Is it worth keeping the boxes they came in?

[AyJay]

Do you think it's worth keeping the boxes your rolling stock came in?

No doubt any collector will say that the box adds considerably to the value of something, that may be very true.  I also remember being shocked when James May, in his series about toys, bought a train set at an auction and promptly threw away the box !!!

 

Anyway, I digress...

Having just collected some items from storage, I have a couple of packing boxes full of rolling stock boxes, all carriages and wagons; Triang Hornby, Hornby Hobbies, Airfix, Graham Farish, Bachmann, Dapol, Ratio, Mainline, Lima.....

This now adds to a couple of plastic storage bins worth that's in the loft.

To give you some idea of how much, I have 23 locomotives, about 100 wagons and about 60 carriages.

Our house is beginning to look like a candidate for the next series of 'Nick Knowles Big House Clearout' :-0

 

Certainly, the locomotive boxes must be kept, you never know when one must be returned for repair.

But for the rest, should I commit sacrilege and bin, or ignore the clutter and keep?

These are not for displaying on a shelf.  when not running they live in large stock boxes.

Neither are they for trading, the next time they are in their intended boxes and on their way to their next keeper, so will I.

 

So your thoughts please, and a little clarity perhaps?

 

Thank you

[Mark Saunders]

Mint and boxed but it only works when the majority get thrown away. If you have space put them in the loft to keep the Christmas tree company! 
 

sell them on eBay in ten years time?

[woodenhead]

As I chop and change I keep my boxes, most of my stock is back in it's boxes yet I have a layout with no space for any more trains out.  I wouldn't want them all on shelves open to the elements.  Also to me buying a loco in it's original box suggests the previous owner took some care with their models.

[The Johnster]

We've had a thread on this very subject quite recently. 

 

My view is that locos and stock are to be used on the layout working for their imaginary living providing passenger and freight service to the population and industry of my BLT.  They are kept out on shelves to hand, as I have not been able to fulfil my original intention of having all the stock on the layout all the time, but my two mineral trains, one empty and one loaded, do live on the layout and are never taken off. 

 

I am amused by and 'don't get' the importance collectors and second hand dealers, and especially Hatton's, give to boxes and their condition.  I've seen Hatton's sell a Hornby Castle in perfect condition in a 'poor' box for less than another one on the same page with missing couplings, and described as a poor runner, with a 'very good' box, something I couldn't give a flying wotsit about, but that's just me.

 

Despite having no use for boxes, I keep them on top of a wardrobe out of the way, a policy vindicated some years ago when the layout had to be taken down while my landlord refurbished the flat, an upset which resulted in no damage to locos or stock!

[Kris]

I always keep the boxes, but then in n gauge the boxes are not very big (but when you have over 500 of them it does build up). I keep the stock in their boxes when not in use (most the time unfortunately) as it provides a good level of protection. 

[Michael Hodgson]

I keep the empty boxes in a loft.  Notes with my will to the effect that they're worth more if they're in the right box.

 

[adb968008]

I keep the box if i’m keeping the whole loco.

 

But often I dismantle stuff, and use for projects. At that point the box is unlikely to be useful to me again, and I off the box to a suitable website.

 

I also reached a point of too many locos and so may keep several bodies for a smaller number of  chassis and sell the remains, including the chassis, box and parts bags on.
 

I have thrown away a couple of damaged boxes from routine models of the 1970-90’s… for example badly ripped Mainline or Lima boxes… there comes a point they make no difference in value and just take space, especially if the foam is damaged too and the locos not worth much anyway.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by adb968008

[kevinlms]

5 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I keep the empty boxes in a loft.  Notes with my will to the effect that they're worth more if they're in the right box.

 

But would anyone else know how to match the models with the correct box?

 

I posted earlier in the collectables section about an auction house that claimed to be specialists in models - but not railways it seemed.

 

These people advertised some large scale tin plate models, but the locos were paired with a coach each. The matching tenders belonging to them, were advertised in separate lots as 'coal wagons', along with something else unrelated. So if you wanted both locos and their tenders, you needed to successfully bid for all 4 lots!

 

I'm sure the late owner would have been horrified!

[SamThomas]

If you are concerned about the resale value then keep the boxes.

 

When buying used stock I'm not too worried about the lack of a box - I run the stock, not the boxes. However, if the seller wants "top dollar" pricewise then I want the box. To me the price is relative to the condition of the item & that include the box (or lack of).

 

BTW - a loft full of empty boxes &/or packaging would act as a good accelerant in the event of a fire.

 

FWIW I don't believe James May threw the box away - after all we did not see him actually bin it. Maybe he was in Clarkson mode that day.

Edited October 4, 2021 by SamThomas

[bike2steam]

Yep, I have boxes of boxes (small in big) in my loft - it helps to add to the insulation!!

[Nearholmer]

My main interest is in older o-gauge (aka ‘tinplate’) and I certainly take notice if something is in its original box. It isn’t a guarantee that the item will be in good order, but it does strongly suggest that either it has belonged to an adult owner who has cared for it well, or that it has barely been used. I’ve acquired very good things without boxes, but never anything bad with a box. My tatty old trains all came without boxes!

[Colin_McLeod]

17 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I keep the empty boxes in a loft.  Notes with my will to the effect that they're worth more if they're in the right box.

 

 

10 hours ago, kevinlms said:

But would anyone else know how to match the models with the correct box?

