I've often seen "with original box" on items for sale. I know this can be important for such things as locos that come in fitted boxes and R-T-R cars. It's nice to have original boxes to store cars that came in them, even kit car boxes that don't have fitted liners, do have the car identification on them. What I'm wondering is are the boxes that building kits come in of any value? The buildings will no longer fit in them, but do collectors find them of value? Though I doubt it, thought I'd ask.
I am apt to keep the directions, always have, but have seen several requests for old instructions since joining these forums
As you may be able to tell, I'm trying to get things cleaned up so that I can start to ready the room for a new shelf layout. Hate to throw things away that still have value. Don't want to keep usless stuff.
Thank you for your thoughts. (Sorry, no pennys)
Richard
Boxes are valuable if someone wants to spend money to buy them.
Somewhere around here, I've got some boxes of building kits by Suydam. I look forward to the feeding frenzy to follow. Please be advised that I am fond of $100 bills hand delivered.
Going the other direction, I've got a pile of Athearn boxcar kits. I am considering dumping the contents so that I have more of those excellent boxes. Have you noticed that train boxes today have irritating plastic windows???? NOT good for storage.
Richard. Your fortune resides in honest work. Not bubblegum wrappers.
Ed
cowmanAs you may be able to tell, I'm trying to get things cleaned up so that I can start to ready the room for a new shelf layout. Hate to throw things away that still have value. Don't want to keep usless stuff.
Hi, Richard
I was once a box-saver. Stereo equipment, computers, printers, LGB/Aristo-Craft/USA Trains, every cardboard box from hundreds of HO cars and locomotives. Seriously, there were probably enough to fill a good portion of a 53' semi trailer!
They were all in my attic. Hot, dry, dusty attic.
Were.
After the fire department left I didn't have any more boxes
That dry chip-board and foam burned like a Bessemer Converter! Add to it about a dozen foam cushions from patio furniture and Dante would have been proud.
Today, I have no extra room for boxes. I saved the ones from the more expensive locomotives and all the brass locomotives. The rest all get recycled. My heirs will have to deal with selling off stuff sans-box.
Since they were all destroyed about six years ago I haven't missed or needed a single one. I'll keep a box for maybe a month for warranty stuff that may need to be returned, after that... bye-bye.
Regards, Ed
I doubt it. Only Lionel, American Flyer, and a few other toy trains seem to have value for the box by itself.
The collectable structure kits seem to be the unbuilt ones.
But then again, there may be someone out there collecting boxes - you just never know. You could ask around at the LHS or Train show before tossing.
Paul
Very few items we have actually will turn into collector´s items, for which a collector will cash out quite a pretty penny. If the original box is still with the item, that pushes the value up to another level.
Difficult to find out which one of our treasures will be a collector´s item in the future, though.
I keep RTR locomotive and freight cars..BB,Roundhouse,building kit boxes gets tossed. I have kept BB locomotive box lids for storing frequent used tools and paints.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I appreciate this thread because it serves as a reminder to me to toss the old building kit boxes which are stored in my attic. I will continue to keep the original boxes from the locos and rolling stock because they are needed when you pack and sell unwanted items on eBay. But, the building kit boxes will go.
Rich
Alton Junction
There seems in my mind no better way to store or move locos and rolling stock than in the original boxes if they will fit after construction/modification.
Even after I do tender swaps on steam locos I usually modify the original loco box to hold the new tender.
I use more substantial boxes of any kind for various kinds of storage, excess structure boxes or other boxes go in the trash.
Since I have never really sold off anything to speak of, I worry not about resale value, just my own storage/moving and logistical uses/needs.
Sheldon
It's a matter of convenience in storing and sorting to have boxes for rolling stock. No real value in resale, maostly, except being a little extra perk if you are selling online that costs you nothing and might make your item sell vs a identical item without the box.
Sort of like the "cash value" they used to print on coupons being (.02 _cents_ or something) to let you know they're not worth zero, but just a little more than zero.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
For me, they're a pretty good source of card stock, which is something useful in this hobby. I use card stock for roofs on kitbashed structures. Big boxes make big roofs.
But as a keeper for the completed structure, obviously they are worthless.
I also can't imagine the collector side of the hobby having much interest in an original box that has no contents.
I recently moved about 700 miles. The original boxes for locos and rolling stock were a very nice thing to have.
