‘Back to the Future’ VHS was auctioned off for $75,000 USD
Everyone else is scratching their heads about why they got rid of their old VHS tapes.
According to Heritage Auctions of Dallas, Tom Wilson, who portrayed Biff Tannen, Michael J. Fox’s opponent in the “Back to the Future” trilogy, sold his shrink-wrapped, VHS version of the movie for a record $75,000.
Including a buyer’s premium, the auction house’s VHS and Home Entertainment Signature Auction concluded on June 9. It just so happened to be Fox’s 61st birthday on that day.
According to Action Network, in December Goldin Auctions sold a first print “Star Wars” tape from 1977 for $57,000, setting a new auction record for a VHS.
According to Reports, Wilson had copies of all three films in addition to a documentary.
Wilson, 63, played the antagonist Biff Tannen, as well as Griff Tannen and Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, in the “Back to the Future” trilogy that began with the 1985 original and continued with sequels in 1989 and 1990.
According to Heritage Auctions, the sale was won by a collector from New York. The winning amount was “the highest price ever paid at auction for a sealed, graded VHS tape,” the auction company said.
Heritage Auctions EVP Joe Maddalena told, “We had no idea what was going to happen — no one’s done this before and to see the success, it is amazing.” An individual stated, “When you see that, it is a great sense of accomplishment, not even the financial aspect of it, but just a moment of ‘I knew it! I knew nostalgic VHS tapes would be good.'”
Both of Wilson’s sealed copies of “Back to the Future Part II” went for $16,250 at the Heritage Auctions sale, while “Back to the Future Part III” brought in $13,750.
“This is a VHS tape of the first release of Back to the Future, sent to me by the studio at that time,” Wilson said. “Since I knew that the VHS platform would be around forever, I saved it for later and now I can’t find a VCR. Oh well. Enjoy!”
The winning gift also contained a shot of Wilson wearing white fabric gloves and carrying a festive gherkin.
