POLL: Sealed Betamax Davy Crockett and the River Pirates -- Should I remove the OG price sticker or not?

[RH | 4,980]

Yesterday I found a really awesome, huge antique shop near where I work.  While I was digging through their piles of stuff, I found the sealed copy of Davy Crockett and the River Pirates on Betamax.

I'm not a Betamax collector, but my son and I love the old Disney Davy Crockett films, this was a neat find plus I knew those very old VHS Disney tapes had some rare ones worth a few bucks, so I wondered if old Davy was worth anything.

Well, looks like it might be but regardless of that, I think I just want to keep it on my shelf for a time.  I've never been into VHS/Betamax collecting but since this is legit the first one I've found in the wild, it was sealed and it's kind of desirable I'm debating on leaving it as it is or taking the price sticker off.

I know that if I cared 100% on the value, the label needs to go.  I also know that if this were a sealed game, I'd have no problem taking the sticker off (unless it was something like KB, Toys R' Us or Funcoland) but this is different.  This was purchased on a whim and I'm pretty sure this is the original sticker because this thing was marked for $30!  Who was paying $30 for media in 1981?! I think that's kind of neat and that history's gone once I remove it.

Anyway, I'm just curious what you guys would do.  Yes or no, remove the price label?

Edited July 14, 2022 by RH

[Gloves | 11,843]

My main concern would be that any UV damage to the rest of the box may have the section under the sticker looking different permanently from the rest of the box, so taking off the sticker may look worse even if you do a good job of the removal.

[RH | 4,980]

Just now, Gloves said:

My main concern would be that any UV damage to the rest of the box may have the section under the sticker looking different permanently from the rest of the box, so taking off the sticker may look worse even if you do a good job of the removal.

I considered that too. The sticker glue is weak, though.  I can lift a corner and see that I don't think it's a problem, but it's hard to tell because the crusty residue is brownish yellow.

But good point.

[Gloves | 11,843]

1 minute ago, RH said:

I considered that too. The sticker glue is weak, though.  I can lift a corner and see that I don't think it's a problem, but it's hard to tell because the crusty residue is brownish yellow.

But good point.

Could also be that the glue has stained the plastic. Also undesirable.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

I voted no solely due to the nostalgia factor.  For me, at least, even though the display isn't "perfect" because there's something else there, I think it adds something in showing such items exactly as we would have picked them up and experienced them back in the day.  Sealed items with no stickers on them absolutely look "case fresh" but were rarely what we had in our grubby little hands as we slowly progressed to checkout with said item.

[AirVillain | 491]

I voted yes... but only if you keep the sticker intact and keep it along with  the movie. You can have an information page with it still with the VHS explaining the removal, before & after photo's, and the lineage of the rental sticker., etc.

:)

[drxandy | 3,236]

Keep it, not covering too much art and haha 30$!

[RH | 4,980]

15 minutes ago, drxandy said:

Keep it, not covering too much art and haha 30$!

For a new item today (adjusted for inflation) it seems expensive, but as a collectors item, that’s quite a deal!

[AverageOliver98 | 720]

On 7/14/2022 at 11:18 AM, RH said:

This was purchased on a whim and I'm pretty sure this is the original sticker because this thing was marked for $30!  Who was paying $30 for media in 1981?!

People paying $30 or more for media in 1981 was just about everyone. The first VHS and Beta films were sold for $100 each in 1977, and while most prices went down as the 80's went on, new releases were still priced rather high (someone here mentioned their parents paying $70 for Top Gun when it released and I've got a film called 'The Cotton Club' (1985 release) with 79.95 printed on the sleeve).

Edited July 16, 2022 by AverageOliver98

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

On 7/15/2022 at 11:28 PM, AverageOliver98 said:

People paying $30 or more for media in 1981 was just about everyone. The first VHS and Beta films were sold for $100 each in 1977, and while most prices went down as the 80's went on, new releases were still priced rather high (someone here mentioned their parents paying $70 for Top Gun when it released and I've got a film called 'The Cotton Club' (1985 release) with 79.95 printed on the sleeve).

I was thinking the same thing. Physical media was such a luxury item then. The rest of us poor saps had to study our TV Guides to figure out how to watch something! 

[RH | 4,980]

Well the votes are rather overwhelming!  The price tag shall stay.