Hi Chase,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The "Black Diamond" edition of The Little Mermaid VHS, featuring the controversial cover art, was released on May 18, 1990, as part of Disney's Walt Disney Classics line. This edition is notable for its cover, which included a castle with spires that some observers felt resembled phallic symbols. Although the artwork was not officially banned, the controversy led Disney to redesign the cover for subsequent releases.

Unfortunately, despite widespread belief, these VHS tapes - even limited edition and/or unopened ones - have very little value; the perceived value is largely driven by nostalgia and misconceptions about their rarity. There are several sellers on eBay that place astronomical prices on examples they are selling; these sellers usually hope to find deep-pocketed but naïve buyers who aren't savvy about what things are really worth. Because eBay is not transparent and won't confirm if any of those sales took place for those amounts, they are additionally an unreliable resource in terms of valuations. In most cases, their value is proven at auction, when they bring less than they would have cost when acquired new in the 1990s.

To give you some perspective, opened ones usually sell for just $1-2; that you have yours in the original factory packaging makes this worth $10-15.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Disney Black Diamond The Classics -Little Mermaid VHS tape
9 inches high by 5-1/2 inches wide
CONDITION: Unopened and in the original factory packaging
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$10-15*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia