Today’s story about overpriced auction items is about a VHS tape. VHS, as in no one has used one in 20 years. Which doesn’t matter because the tape I’m talking about is a never opened, sealed copy of “Back To The Future” which sold at the very first VHS Only Auction last week. It went for $75,000. The man selling it was none other than Tom Wilson who played Biff.
260 VHS tapes were auctioned, none of them ever opened. A copy of “Goonies” went for $50,000. “Jaws” sold for $32,500. And “Ghostbusters” brought in $23,750. All in all, the auction sold more than half a million dollars’ worth of VHS tapes that no one will be watching.
Why spend that much money on a copy of a movie that you’ll only put in a display case? It’s not like having a VHS copy of “First Blood”, which was also auctioned off, is going to impress anyone. Here’s how that conversation goes. Auction buyer, “Wanna go to my place and see Goonies? I have it the VHS.” Other person, “You still have an old tape we can watch? That’s kind of retro cool. Sure.” Owner replies, “No. I paid 50 grand for a copy that we can’t watch. We’ll just stare at the cover and maybe I’ll pet it a couple of times.”