There was a time when we all had videos and lots of tapes to play in them. Now DVD has taken over – not to mention recording onto hard drives – videos no longer have a role to play. This article provides suggestions on what to do with those old video tapes.
How many video tapes do you have knocking around your home? Many people of a certain age have lots of them – dozens or even hundreds – sitting around in piles, perhaps in the attic or in old boxes stored in a cupboard. Now we all use DVD players and record programmes directly onto hard drives provided by satellite and cable companies, the old video tapes are obsolete.
So what should you do with them if you have lots left?
Despite the fact video tapes have been largely consigned to history, there are some possibilities to consider before taking them all down the tip. For example, some charity shops will take videos, especially if they are in good condition. Not all of them do though, so ask around to find out what the options are.
The outcome for your video tapes can depend on what they are. Some films and television programmes are ten a penny and very difficult to get rid of. However this does not always apply. If you happen to have video tapes of programmes that have never been released on DVD, you might have a chance at selling them. The old favourite auction site eBay is a good place for this, so have a look and see whether you can make a sale or two there.
If you do try this, look up the titles of the videos you have prior to auctioning them. You’ll see whether any other copies are on there or not. If the market is flooded the chances are you won’t be able to sell yours for anything, if at all. However if you cannot find the tapes you own or there are just one or two that went for reasonable prices, you might be in luck.
You could also consider services such as Freecycle or giveaways locally. Boot sales are another option if you want to try and sell them, but keep the prices low if you are going to stand a chance of shifting any.
Of course a lot depends on what you have on the tapes. Some people have video recordings of personal events and occasions rather than programmes. In this case you won’t want to get rid of them, but you will still want to watch them. Try looking at the option to convert video to DVD so you can solve the problem. If you search locally you should find services that convert video to DVD for affordable prices.
As you can see there are options available, so look through them before you automatically think of getting rid of them. Even one or two rare videos could fetch a good price, so think about this route before doing anything else. Box sets or complete collections could just tempt a fan with a video player that can’t afford to get all the programmes or films on DVD. You never know, so in this situation you might just be able to make a good sale.
