Going for: $120 My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese children’s movie written and directed by Hiyao Miyazaki. The year after it was released in Japan, the English-dubbed version hit the scene and started making its rounds. In 2010, Empire magazine listed it on their Top 100 Best Films of World Cinema list. And Totoro, the main animated character, made number 18 on their list of the 50 Best Animated Film Characters.
The movie follows a pair of young sisters who are living with their father as their mother recovers from an illness, and they have all kinds of adventures with spirits in the woods near their home. If you happen to have the DVD of this film, you may be able to get anywhere from $105-$120 for it. Of course, there are a lot of people selling it online for $100, so it may take a while to get the maximum for it unless you luck out and find someone who really wants it.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Going for: $75 We’re moving on up with the scale of prices on our list of the most expensive DVDs and VHS tapes. E.T The Extra-Terrestrial is one of the most classic films of all time. It’s referenced in countless other shows, songs, and movies, and basically everyone on earth knows the phrase, “E.T phone home.” So, it only makes sense that the original version of this popular family movie can be sold for over $70 eBay. There are actually some rare, Black Diamond editions that are going for over $4,000, so someone can definitely swing $75 for a good copy.
The film was one of three Steven Spielberg films that broke box office records when it first came out in theatres. The director later revealed he shot most of the film from the level of a child’s eyes to give the audience more perspective and make us feel closer to E.T – and it worked! Anyone who says they don’t at least get a little teared-up at the end must not have been watching the same film as the rest of us.
Song Of The South
Going for: $100 Hey look, we’ve hit triple-digit territory now, we’re really warming up (although you still haven’t seen anything yet.) That’s probably because this movie, which came out in 1946, is one of Walt Disney’s more controversial films. The movie received a ton of backlash and was even referred to as “one of the most racist films in history.” So, why one may want to own a copy of this film is beyond me, but apparently some do because there are sellers who have it listed on eBay for a cool $100.
Despite the controversy of the original film, there were some remakes and spinoff stories to emerge after the fact. One such spinoff was a newspaper comic strip that came out in 1986, created by Floyd Norman. Norman himself has several pieces listed on the online marketplace, including another comic strip he wrote for Disney titled, “The Funny Side of Walt’s World,” for $135.
The Legend of Hillbilly John
Going for: $150 This 1972 film follows a traveling musician who encounters a giant bird creature in the Appalachians and travels back in time. The general consensus may only be worth about three stars, but it developed a cult-like following from those who connected with the film. And that’s why there are copies of it selling online for $150.
And, if you’re a fan of the whole “good versus evil,” the devil controls the world, type of stories, you may want to search it out for yourself. Of course, there’s actually a free version of the film on YouTube, so you should start there before you spend a ton of money. But hey, if you’re a big Hedges Capers fan, you may not mind getting out the debit card.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
Going for: $160 The platinum edition of this class British children’s show can be found for all the way up to nearly $160 on eBay. Of course, the films were all spinoffs of the original show, which was just called Thomas & Friends. There are have been several shows and movies created since, some much better than others, including this one, which is by far the most expensive of all of the classic DVDs.
Of course, the person who’s selling this copy of the three-disc set may not wind up making any money, considering there seem to be others of the exact same quality on the online selling platform for a lot less money. And, as far as the ad lists, there’s nothing special about it that would warrant charging so much. If you’ve got a copy you’re looking to sell, check eBay first and see what others who are selling the same thing are doing, and priced accordingly.