- Douglas
I only kept and keep locomotive boxes because if I ever want to sell they get a better price when in the original box. The only carboxes I keep are the beautiful Kadee boxes. As to buildingboxes, I cut out the picture of the building that most of the boxes have on the front and attach it to the valance approx. above the spot where the building is on my layout.
Hans
mlehmanSort of like the "cash value" they used to print on coupons being (.02 _cents_ or something) to let you know they're not worth zero, but just a little more than zero.
I dunno Mike I seen groups of empty BB kit boxes go for over $20.00 on e-Bay.. I couldn't help but chuckle. Also seen a empty United PRR K4 box go for around $40.00 on e-Bay.. That I can understand since brass collectors want the original box since it ups the resell price.
LION Kept the blue box boxes for parts. Others not so much. I do have all of the boxes from my subway cars, (48 at last count), to what end I know not, since I permanetly attached the cars in 6 car sets. When the time comes to sell them they will have to be packed in 4' long shipping tubes.
Oh well, as computer administrator, we still have computer boxes stored since our first Epson CM-10. Computer is long gone, the the box is still there.
We have a burn-pile behind the powerhouse. two or three times a year, weather permitting, we drop a match on that thing...
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
The original boxes often also have the price that you paid for the item. That can either be extremely depressing or quite cheering, depending on your mood and the facts.
Really old orignal boxes of model railroad stuff -- I am talking pre 1950 here -- can be entertaining and interesting but whoever it was that kept them wasn't thinking "I'd better keep this -- someday it will be really entertaining and interesting." After all, pre-1950 boxes of saltine crackers and gelatin desserts can be entertaining and interesting too ....
Dave Nelson
I like the new plastic clamshell boxes for storing cars and engines not in use, but sometimes need to modify the packing to clear added details -- so that kills the NIB collector value. Old kit boxes are used to store some parts, but many of those old boxes won't hold a completed car without causing damage.
While packing Christmas away, and after reading this thread, I just threw arm fulls of empty boxes into the recycling bin. The wife did a great job of down-sizing Christmas items, and I ended up with two extra Tupperware bins to put unbuilt kits in. I kept the boxes from the grandson's MTH Rail King set, just in case of his future address change.
Mike.
My You Tube
Thank you all for the replies. Pretty much as I expected, not worth much unless someone is looking and there aren't many looking for building boxes.
I do keep the car boxes, just to have a safe place to store when not on the layout or if I should ever decide to unload them. When I'm gone I have no idea what will happen, not my worry, though I will try to leave enough information, so they have a chance for a new home, especially the sound locos.
Thanks again,
dknelsonAfter all, pre-1950 boxes of saltine crackers and gelatin desserts can be entertaining and interesting too .
I am always amazed at what antique shops price these for. Don't know if they sell many, but they price them like they're something precious.
I have kept the original boxes for all my rolling stock; as it has turned out, I have had to store my rolling stock for quite a long time due to living circumstances, moving, living in appartments etc.
During the past 5 or 6 years, my modeling focus has shifted backward in time so I have been selling off my more modernish (late-1980's - early 1990's) rolling stock. Most of it is new in the box and a few items test run only, so I think that all helps to make it more salable to folks who are looking for those kinds of items.
The original box is handy if you move and have to safetly store trains as well.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
If I'm buying a 'slightly used' engine on say an on-line bidding site, having it in the original box is nice as it makes it more likely it will arrive without damage. Similarly, when I moved 10 years ago, it was glad I had held on to the boxes of a number of engines so that I could put them back in the box when moving them. Otherwise, as noted in earlier posts, most of the stuff we have in HO or N is really designed (or likely to become) 'collectibles' where having the original box greatly helps the value.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL There seems in my mind no better way to store or move locos and rolling stock than in the original boxes if they will fit after construction/modification. Even after I do tender swaps on steam locos I usually modify the original loco box to hold the new tender. I use more substantial boxes of any kind for various kinds of storage, excess structure boxes or other boxes go in the trash. Since I have never really sold off anything to speak of, I worry not about resale value, just my own storage/moving and logistical uses/needs. Sheldon
Ditto. Remove item from box, play with it, return it to its box, place box with others in a tote or in a box. I didn't do that for some things, so now I have to popcorn them in larger boxes with other things in similar circumstances, and then label the box so I know what's inside.
cowman(Sorry, no pennys)
Alas, we don't have pennies here in Canada anymore. They still exist on paper in credit transactions and the like, but the actual copper pennies themselves are no longer in circulation. Cash transactions get rounded to the nearest nickle.
