Old Disney VHS tapes could fetch thousands if they have rare ‘Black Diamond’

A 101 Dalmatians VHS tape is listed for £15,000 on eBay
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Online streaming is the preferred medium for watching films and TV shows for most people nowadays, with the likes of DVDs and Blu-Rays becoming a thing of the past.

Gone are the days of having to sift through hoards of discs to find something to watch when the likes of Netflix and Disney+ can provide thousands of entertainment options at the click of a button.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But for some, collecting physical media still has a certain appeal and some items could actually be worth a small fortune in the long-run.

While most people will have dusted off their old cassettes long ago, those who were wise enough to cling on to their VHS collection may be able to earn a pretty penny from it.

Much like rare editions of Harry Potter books, which can sell thousands of pounds at auction, old Disney VHS tapes can also fetch a sizable amount of cash - particularly if you own one from a rare collection.

Disney VHS Classics could fetch thousands (Photo: eBay)Disney VHS Classics could fetch thousands (Photo: eBay)
Disney VHS Classics could fetch thousands (Photo: eBay)

‘Black Diamond’ Disney VHS tapes

The Walt Disney company is notorious for only making its films available on home release for a short period of time before putting them ‘in the vault’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

During the 80s and 90s - in the heyday of VHS - Disney would put its classic films on sale for a short while and then not make them available again for 10 years. The company says this was done to control the market and allow its films to be fresh for new generations.

It means that certain Walt Disney Classics VHS films became rare collectables once they had been returned to ‘the vault’.

This collection is referred to by fans as the ‘Black Diamond’ collection, with the tapes featuring a black diamond-shaped “Classics” long on the upper spine of the VHS case, and at the beginning of each tape.

The series of animated features spanned from 1984 to 1994, with Robin Hood being the first release and The Fox and the Hound being the last.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The collection initially consisted entirely of older Disney animated features from before the mid-1970s, but the success of The Little Mermaid led to more recent releases being added from 1990.

Collectors are now seemingly looking to get their hands on these Disney Classics, with some VHS tapes from the collection currently listed for thousands of pounds on eBay.

A new and sealed 101 Dalmatians VHS from the Black Diamond collection is listed for £15,000, while a new tape of The Little Mermaid is listed for £6,000.

A Black Diamond Classics VHS of Beauty and the Beast is on sale for £5,000, the Fox and the Hound for £4,000 and a tape of The Jungle Book for just over £2,600.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Other expensive listings include a Black Diamond VHS bundle for over £1,000, The Sword and the Stone for £800, and Alice in Wonderland for just over £500.

So if you have any of the vintage tapes stored away at home, you could be sitting on a small fortune. Disney films in the collection to look out for include:

  • Robin Hood - 1984
  • Pinocchio -1985
  • Dumbo - 1985
  • The Sword in the Stone - 1986
  • Alice in Wonderland - 1986
  • Sleeping Beauty - 1986
  • Lady and the Tramp - 1987
  • Cinderella - 1988
  • Bambi - 1989
  • The Little Mermaid - 1990
  • Peter Pan - 1990
  • The Jungle Book - 1991
  • Alice in Wonderland - 1991
  • Dumbo - 1991
  • Robin Hood - 1991
  • The Sword in the Stone - 1991
  • The Rescuers Down Under - 1991
  • Fantasia - 1991
  • 101 Dalmatians - 1992
  • The Great Mouse Detective - 1992
  • The Rescuers - 1992
  • Beauty and the Beast - 1992
  • Pinocchio - 1993
  • Aladdin - 1993
  • The Fox and the Hound - 1994
Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.