapes does matter. The better the condition, the more likely you are to sell your tapes and get top dollar.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t try to sell VHS tapes that are in less-than-perfect condition. It’s simply a tip to help you set expectations as you list your VHS tapes for sale.
Sell Sealed Copies
Brand new, sealed copies of VHS tapes are the holy grail of VHS tapes, especially if the sealed copies are in popular genres such as those mentioned above.
If you have sealed copies to sell, list them first. You’ll likely have the most success and highest profits with these items.
Take Lots of Photos
Great photos, and lots of them, are important to any listing you’re posting when you try to sell items.
Take pictures of the VHS tape’s front and back, the binding and the tape itself. Also, take close-up shots of any fun details or damage.
Do Your Homework
As you prepare to sell your VHS tapes, it’s important to do your homework before you start selling.
Check sites such as the ones listed above. Look for copies of the VHS tapes you’re selling and find out what they’re selling for or have sold for. eBay is a great resource for doing this.
FAQs
Here are other questions people have about selling VHS tapes.
Summary
The best places to sell VHS tapes depend on your goals. If you’re simply trying to declutter quickly, choose a local buy-and-sell site or have a garage sale.
If you have more time and are interested in getting top dollar for your VHS tapes via retail arbitrage, consider selling on eBay.
The audience reach is more extensive, and it’s a popular site for collectors.