WWF WrestleMania (Various Years)
WWF's first-ever WrestleMania was held in New York's famed Madison Square Garden in March of 1985. This star-studded event had the likes of Mr. T and Liberace and saw a little over 19,000 people in attendance. Despite being the first, this was not the best WrestleMania, but it is important.
WWF released both a VHS and Betamax version of this shortly after. In February 2023, Heritage sold a VGA 85+ NM sealed Beta example for $2,000. In July 2023, a sealed clamshell version sold for $599.
WWF's WrestleMania III is arguably one of the best events in the company's history. The main event of the night was between the World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant, with Hogan retaining. This event also featured the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. This match is regarded by many as one of the best wrestling matches of all time and is still talked about to this day. The event was released on VHS shortly after.
In July 2023, an ungraded sealed clamshell copy sold for $876 after 20 bids on eBay. Opened clamshell examples sell for under $59 on the same platform. If you can find either of these VHS sealed, you've struck gold. Yet even opened examples can be a minor collector's piece.
WWF Survivor Series Various Years
Another WWF event, Survivor Series VHS' can be very collectible. Since the first one in 1987, the Pay Per View event now pits the WWE Raw and Smackdown brands against each other. Survivor Series is one of WWE's staple PPVs and is considered to be second best to WrestleMania. Prices for Survivor Series VHS range with higher prices going for sealed copies.
In July 2023, an ungraded sealed copy of Survivor Series 1992 example sold for $999. That same month, an ungraded and sealed copy of Survivor Series 1993 sold for $699. In May of 2023, a sealed Survivor Series 1995 IGS graded 7.5 NM sold for $178 after 6 bids.
WCW Starrcade Various Years
If you're a seasoned wrestling fan, the Starrcade name should bring up good memories. The event has changed promotions a handful of times between 1983 to 2019 -- NWA, JCP, WCW, and WWE have all had their hands in the legendary PPV. WCW had the longest tenure with the brand, and it would become WCW's flagship PPV. As WCW is now absorbed into WWE, videos of the event are collectible, but not expensive.
In June 2023 a sealed, ungraded copy of Starrcade 1998 sold for $124. An opened copy of Starrcade 1992 sold for $45 in April 2023. Most of the examples I've found sell for under $100, so if you're growing a WCW VHS collection, you won't exactly break the bank. Unfortunately, it may take some time to see a return on investment with these items, as WWF/WWE items remain the top collectible out of both companies.
