Duane Beckett
Old VHS war documentaries don’t have huge value, but they do hit a sweet spot for certain collectors. Not only are they historically relevant, but in an era when digital content is often gated behind paywalls, physical media, even old VHS tapes, still has value.
Some of these rare war documentary VHS tapes were mass-produced educational releases. Others were niche tapes sold to military buffs, schools, or mail-order buyers. The best ones are not always expensive, but they’re the tapes collectors keep searching for because complete, clean copies are getting harder to find.
Vietnam: A Television History (PBS/WGBH)
The war documentary Vietnam: A Television History first aired in 1983 and covered events after World War II through to the fall of Saigon. According to GBH, the production company behind it, it was a landmark documentary.
VHSCollector states that the VHS volumes were released in the United States in 1987 and came with slipcases. There were 13 episodes in total, with Internet Archive noting that later DVD releases were cut down.
This isn’t a big-ticket VHS war documentary, with single tapes available for around $8. However, collectors want all episodes, clean sleeves, and either WGBH or Sony-era packaging. For the whole collection, expect to pay around $100, if you can find them all.
Walter Cronkite’s World War 2 (CBS Video Library)
CBS Video Library released World War II with Walter Cronkite as a subscription series in 1981 and 1982. The nine-tape set was sold through subscription installments every six to eight weeks, and the series covered major World War II fronts and campaigns. Cronkite’s voice gave the tapes added authority, which helps their collectibility today.
Current market value varies between $40 and $70, with Etsy showing a set at $36.62, while eBay listings show sets at $42 and $65. Collectors look for full numbered runs, red CBS Video Library sleeves, strong tape labels, and no missing volumes.
The Air War (WW2 Strategic Bombing Documentary)
The Air War is a niche WWII aviation documentary about how bombing changed modern warfare. Internet Archive states that it focuses on the U.S. Air Force and RAF, including strategic bombing of Germany’s military and industrial targets.
This niche aspect for rare war documentary VHS tapes makes it a tighter collector’s piece than broader WWII VHS compilations. Aviation collectors have a very dedicated mindset.
Pricing for this World War II documentary is thin, which is part of the appeal. Comparable military aviation VHS listings range from about $10 for a sealed Air War 1939-1945 tape to $30 for a sealed Vietnam: The Air War tape.
Collectors want original VHS copies, clean labels, working playback, and non-DVD transfers.
War in the Gulf / Global Strike: Iraq (Video Ordnance Inc.)
War in the Gulf captured the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm at a time when the conflict was still fresh in American living rooms. Internet Archive states the Video Ordnance Inc. series covered Desert Storm, Desert Shield, weapons, tactics, and later Global Strike: Iraq.
The original VHS releases ran from 1991 to 1996, with Global Strike: Iraq arriving in 2000. This one is collectible because the online record is messy, and many surviving versions are DVD rips or bootleg-style sets.
Information from eBay and Mercari shows single tapes around $10 to $25, while four-tape lots have appeared around $30. Collectors want the Video Ordnance VHS tapes, original cases, and complete multi-tape runs.