Man dug a hole to plant a tree and uncovered a stash of buried VHS tapes. Now everyone wants to know what’s on them

The day started as a routine one for a certified arborist (u/G000000p) in Houston, Texas, as he grabbed his gardening tools and set to work in his backyard. He was looking to plant a new sapling, so he began digging a hole. But that simple task came to an abrupt halt the moment his shovel hit a stubborn, rigid obstruction just beneath the turf. What he found next was completely unexpected, as it made him post about it on Reddit on March 29, 2026. Since then, the post has garnered a lot of attention and has gotten over 48,000 upvotes. 

Routine gardening turned surprising

What began as an ordinary afternoon chore for an arborist homeowner quickly turned into an archaeological dig. After the man set out with a shovel to dig a hole for a sapling, only after digging a little bit did he hit an obstruction. Clearing away the loose dirt, his first thought perhaps would've been that he hit a pipe. But that wasn't the case, as he soon saw a hidden stash of old VHS tapes carefully concealed beneath the surface. 

Unearthing the VHS tapes

As he removed some more dirt, the man uncovered several videocassettes stacked together. Baffled by why the tapes would be discarded in the ground instead of a trash can, the man decided to post a photograph of his discovery on Reddit. He hoped that the people on the internet could maybe help him identify what these tapes contained. Soon his individual curiosity turned into a widespread one as everyone wanted to know what was in the tapes. 

The internet weighs in

The post started doing the rounds, sparking some wild theories regarding the tapes. Some found humor in it, stating that they must be old if people are digging up cassettes from the ground. Meanwhile, others debated whether the man should buy a player and try playing the tapes and find out what they were actually about. He updated the entire thread with the true nature of his discovery less than 14 minutes after first sharing the mystery online. He commented, "It's a p--- stash," which in itself received 7,600 upvotes. That said, one thing that this incident highlighted was how most landowners miscalculate when digging.

The majority dig without contacting authorities

Finding or hitting something unexpected while digging isn't uncommon across the United States. A huge reason for this is that only 40% of people believe that planting a tree, shrub, or bushes requires the help of 811, according to Common Ground Alliance's annual survey. This comes despite 70% of people performing DIY projects on their property being concerned, at some level, about hitting a water pipeline.

'I'm interested in this plot'

 A still-legible title on one of the tapes — “Great in Bed” — appeared to confirm the nature of his unexpected find. The revelation quickly changed the tone of the discussion, with Redditors reacting to the crazy discovery. u/Jazzlike-Turnip-9111 was still interested in seeing the tapes restored, writing, "GET THEM RESTORED. I'M INTERESTED IN THIS PLOT." Meanwhile, u/autografitti jokingly replied, "Suuuure. You wanna watch it for the plot... 😉"

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