As far as the Op's original question, personally I can't see any value in keeping all of the boxes from structure kits. I have kept a couple for spare parts so, for example, all of my Bar Mills and Blair Line 'scraps' are in one box, but keeping all of the boxes would be a waste of space IMHO unless they are handy for some other purpose.
I do wish I had kept all of my freight and passenger car boxes. Early in the hobby I tossed many of them because I told myself that I didn't have the space. If I had put a little effort into it I could have found the space and I wouldn't have freight cars stacked four deep collecting dust on my display shelves.
Recently I bought some boxes to store those cars from U-line. They were very inexpensive. I bought boxes that will hold four cars each lying on their sides. In hind sight I should have bought slightly taller boxes so I could put six cars in each standing on their wheels.
https://www.uline.com/Cls_04/Boxes-Corrugated
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter cowman (Sorry, no pennys) Alas, we don't have pennies here in Canada anymore. They still exist on paper in credit transactions and the like, but the actual copper pennies themselves are no longer in circulation. Cash transactions get rounded to the nearest nickle. Dave
cowman (Sorry, no pennys)
I've been thinking we should do the same thing in the US; it makes no sense to keep penny's in ciruclation - they are a nuisance. The Canadians are ahead of the US in that way.
As for oringal boxes, I would guess it's a selling point when selling trains.
riogrande5761As for oringal boxes, I would guess it's a selling point when selling trains.
Hi riogrande5761:
Actually, our Canadian pennies continue to be a nuisance. There was a period where you could turn them in at the banks, but I think that time has elapsed. I believe the automatic coin counting machines reject them now. I could be wrong. My son just moved out and one of the 'presents' he left us was a large pile of pennies. I guess they are going to get glued into my rolling stock.
I agree that rolling stock boxes should be kept, but I believe the OP was asking about the boxes that structure kits come in. Given that the built structures won't fit back in the original boxes I question the boxes' value.
As far as finished buildings, only FSM ones are worth anything and then not much unless you include the templates and instructions.
I only keep boxes of rolling stock and locos. Building boxes and supplies are tossed. I have seen some boxes being listed on ebay for ten to twenty bucks !
I have tossed all of the structure boxes. I've kept most of my freight car boxes. If I decide to sell a freight car, the original box is a good selling point. I have three complete sets of Walthers passenger cars and I have all of their boxes with instruction sheets. I have used a few BB lids and bottoms as dividers in the shallow center desk drawer of my work desk.
I rarely use the rolling stock boxes for storage. For storage and transportation I use padded storage boxes and carrying bags by Axion Technologies.
Structure kit boxes??? Maybe FSM boxes might be worth it - otherwise not worth keeping....
I do keep all brass boxes and locomotive boxes. Rolling stock kits present a problem in that most of the cars are way too delicate to go back in the box after they are built. Intermountain, RC and P2K cars don't event fit back in the box after construction without laying them down on their sides, running the risk of damaging details. Instead of storing cars, I find the boxes are good for sorting and storing stuff in the layout room.
I store most rolling stock standing up in drawers, boxes or on the layout somewhere...of course, I am running out of room in staging....
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
hon30critter My son just moved out and one of the 'presents' he left us was a large pile of pennies. I guess they are going to get glued into my rolling stock.
I agree that rolling stock boxes should be kept, but I believe the OP was asking about the boxes that structure kits come in. Given that the built structures won't fit back in the original boxes I question the boxes' value. Dave
Doh! Since structures built from kits can't fit back into their boxes, I'm not sure it would be of much use to keep most of them.
riogrande5761So how many pennies does it take to properly weight a 50' IMRC box car? I don't have a scale unfortunately!
Unfortunately, pennies don't all weigh the same. Both U.S. and Canadian pennies have had different weights over the years (see Wikipedia for more info).
Since the weight for the cars doesn't have to be super accurate, I use a fairly cheap food scale that weight up to 5 pounds. I check/adjust it with a 3 oz fishing weight. It has a small dish on the top, I just put the car (or all the parts for it) in the dish and add whatever pennies I have until I hit the target weight.