To keep or not to keep boxes

[overall]

Lately I have been collecting diecast automobiles and trucks to populate my layout's streets with. They come from Die Cast Direct, Road Champs, Masio and others. Each car comes with a nice little plastic display box with the make and model of the vehicle on it. Should I try to save these? What do you think? They start to take up a lot of space after a while.

George

[tmcc man]

I think you should, because if you move you can have them organized in the big plastic boxes, and have them labeled. If you want to store them, put them in large containers and you will save space. Just my thought

[tdetmer]

I would keep the boxes if you can. I agree that the big plastic storage boxes may be the best bet to keep things organized. The problem that I've run into is that many of the vehicles I've purchased come in some sort of shrink wrap or pre-formed plastic pack that has to be destroyed to get it open. At that point, it is useless to keep it any more. It would be nice if these things came in the old style boxes that could be opened neatly and kept for re-use. Anything like that I would keep. Tom

[wrmcclellan]

With all the train boxes, it has been impossible for me to keep the other boxes.

[dougdagrump]

As it relates to trains it seems that sometimes the boxes are worth more than the trains that came in them. [B)]

[wrmcclellan]

[#ditto]

[siberianmo]

An interesting question and one that I too have wrestled with.

I have kept all of the boxes that came with my HO, S, and O gauge trains. The HO stuff goes back to the mid-60s to present times. The S and O are within the past year.

Those boxes are in large plastic containers that are stowed away beneath my layout - out of sight. At present I have a dozen of these containers loaded with empty boxes. Each container ran me about $15. Hmmmmmmmm.

I began to save all my vehicle, figures, and accessory boxes until it became apparent that this was getting out of hand. I had boxes coming out of my ears - so to speak. So, I just put the brakes on it. They are long gone for the reasons others have mentioned.

For what it's worth ......

[gvdobler]

After owning an antique store with collectables, Ii can tell you that anything with its original box is worth more than without. Collectors will not even buy stuff without the box unless it is so rare they have to. So they will pay a premium to get something in its original box.

The people that buy without the box are prbably going to use the item and will only buy if it is a bargain, so they will pay less.

I vote you keep all boxes and that thing inside the box that the item rests in.

[dougdagrump]

I'm giving serious thought to getting rid of the boxes for my rolling stock. I plan on keeping the loco boxes, primarily because of posssible need for shipment for repairs. The rolling stock that I have gets a lot of run time on a rotational basis on the club layout so eventually it will not have a lot of resale value. If they were all "shelf queens" I would keep everything. [2c]

[cnw1995]

I got rid of everything. The hit I would take if ever selling the boxless items would be less (in my opinion) than the hassle of storing the boxes everywhere. Besides, I've got anti-packrat-itis. Keeps me from keeping anything I'm not using... I'd rather give them to someone who can use them: rose trellises, an electric edger, N scale items...