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In lugnet.storage, Stéphane Simard writes:
> In lugnet.storage, Dan Hennings writes:
> > Greetings! I have saved most of the boxes from sets I have purchased new, but
> > now I am running out of room. I'm not exactly sure why I saved them in the
> > first place. I don't want to get rid of them if there is a logical reason to
> > save them. What do you do with boxes and why do you do it? Thank You. Dan.
>
>
> Trust me on that, any used set you're trying to sell will see its value
> increased by a good 40% solely because of the box, even in bad shape.
Why would anyone want to sell a used LEGO set? :)
Seriously, to offer another point of view...
I have many of the boxes and instructions from my childhood sets. Some of
these are now more than 27 years old. However, many of those sets also have
significant sentimental value. So much so, that I separate my childhood
collection from my adult collection. Many of my early sets are indeed in
their original boxes with their original instructions. But in that way,
they mostly serve as items stored for their memory value. (1)
My adult collection on the other hand is rigorously sorted by part type and
color with the express purpose of being used to build original models. I
keep a few boxes, but generally only the ones that are of particular
significance. (2) The rest, especially the multiples and the cheap thin
boxboard ones pretty much go straight to the garbage. I just don't have the
room to store them. But to be fair there is also a more important rationale
(for me anyway) for not keeping boxes. I don't ever intend to sell any of
my LEGO. It's been too hard and too expensive to build an adult collection
of bricks. I only buy sets that I either like as a complete set (example:
the 8251 Technic motorcyle - http://guide.lugnet.com/set/8251) or I want for
parts (example: the 8250 Technic sub - http://guide.lugnet.com/set/8250).
In both cases, I am buying for me, not for the possibility that someday the
set will be sold on eBay.
> Boxes are cool in that they make your set truly *complete*. And they often
> feature cool photos/images of the set not seen in the instructions or
> catalogs, and of course they often depict alternate models not seen in the
> instruction booklet either.
My response to this would be:
If you are primarily a LEGO builder (rather than a reseller), keep only the
boxes that are of significant personal interest to you. If you are just
buying a set for parts (especially multiples of the same set) then keep the
instructions and chuck the boxes. If, for some reason, you intend to
someday sell a set complete, then keep its box. However, if you're looking
at LEGO as some type of retirement investment strategy, then perhaps it's
time to call your financial advisor.
If it's the photos on the box you want, then why not take digital pics or
scan them? Perhaps those pics could then be uploaded to Brickshelf and we
can all recycle more boxes. :)
> Plus, they allow you to store your bricks ;-P
I would have to suggest there are so many ways of storing bricks that are
better than the original LEGO boxes. If I had to get down the box of every
set of every part I needed to build a model... I would build nothing. It
would be just way too much work.
But the important thing to remember here is that everyone approaches this
hobby from different points of view. For some the boxes are important, for
others they are just another thing to dust each week. Pick the ones that
are important to you and by all means keep them if you have space to do so.
All the best,
Allan B.
(1) Anecdote about a childhood set and the lack of a box:
When I was a kid, one set I always wanted was the 387 Road Construction
Vehicles (http://guide.lugnet.com/set/387) For whatever reason, I never got
it. A couple years ago a friend sold me his small childhood LEGO
collection. In this little pile of bricks (that fit in 1/2 of a plastic
grocery bag) were all the parts (in mostly good --> excellent condition) to
build the 387 set. No instructions, no box. But was I thrilled? You bet I
was. I built it immediately and displayed it for months, before finally
putting it in a plain cardboard box for storage. This set is just as
important to me now (without its box) as it would be if I had gotten it 25
years ago with the box.
(2) Example of significant set: The 8444 Technic helicopter
(http://guide.lugnet.com/set/8444) that my wife gave me at Christmas one
year - a complete and welcome surprise gift. Not only does the set have a
great memory attached, but it's also a better quality box construction.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Hoard them like gold!
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| (...) Trust me on that, any used set you're trying to sell will see its value increased by a good 40% solely because of the box, even in bad shape. If you have the boxes of sets 6335, 1496 and 1497, I will buy them from you immediately! Boxes are (...) (22 years ago, 16-Mar-03, to lugnet.storage, lugnet.general)
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