 

A discrete numbered sticker on the underside of the loco, coach, wagon.  Each box contains a slip of paper with matching number. 

 

No sticker under the loco etc means one of three things: there is no box, the sticker has fallen off or I haven't got round to doing that one yet. 

[Michael Hodgson]

2 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

 

 

A discrete numbered sticker on the underside of the loco, coach, wagon.  Each box contains a slip of paper with matching number. 

 

No sticker under the loco etc means one of three things: there is no box, the sticker has fallen off or I haven't got round to doing that one yet. 

Good idea,  I had stickers under all my stock, but most of them fell off after a few years and I haven't kept that up.  Probably worth looking for better quality labels.  Updating inventory is on a very long "to do" list.

 

I intend to photograph them all in due course, primarily in connection with conversion to iTrain, but the pictures can also accompany notes in an inventory file.

[kevinlms]

58 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Good idea,  I had stickers under all my stock, but most of them fell off after a few years and I haven't kept that up.  Probably worth looking for better quality labels.  Updating inventory is on a very long "to do" list.

 

I intend to photograph them all in due course, primarily in connection with conversion to iTrain, but the pictures can also accompany notes in an inventory file.

It would require living to 150 and having all your marbles as well!

 

Then again how many had a list on their PC somewhere and in the event of death, no one knew that such a list existed, or it was on a floppy disk or similar that no one could read, or got tossed out on the first day someone decided to clear your 'junk' room?

[Phil Bullock]

Impossible if stock is taken for use on a big layout at exhibitions … far too inefficient unboxing and likely to result in damage. 
 

Locos are in Really Useful boxes in blue channel foam and stock is in Warley stock boxes.

 

Does seem criminal to throw some boxes away however … postman has been today, anyone got a use for the lovely boxes Accurascale pack their three wagon sets in? 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Phil Bullock

[47137]

This topic has encouraged me to ascend to the loft, remove two empty boxes and put two more away.

 

00 boxes in an empty shredder box, H0 boxes on the plastic shelves, pink sheet makes a dust cover. Better organised than the hobby room really:

 

I do keep my boxes because I have got to keep my collections under control and I have so many locos especially now I have a one in, one out rule. The boxes make them complete when they have to go.

 

But my conclusion has got to be, don't ever let anyone tell you there is no commercial support for the British outline in H0!

 

- Richard.

[Colin_McLeod]

5 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

anyone got a use for the lovely boxes Accurascale pack their three wagon sets in? 

 

Maybe Accurascale will buy them from you like the former deposit scheme on glass coca cola bottles. lol

[Phil Bullock]

2 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

 

Maybe Accurascale will buy them from you like the former deposit scheme on glass coca cola bottles. lol

You mean like the empty pop bottles that were allegedly borrowed from out the back of the shop and then returned to get the deposits to buy some more? Surely not….

[HonestTom]

I keep the boxes for locomotives, if only because they have so many fine details these days that it's the easiest way to ensure nothing gets knocked off.

[APOLLO]

1 minute ago, HonestTom said:

I keep the boxes for locomotives, if only because they have so many fine details these days that it's the easiest way to ensure nothing gets knocked off.

 

Same here. I keep just loco boxes. Locos have instructions, bits to add (or keep) and their S?H value is more with a good box.

 

Brit15

[AyJay]

My layout cannot hold all of my stock, just isn't room. So I normally have about 30 carriages out at any one time.

The wagons get rotated regularly, as the whim takes me.

There is room for all my locomotives in the engine yard, but for security reasons, I never leave them out when not in use.

I don't use the boxes for 'everyday' use, so that they don't get damaged; instead, I use a crate shaped stock box with trays for the loco's.

The carriages and wagons live in aluminium tool cases.

I'm thinking of weeding out the boxes for my oldest carriages, but keeping all the rest.

[locomad2]

 

After 50 years experience some boxes actually damage stock left in them, Polystyrene/plastic packing seems to be the worst plus boxes have got bigger over the years taking more space for same size stock. Reckon modern boxes take almost double the space

 

Older style Hornby Dublo boxes cardboard only are about the best, almost same size as stock, so just copy them and make my own.

 

Worst are Triang Hornby locomotives plastic inlay goes brittle also the Polystyrene inlays rots plastic

 

Modern wagon boxes take ages to get stuff back in.

 

[DAVREB05]

All my boxes go in the bin.

David

[faulcon1]

I have many locos all in their original boxes from Bachmann with their polystyrene tray type to Hornby with the same through to the split polystyrene box style to the latest folding plastic frame to Heljan with their cardboard box with foam. Some coaches and wagons still have their original boxes but most don't as I've made up coach and wagon boxes. Many people on ebay seem to have the mindset if a Bachmann 16ton mineral wagon has it's box and it's in pristine condition, then it's worth double or even triple what they paid for it and if it doesn't have a box then it's worthless. But I run wagons and coaches on railways not boxes for they don't come with wheels or couplings and they're way out of gauge too. Buying off Ebay really is a roll of the proverbial dice for photos of the item for sale can be photo shopped covering up a myriad of years of abuse. I'm always suspicious if a photo of say a coach or loco only shows one side and each end. What's wrong with the other side?. 

 

[jjb1970]

To answer the OP, yes. Not only does the does provide protection for rolling stock when shelved or stored, at some point you may want (or need) to sell stuff and having a good box makes a difference to resale value. Whether that makes sense or not is irrelevant, it is what it is.