Medina1128I'll cut the end flap off the box and tape it to the bag for later identifying
Put the flap in the box showing through the side. Saves on tape, less messy, and won't come loose.
For buildings that have already been assembled, I'm about to go down and toss them to make room on my shelves. Gallon Zip-Loc bags will be used to store leftover parts. Parts from buildings always come in handy, especially for scratchbuilding or kitbashing. I'll cut the end flap off the box and tape it to the bag for later identifying. Other than that, I doubt that boxes have any real intrinsic value. Some of the larger Blue Boxes from Athearn will be kept; they're handy for storing tools and such in.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Completed buildings seem to sell well with our without boxes. I would be worried about missing parts with a kit on Ebay without its box, but I guess they could still be missing with the box.
SB
Original boxes for resale only seem to be an issue with brass and the better quality detailed plastic locomotives. I won't bid on a brass item if it does not have a box. A good recent example, I just watched a beautifully weathered mint Hallmark Ajin built 0 8 0 go for 250.00. No box. These usually go mint unpainted in original box for 300.00 plus.
Highly detailed modern Genesis or Atlas is a huge problem to ship without the box. They are fragile enough in the box. I won't even bid on Atlas in original box if the end handrails are already applied as they will be broken off by the time they arrive at your door. Now buying at train shows is a different story.
cedarwoodron I do, however, keep a few top covers from several old kits- particularly Athearn BBs and Roundhouse kits- because I enjoy seeing the old artwork, but that is the limit of my fascination with old boxes.
I do, however, keep a few top covers from several old kits- particularly Athearn BBs and Roundhouse kits- because I enjoy seeing the old artwork, but that is the limit of my fascination with old boxes.
I would love to own the original artwork that was used on the Lindberg kit boxes - a magnificent and dramatic painting of a C&NW SW-type switcher.
Dave Nelson
Many of today's freight cars are approaching $40 and $50 rtr, with specially fitted boxes.
As I have a smaller fleet than most due to my personal tastes for high quality brass, I keep all those boxes...also makes it much easier when I want to change my mind and sell something on the evil auction site.
John
For a short while, I kept original boxes- particularly Athearn BB's- to store built cars in, but storage became problematic as I increased my invemtory and I went on to more efficient ways- plastic containers with secure lids from Walmart. Unbuilt cars or structures in their original boxes are generally efficiently condensed, but once the item is built, the box becomes just a nostalgic item.
If you just hold onto unbuilt kits in original boxes- cars or structures- for the sake of getting some increased subsequent sale value from them, all you are doing is warehousing- not model railroading. The idea of staring at shelves full of unbuilt kits does not appeal to me, unless one plans to actively build them over time.
I do, however, keep a few top covers from several old kits- particularly Athearn BBs and Roundhouse kits- because I enjoy seeing the old artwork, but that is the limit of my fascination with old boxes. And, as I found out with paper MR magazines held for many years, eventually silverfish and other creatures discover them and make more use of them than I do.
Cedarwoodron
Sir MadogVery few items we have actually will turn into collector's items...
I agree...I'd guess that most of my stuff will end-up in the garbage, and at that point, I won't be around to care.
For me, rolling stock boxes have value only because I use them in which to store rolling stock when it cycles from staging yards back into storage, until it's needed next time...
...however, the appearance of the box or the picture on it doesn't necessarily reveal anything about what's inside it. I put the cars in the boxes best suited to their length, or, for open-top cars (flats, gondolas, and hoppers) it's often possible, and necessary, to put more than one in each box. Occasionally, I could get empty boxes from a nearby hobbyshop, as they often sold used rolling stock without the boxes, but it was a case of showing up at the right time...otherwise, they'd be gone.I'm currently scratchbuilding some freight cars, and a friend has given me some Athearn boxes, which will work, since the cars are only 40'-ers.
As for structure boxes, I have four or five Walthers boxes from large structures, and all of them are filled with structure parts, either left-over from my own kitbashes or purchased from the "used" area of my LHS...probably someone else's left-overs.
Wayne
Hi Rio Grande:
How many pennies it takes depends on the box car. The cars don't all weigh the same to begin with.
Kitchen scales are dirt cheap and accurate enough for modelling purposes. You don't need to be within 1/100ths of an ounce. It's just not that critical. Half an ounce either way is fine IMHO.
These are Canadian listings but they prove my point that half decent scales are cheap:
http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xkitchen+scale.TRS0&_nkw=kitchen+scale&_sacat=0
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
IRONROOSTER riogrande5761 So 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). Paul
riogrande5761 So 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).
Paul
Ok, let me re-phrase that. How many US pennies does it take to weight a 50' box car please? Thanks and have a great day!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761So how many pennies does it take to properly weight a 50' IMRC box car? I don't have a scale unfortunately!
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.
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.
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
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.
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 !
As far as finished buildings, only FSM ones are worth anything and then not much unless you include the templates and instructions.
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.
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)
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.
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.
cowman(Sorry, no pennys)
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
Richard
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
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.
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 ....
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
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.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"