Though VHS tapes are considered obsolete these days, collectors are still interested in getting their hands on certain VHS tapes, including one version of Disney's The Little Mermaid. The cover that some people are interested in collecting is one that was banned after it was released. The original VHS tape cover art for The Little Mermaid featured a controversial castle that some say resembles a penis.
According to Snopes, the same imagery was used for promotional materials when the film was first released in theaters in 1989, but the artwork didn't become controversial until Disney released the VHS tape in 1990.
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Some people even believed that an artist created a phallic-looking castle on purpose, but Snopes reported that the castle's resemblance to a penis was completely unintentional.
Still, the controversial design prompted Disney to remove the original cover design from shelves. And if you have a VHS tape with this rare cover design, it might be worth some money, according to WKMG News 6 and Throwbacks.
As of July 23, 2024, a copy of the original VHS tape for The Little Mermaid (with the phallic castle on it) was listed on Etsy for $99.95. On eBay, one seller listed the banned VHS tape for $299.95. Some appear to be selling the VHS tape for a lower price.
But those were among the more reasonable listings. We spotted one listing for this tape for $9,989, and another for $7,000, along with several more listed in the thousands.
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On Reddit, one person shared that they found the phallic The Little Mermaid VHS tape for 25 cents while thrifting. Some Reddit users said that the VHS tape is "not that rare," though others admitted that it's still a cool find (and definitely worth it for a quarter).
"It’s worth the conversation piece," one person responded. Another wrote, "I wish I could go back in time to check if my childhood VHS copy had the penis on it."
So are old Disney VHS tapes actually worth a lot of money? It depends. According to InsideTheMagic.com, many collectors have expressed interest in The Black Diamond Collection series of VHS tapes. Walt Disney Studios released these tapes between 1984 and 1994, according to the outlet.
While sellers on eBay and other platforms might list high prices for tapes like these, InsideTheMagic.com recommends approaching listings like these with some level of skepticism. Realistically, some old VHS tapes could be worth hundreds of dollars, or at least some money, but most VHS tapes are probably not worth thousands or millions.
*Psst: if you choose to purchase an item from this post, LittleThings.com may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
