Are you holding on to your VHS tapes? (1 Viewer)

[Tom Garvey]

I'm thinking of unloading mine. Is there any reason to hold on to them?

 

[GlennH]

No. If you replace a VHS with DVD, sell the VHS for whatever you can get or give it away and move on. That's the way I view it. If you wait too long they will be worthless.

I never bought a lot of VHS tapes at all, but we did have a pretty good selection of Disney animated VHS. As each has had a DVD release we've put ads in the local Pennysaver and sold them for $5 or $6 each (after removing their UPC or proof of purchase to get a $5 Disney rebate). Just another way to finance the upgrade to DVD.

I'm still looking forward to replacing Sleeping Beauty, Lion King, and Cinderella. Oh, and Raiders of the Lost Ark too.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I'm thinking of unloading mine. Is there any reason to hold on to them?

Well, if the movie hasn't been released on DVD, that's one.

Of course, I am holding onto a couple others. The Phantom Menace VHS is, I believe, the original theatrical cut, and even if I like the DVD cut better, it's nice to have for archival purposes. Also, there's actually a featurette on the widescreen VHS of Fargo that I don't think made it to DVD (though, granted, I bought that one for the snow globe).

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

Hold on to them....if you are a romantic. As for myself, I haven't found a reason to actually keep them.

Bruce

 

[Cage]

Im down to about 20.As the DVD`s are released the VHS tapes bite the dust. I give mine to goodwill. I figure maybe some less fortunate kids can enjoy them while they are still viewable. They wont last that much longer as most of my tapes are probably 10-15 years old. Every time they were watched it got worse and worse. I actually have not even watched a VHS tape in about 5 years!

 

[Carl Johnson]

I had a modest collection of fifty or so VHS tapes that I gave to my brother not too long after I got my first DVD player in '98. I tend to do that when I upgrade something electronic. The day I bought an X Box was the last day that I played Dreamcast. Out with the old, in with the new.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

You can always pull one out to do a "A/B" comparison to remind yourself how happy you are that DVD was invented. Other than that, lose them. What possible reason could you have for hanging on to them. I never had a huge library of VHS tapes (by the time I got into collecting I was buying LDs), but as I get a DVD version of a title I already own, the VHS is given away. I'm down to a few titles like the Indiana Jones films (in widescreen, of course) and Bill Cosby: Himself - all of which will go bye-bye as soon as they're released on DVD.
Regards,
Joe

 

[Dave H]

I would love to eliminate everything of VHS - including the player. However, I have so much taped material from TV, etc. that I want. I guess I could get it transfered to DVD.
The only actual movies I have left that I bought are Raiders and original Star Wars. I replaced what I had on VHS to DVD and sold the VHS at a garage sale for 1-2.00 each.

 

[Jeff*S*C*]

I sold all of mine (except for my BTTF and Star Wars box sets) a month ago in a yard sale for a buck a piece. One guy bought almost all of them. I'm betting he was a reseller.

 

[LennyP]

Well, I started collecting VHS just before DVD came out so I didn't have that many, just about 30 tapes, most replaced with DVD those that could or wanted to. Those LDs and VHS that are not on DVD just recording to DVD-R, which is what you should do, and selling them while someone still wants them for whatever price. DVD recorders, be it for PC (under $300) or stand-alone ($500), are obviously very cheap so you should get into it and transfer all your dear stuff and get rid of the inferiour format. Yes it won't look any better but you're gona have it on disc in a box on the shelf along with all the rest of your collection in the same format.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Those LDs and VHS that are not on DVD just recording to DVD-R, which is what you should do, and selling them while someone still wants them for whatever price.

Copy movies and re-sell the originals? That's not what you should do; it's copyright infringement.

DJ

 

[Troy LaMont]

The only VHS tapes that I own are my daughter's birth and her early years (which I plan to archive to DVD here shortly) and the THX Widescreen Original Star Wars Trilogy!

Other than that I was never really a big VHS fan. DVD hit home with me (I have a smallish collection of over 225).

Troy

 

[LennyP]

Copy movies and re-sell the originals? That's not what you should do; it's copyright infringement.

Oops. :b Well, I haven't sold anything yet, just started copying.
Yeah, you shouldn't sell the originals if you've copied it, shouldn't copy at all, kids. And stay in school!

 

[JonZ]

I have about 200 VHS tapes of stuff that not on DVD and I dont have a DVD burner yet.

I still use my VCR all the time.

 

[Michael Hall]

I've still got a few videocassettes here and there, but they're mainly stuff that friends taped for me that are (or were) impossible to find in the US (i.e. Eraserhead in widescreen or Leon:Version Integrale). I've also still got the SW Trilogy in Widescreen, as well as a few music videos (particularly Ministry's "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up") that haven't been reissued on DVD yet.

Outside of that, I have one videotape that I use to tape "Alias" on Sunday nights when "Angel" is a new episode. Other than that, once something comes out on DVD, I pretty much get rid of the VHS copies of it.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I never had a big VHS collection, but I have been giving away those that I did own, with the exception of my Star Wars Trilogy (widescreen), Looney Tunes collection and Bullwinkle & Rocky collection. I'll hang onto each of those until DVD replacements are available.

 

[ChuckDeLa]

All I've got is:

* Star Wars trilogy widescreen (picked this up a couple weeks ago... $16 and still sealed... I only wish it was the original versions and not the "special" editions)
* Blade Runner: Director's Cut (not buying DVD until SE comes out)
* several not-yet-on-DVD music videos (some of which probably never will be)
* couple of Dennis Miller concerts
* a few taped movies that I haven't watched yet or just don't quite care enough about to buy, but still want to keep around

That's it. But I was never into buying videocassettes to begin with.

 

[Jefferson]

My situation is different...

My interest lies heavily in the world of classic
films.
The majority of films in my collection were
made prior to 1965....
and, as we know, such titles are being released
on DVD very, very slowly...

If I got rid of some titles on VHS, I would never
see that film again for years.

Sorry, not an option for me.
I, too, have interviews, and documentaries
and such that will never be released in another format...
So,
hang on I must until they can be transferred.

 

[Mathew Shelby]

I had almost 300 VHS tapes before I finally started converting everything to DVD. The video guy at the local flea market gave me $2.50 a tape which I consider decent because most of them were from the Walmart clearance racks. Now I own over 500 DVDs is scared to think what will happen if they ever switch formats again. 500 DVDs @ $20/each. YIKES!!!

 

[Jerome Grate]

For me until I can get a DVD player in every room, VHS is the only thing that gives me flexibility to watch movies wherever I park my buttocks. Of course they are mostly S-VHS tapes recorded from satellite. I'll keep some and other will probably go out during the next tag sale in the summer.