Access BookSaleFinder.com. This website lets you conduct a search for a library sale near you or at a destination you will be traveling to. BookSaleFinder.com advertises not only when and where big library sales are being held, but also if VHS tapes will be sold.
Take advantage of a preview sale if the library offers it. If you are a member of the public library the preview night of the sale, which usually is on Friday, will be free. If you are not a member, the charge to get in is generally less than $10. It is wise to take advantage of a preview sale as there will be a larger selection available than on the open sales on Saturday and Sunday.
Ask the library volunteers where the used VHS tapes are located. Since this is a library sale, the books will usually be presented first. Often, VHS tapes are placed along with vinyl records. In almost all library sales the VHS tapes are all grouped together as a separate category rather than placed in with the books.
Look for special deals on boxed sets. Library sales are a great source for finding VHS box sets because they are so much larger and take up so much more space than boxed DVD sets. For this reason, many people prefer to donate their old VHS box sets rather than just dumping them into the garbage as they might a single movie. Library sales are also great places to find VHS movies about science and history.
Ask the library volunteers if this sale has a bag or box sale. In this sale, which usually takes place on the last day of the sale, you pay just one price per bag/box, no matter how much you can fit into it. In that case, you might want to gamble on VHS movies still being available and your coming back to get them at a bargain-basement price. This tactic is not recommended for those taking advantage of the preview sale or arriving early the day before the bag or box sale.