Let us be kind but firm about this. Most VHS tapes are worth about a dollar. Some are worth nothing at all. A genuinely small handful are worth real money, and this article is about telling the difference without lying to yourself, which is the hardest part of the whole exercise.
Value in VHS is not about how famous the film is. It is about scarcity, format, and condition. The tapes that fetch money tend to share a few honest traits:
This is the single most important habit, so we will say it loudly. Anyone can LIST a tape for a thousand dollars. That number means nothing. What matters is what tapes have actually SOLD for. On eBay, look at completed and sold listings, not active ones. An asking price is a wish. A sold price is a fact. Believe the facts and ignore the wishes.
Somebody is going to tell you that Disney tapes with a small black diamond on the spine are worth thousands. They are not. Those cassettes were pressed by the tens of millions. They are among the most common tapes on Earth, which is roughly the opposite of what makes something rare. It is a lovely story and a terrible investment. Check the sold listings and let it go gently.
The odds are that your tape is worth about a dollar, and that is completely fine. That is not a reason to collect less, it is a reason to collect more. Cheap is the whole point. If you happen to be holding one of the genuine rarities, the sold listings will tell you calmly and clearly. Everything else, you keep because you love it, which is the only sensible reason to keep any of it.