Are Boxes Important to You?

[andyz]

This is a question related to buying and selling, but not an item for sale, per se. If this needs to be moved to another forum, so be it.

I have a storage room that has many boxes for cameras, tripods, lenses, grips, etc. Not to mention boxes from my computers. These could be reduced in size but for the Styrofoam packing. I have other uses planned for that room and am considering reducing the boxes to the recycle bin.

My question is, if I want to sell any of the actual items later, how important is it to you, a buyer, that you get an original box? I know as a buyer it sounds good. Perhaps it insinuates that the seller takes good care of the gear and that makes it a better buy. In reality it doesn't so long as you get what was offered. Heck, I think some boxes have holes where I removed and submitted the UPC for a rebate.

So before I clean these shelves, is the original box important to you?

[gardener]

Not in the least... although having the original box/packing material does make shipping somewhat easier since it already fits the product if you sell an item.
I too have been contemplating doing away with some of the camera, lens, camera doo-dad, and tripod boxes that are cluttering up my closets as I foresee absolutely no future use for them.

[KdLaneJr]

Depends on the age of the item, the size of the box and the item itself.

For computers, the original box is the best way to ship/tranport as the packing materials are usually custom.

For Camera bodies, I like to have an original box as it is designed to hold all the materials. Of course if one can't repack all the original materials back into the box it becomes a non issue.

For a newer lens, the box is nice, but not necessary for an older lens. For a newer lens I think having the box makes a difference in selling, but realize that you can do a great job making it transport safe with several layers of bubble wrap.

Some of the smaller boxes, like boxes for grips and remote devices are easy to store and lend themselves readily to a quick pack, wrap and ship.

I wouldn't keep the box to a microwave, set of floor speakers, DVD Player, etc. beyond the manufacturer's warranty period and don't personally keep boxes like that at all.

I have the box to the last tripod I bought, but don't know why as I don't ever plan on selling it, although having the box to the tilt/pan head means I can pack, wrap, ship if I ever change to a ball head.

YMMV

[movingex]

As a buyer I don't really care, but as a seller it seems to add a little more value to the sale.

Why do I believe this? I have no idea as this is just something I've got in my head based on no factual info.

I guess the one thing is that most cameras come with software, user guides, and other bits and pieces that you otherwise have to store someplace anyway. So to me it's just easier to keep all of this stuff in the original box in case the buyer wants it.

I just throw all of my boxes up in the attic.

It will be interesting to see what others will say about this.

[rschramm]

Andy,

Just to get all of mine out of the way, I put them in a Trash Bag (to keep the dust off), tie them up, label a piece of duct tape with which boxes are in the bag, stick it on the bag (that way i don't have to tear open each bag looking for one box) and stick them in the attic.

[rschramm]

Originally Posted by movingex

I just throw all of my boxes up in the attic.

It will be interesting to see what others will say about this.

Great minds think alike.. same time on our post too.... are you over my shoulder?

[movingex]

Originally Posted by rschramm

Great minds think alike.. same time on our post too.... are you over my shoulder?

Maybe, you never know.

[c995990]

As a buyer, i'd like to have the box of the item i'm buying so that just in case I have to sell the item later on, I can send it to the next buyer. This just kind of makes things easier for both the buyer and the seller. And yes, like Rusty and Jeffrey, I have a bunch of boxes within boxes stored in a lawn leaf bag, sitting in the attic. :)

[venchka]

Have you priced empty Leica boxes lately? Silly I know, but they do command good prices.

When we moved from New Orleans all of my carefully saved camera & stero equipment boxes didn't make the final cut for the moving van. No worries since they were all newer Canon boxes. I do have the matching box for one of my Leica M5s. I know I will keep it.

[Hogleg 44]

If you never plan to resell the item, Trash the box.
Otherwise...keep it!

[Dsheree]

My husband keeps boxes all the time. Drives me nuts. I keep them for a couple weeks to make sure I'm not going to return the box for any reason and then in the trash it goes.
I understand everyone's reason for keeping them and reselling reasons but my reasons for no clutter overrules.

[chloew]

I have kept many boxes (computers, cameras, TVs, toaster, coffee machine, etc.) over the years , but recently recycled most of the bigger ones.

My current guideline is to save boxes for higher priced items (>~$300) that are reasonable small and that there is a reasonable chance that I might ship or sell the item in the future. Therefore I save the boxes for my cameras and lenses, but get rid of most other boxes, such as TVs, laptops, computers, kitchen applicances.

[migrider56]

I like to get the original box when buying new and used. When buying used I feel better thinking that the item wasn't stolen from someone as the seller has the original box etc. Also helps for shipping for repair.

[Dobick]

I am kinda neurotic when it comes to the boxes of things that I buy -- I almost always keep them... Don't know why, I just always have. I have used laptop boxes for repairs though. makes it very easy to ship back to the manufacturer. Basically as long as I still use something, I will almost always have the original box that it came in.

As far as when buying something used, it really doesn't add anything for me, if the seller has the original box or not, but then I don't tend to buy to many used things.

[Cope]

When buying a lens or camera, I think having the box and all the other stuff is good. When my computer/printer/vcr/stereo receiver are out of warranty, the box goes out of the attic. That said, years ago I was talking to Home Entertainment (now Tweeter) about trading in my NAD receiver. When I mentioned that I had the box and all of the packing, the store manager's eyes lit up. I forget the amount, but it did increase the trade-in value.