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There were only 200 VHS tapes for the film The Last Blockbuster in four different colorways
The tapes sold in two batches of 100 in 2021 at $24.99 and were limited to one per customer
This is not the first limited edition VHS from LUNCHMEAT, but it is one of the most successful and resells for around $200
Part-documentary, part-comedy, 2020’s The Last Blockbuster explores the life of the dead franchise, as well as the story behind its last location. The film did reasonably well and was available to stream through Netflix and Amazon, as well as a physical release. In 2021, Indie VHS producer LUNCHMEAT created a limited run of 100 VHS tapes of The Last Blockbuster. These sold out quickly, and LUNCHMEAT would produce another run of 100 to capitalize on the success. Since then, copies of The Last Blockbuster on VHS have gone to resell for significantly more than they sold at retail.
LUNCHMEAT first announced their upcoming The Last Blockbuster VHS tape through Facebook in late 2020. The Last Blockbuster’s subject matter of a defunct but somehow still-alive store made it a perfect fit for VHS, and LUNCHMEAT sprung into action.
By this point, LUNCHMEAT had built up a sizable portfolio of VHS releases of contemporary films. What started as a magazine for VHS aficionados in 2008, LUNCHMEAT eventually grew into a manufacturer of VHS tapes and now frequently collaborates with indie film producers to create VHS offerings.
Most releases feature several different colorways. For The Last Blockbuster tapes, there were forty all-blue tapes, forty all-yellow, ten blue-top, and ten yellow-top. There is no differences between the tapes aside from color.
The case design for The Last Blockbuster’s VHS release riffed on the nature of the film, intended to look like a generic Blockbuster case from its heyday. There has not been any difference in sale prices between colorways, but that could change.
Sales for the tapes opened in January 2021 and expected to ship in February. However, the initial batch of 100 sold out fast, and LUNCHMEAT was clear that they would cancel any order that exceeded the quantity limit of one.
Later in 2021, LUNCHMEAT announced a restock of The Last Blockbuster VHS tapes, again limited to 100. These were put up for sale on October 21 and sold out rapidly the second time around.
Yes, copies of The Last Blockbuster on VHS would resell easily after selling out. Because of the highly limited release typical of LUNCHMEAT there were simply not enough tapes to go around. However, collectors were willing to pay extra to a reseller to get their hands on a tape.
It is worth noting that LUNCHMEAT’s products do not generally resell. Their initial releases tend to be popular, but it’s rare for someone to buy one from a reseller. Additionally, while The Last Blockbuster reviewed favorably, it could have generated more buzz. So it is peculiar that this particular release would prove so popular and resell well.
The Last Blockbuster’s familiar subject matter and the decision to release it on VHS might have been a winning combination. Also, people may have wanted their own copy to sit on the shelf.
Additionally, Netflix began heavily promoting their new show, Blockbuster, in the latter half of 2021. Like The Last Blockbuster, Blockbuster revolves around the fate of the sole operating Blockbuster located in Bend, Oregon, in 2022. However, Netflix’s show is a fictionalized version, unlike the documentary.
So maybe the increase in marketing and eyes on The Last Blockbuster translated to a major bump in interest for the VHS? Previous aftermarket sales for other LUNCHMEAT VHS tapes have only rarely approached the $50 mark, so for The Last Blockbuster tapes to sell for so much is notable.
In November 2022, LUNCHMEAT dropped a third run of The Last Blockbuster VHS tapes. This restock was limited to 300 copies, triple the stock of the last two releases. As of April 2023, there are still unsold copies of this tape in stock on their website. Good news for collectors, but the aftermarket has been completely cratered. There’s no functional difference between the old tapes and the new, so resellers looking to make some cash are out of luck. As you can see, holding items long term is always a risk
Check out some of our other articles for more of the best items to resell. If you thought VHS tapes were weird, we have more that will surprise you. Electric cars, video games, flamethrowers, and way more. If it resells, we’re on it.
With a hint of cream cheese
Or make it even more popular?
