What do you do with your train boxes?

[Anonymous]

So after your permanent layout has been said and done, what do you do with all the train boxes from the locos and cars? Usually by that time you would have a large collection of them and then trying to figure where to put them.

I usually keep my boxes because they offer the best protection when moving around and such like that, especially when moving to one location to the other. And they also offer good protection when not in use. I know some use shelves to store their trains on so that they dont have to take them in and out of the boxes each time, but for those who dont have shelves, box storage seems ideal.

Chris

[Birds]

I keep them and store them in a climate controlled part of the house.

The boxes are great protection for items when moving, storage, etc. Plus many service places like to have items shipped to them in the original packaging if they need to be serviced..

We keep the boxes and packaging for many household items for that reason. Yes it does take room, but after a number of moves we learned our lesson. Original boxes just makes things easier.

[tschmidt]

Chris,

i do have most of my trains on the track or on shelves. I do save my boxes and I try to put most of them In large plastic containers. It keeps the boxes clean and in good shape. There are 2 sides to saving the boxes. It may never benefit me but maybe my kids will benefit.

TomS

[Anonymous]

Much to my wife's delight, at the moment they take up closet space that would otherwise be filled with useless stuff like her clothes and shoes. A few more bashings over the head with the frying pan should give me the incentive to move them into the attic. I need to get a few more plastic storage bins first.

Bruce Webster

[cmrj]

I save the boxe's too, protection for transport and better resale value in the future, not for me but maybe my son may want to sell or trade up for something else.
Have a good day Mike

[darianj]

Right now I have them stored under my layout. Buying a few plastic bins for protection sounds like a good idea.

I've seen auctions for boxes on ebay...some of them went for a pretty penny.

[mickey4479]

I store mine too. I put the boxes in computer boxes so they are together and protected, all in my atic room which is an unfinished bedroom basically. I have saved the atlas switch and track boxes as well. In another 50 years, they may be something to see. Just look at ebay and see what 50 year old stuff sells for!!! [:)]

[Sturgeon-Phish]

I break the boxes down and store them flat. Less prone to get crusshed and take up a lot less room.

[prewardude]

Save 'em.

[laz 57]

Our school were replacing all there base cabinets, I scrounged them. They support my layout and inside I store all my boxes.
laz57

[FJ and G]

MUlch them

[IronHoarse]

Save mine too, and store 'em under the layout.

[thatboy37]

SINCE I STILL HAVE ALL MY BOXES IM GOING TO KEEP THEM JUST IN CASE I WANT TO SALE THEM FOR THE EXTRA ADDED VALUE IF ANY IS ADDED BY KEEPING THE ORIGINAL BOXES FOR RESALE AT A LATER DATE.

[beefmalone]

I don't have that many boxes so far, but I'm gonna hang on to 'em. Here's where I'm keeping mine for now.

[Anonymous]

I'm a collector of vintage trains and so many of my trains don't have boxes (unfortunately!). Many of the original boxes that I do have are on display either on a specially-built shelf that runs along the ceiling or along the tops of my regular train shelves on the walls. These are set boxes that have nice box artwork on them. A lot of them are adorned with beautiful images. As for the plain and mundane boxes, I have them stored underneath my layout.

beefmalone, What is that red and beige box sitting underneath the Lionel one in the bottom picture? It doesn't look familiar to me and now has me curious.

[Buckeye Riveter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by prewardude

Save 'em.

[#ditto]

[ADCX Rob]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sask_Tinplater What is that red and beige box sitting underneath the Lionel one in the bottom picture? It doesn't look familiar to me and now has me curious.

It looks almost like this:



Rob

[Anonymous]

Sell them for big bucks before some figure out they are not worh as much as a train and that they will not run on the layout. They are not much fun either.

Charlie

[Anonymous]

Toss them! I also avoid buying older trains that come with boxes since I don't want to pay extra for them. Joe

[cnw1995]

Cru***hem flat and recycle 'em. I park most everything on the layout.

[Anonymous]

When I first rejoined the hobby a few years ago, I think I was making purchases for the purpose of amassing orange boxes as much as the items contained within. I wanted a "wall of orange and blue" stacked underneath the layout.
Now that I've satisfied that urge, regained my senses and curbed my spending, I'm ready to thin out my modest collection, and possibly discard the boxes for the items I do keep as the pieces will be weathered and not have much collector value anyway.
Mike

http://home.comcast.net/~graz6/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

[KentJJ]

Just finshed a purge of my modern era freight car boxes. Like Mike, I figure that once I've custom-painted and weathered the things, the items are something less than "New" or even "Exc." The exception comes with locomotives -- I keep these for safe shipping. It's amazing how much packaging is used to secure a single little freight car -- one that supposed to be built as a tough toy to start with!

[CSX FAN]

If I could post a picture I could show a dumpster full of them! A friend of mine tossed hundreds of boxes. [:0]

I save them all, even for the scenery. Got a large closest full of them. I don't even put them under the layout for fear of flooding.

Jamie

[cbq9911a]

I put the boxes into the crawl space over the garage.

[palallin]

I have filled about a quarter of a rented storage unit with boxes, the rest of the space bieing other household miscellaneous.

[Craignor]

I put a skirt around my layout. All my boxes fit under the table, hidden from view.

Railrax on my walls hold all my engines and cars.

[Anonymous]

Save em in large cartons. You'll NEVER know when you'll want em again