Video Treasures

Video Treasures was a home video distributor founded in March 1985 by George Port. Initially, the company distributed public domain titles, including cartoon compilations. In 1986, the label introduced a video line of WWII-era titles, called the World of Conflict. In the spring of 1987, the company started licensing agreements with many motion picture and television companies and home video labels/distributors, such as Vestron Video, Media Home Entertainment, Color Systems Technology, Active Home Video, Orion Pictures Corporation, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, M.C.E.G., Trans World Entertainment, Hal Roach Studios, Saban Entertainment (formerly Saban Productions), Video Communications Inc., etc.

From the start of the company to January 1989, its releases were distributed by Video Cassette Sales, which was either an affiliate, or a parent of the company. In January 1989, Handleman Company acquired Video Treasures and Video Cassette Sales for $10 million.

In April 1991, Video Treasures became the marketer for Burbank Video, possibly as a result of Burbank Video's then-parent Viking Entertainment, which Handleman acquired in 1987, being merged into Video Treasures. In early 1992, Video Treasures also became the distributor for MNTEX Entertainment.

Media Home Entertainment ceased operations in 1993. From 1990-1993, the company's final set of titles on videotape were being distributed by The CBS/Fox Company (also known as FoxVideo), while LaserDisc releases were distributed by Image Entertainment. In addition, budget-priced releases were distributed by Video Treasures.

In May 1995, both Starmaker Entertainment and Video Treasures merged to form Anchor Bay Entertainment. The name, "Anchor Bay" originated from a school district based in Michigan, where their parent, Handleman Company was also based in. Both labels remained in use until the summer of 1998.

Under the Burbank Video label

• Burbank Video

Under the Media Home Entertainment label

NOTICE: This section only includes post-1990 budget-priced releases distributed by Video Treasures. For pre-1991 regular self-distributed releases and post-1991 regular releases distributed by Image Entertainment and The CBS/Fox Company, click here.

Locations

• Jericho, New York (1985-1986) (moved to Hauppauge)
• Hauppauge, New York (1986-1990) (moved to Batavia)
• Batavia, Ohio (1990-1992) (ultimately consolidated into Handleman's Troy operations)
• Ajax, Ontario (1989-1998) [Canadian operations through HGV Video Productions]
• Troy, Michigan (1992-1998)