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Should we keep the boxes?

V

Vint

Experienced Member
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
390
Location
Ohio, USA
It seems that with most official collectors the original packaging is very important. I know that many collectors value the original box almost as much as the unit that's in it.
I on the other hand could care less about the original boxes. I've thrown them all out. I just don't want to store them. I want my collection openly displayed, so I have no use for the boxes. Am I in the minority here, or what?

I realize that if your collection is viewed as an investment, then you certainly would keep the boxes. A vintage computer collection, at least for me, is to be used and played with, not stored.

What do you think? Keep the original boxes and packaging, or pitch them?
 
Vint said:
What do you think? Keep the original boxes and packaging, or pitch them?
Click to expand...

I don't really care. Some years ago, I opened a game that had been sealded almost 20 years before because the only reason why I bought it was because I wanted to play it.
 
If I obtain a computer with the original boxes I definitely keep them. However there are very few in my collection that came with them. I certainly won't pay 2 or 3 times the going rate just for the boxes!
 
Original boxes aren't important to me as I don't collect just for an investment.

However in saying that, I have received a few computers in their original boxes. I've put the computers in easy-to-get-at carboard boxes and stored the original boxes...just in case I ever do want to sell them in the future.

Tez
 
I'm also not bothered about having the boxes for things - I'm much more interested in the contents. I actually prefer getting hold of tatty non-runners and bringing them back to life. Some of the things I pick up are missing a lot more than just the box ;-) I also have a lot of stuff in original boxes, although more for nostalgic reasons than as an investment.

However, if I had boxes I didn't want or couldn't store, I wouldn't throw them out. Just because I don't value them particularly doesn't mean they don't deserve to be preserved. I'm sure there'll always be someone who'd be happy to take them off my hands.
 
If something comes in the box and the box isn't beat to hell I will keap it. I tossed an Atari 5200 box a few weeks back because it was very ratty but I kept a C16 and Atari 65xe box because they were ok looking. I do try to keep any addon card boxes I get just because they are usefull for keeping everything together.

I don't go out of my way to get boxed computers nor will I spend extra for them in a box.

Years ago I tossed a garbage bag full of DOS era game boxes (kept the contents) and boy do I regret that.

Just about everything I get in shrinkwrap gets opened (expect my mint A/UX set because I have an opened one already), I am sure down the road if I wanted to sell those items opening them up will have dropped the resale value, but I do this for fun and use not for $$$.
 
I think the only original boxes I have for anything are the ones for a Tandy Model I computer and the Expansion Interface and the only reason I kept those were because they were flat and could easily stacked on a shelf.

Usually, the only thing I get in a box is a disassembled computer that someone couldn't put back together in a plain cardboard box. :)

However, I have a stack of motherboard boxes from legacy computers that the contents probably don't match.
 
Most of my stuff (cards) are in a machine and setup or on a couple racks waiting to be switched with something else and used.

I do love to get (and keep) boxed software.
 
per said:
I don't really care. Some years ago, I opened a game that had been sealded almost 20 years before because the only reason why I bought it was because I wanted to play it.
Click to expand...
I agree with you, per. I would keep the boxes unless it was a unit I bought exclusivly for playing/useing.
 
Hummm... I hadn't been thinking about software boxes, so it's interesting also to know your guys' views on that too. Since I've bought all my vintage gear from eBay, most of my 8-bit machines came with the original boxes. I pitched those.

Software wise, I used to keep the boxes, mainly because the box art is pretty cool. After a while though, the boxes being moved from place to place, would start getting smashed. So then I decided to cut them apart and just keep the fronts and backs. Then they would store flat and you could still browse through them. After quite a while at that, I realized I wasn't browsing them much. So I scanned them all into my computer where I could look them over easily. Finally I threw out even the fronts and the backs and have just kept the scans.

Now, if it seems unreasonable to constantly be pruning my goods, as it were, it's mainly due to the fact that my house is less than 1000 sq. ft. so spare room is always at a premium here. If I had a 2000 sq. ft. house - I'd never part with anything :)

So, as usual, most people have underlying reasons for the things they do.
 
I definately like the orginal boxes.

Good for stacking, and also the best way to ship things, to get them in the first place. Plus, it seems that people who have kept the original boxes have also kept almost everything to do with the computer.

I got an Osborne 1a in it's original box - from a label on the outside I can see it was originally sold by Sears Roebuck in Chicago. Inside the box was the Sears Roebuck salesman's business card.

I got an Apple Mac 512K and printer in their original boxes, and inside the 512K box not only the packaging for the keyboard & mouse, but also a small plastic folder containing the original software and manuals, a color marketing brochure from the time, the packaging for the power cords, and an unopened audio cassette titled A guided Tour of MacInstosh and MacWrite - MacPaint.

I've also got a Kaypro 10 in its original packaging as well.

You just don't find that sort of stuff everyday.
 
A valid point there! If they kept the box, they probably kept everything else for the system.

NeXT said:
I keep my boxes whenever possible as some systems can be stored and stacked a lot better when they are in a box.
Click to expand...
Another valid point!

Stacking boxed computers are easier then stacking loose ones. It takes a bit more space, but I don't mind (my wife on the other hand... ).

Most of my systems are boxed. I like the boxes, with the nice art/photos on the cover.
 
I also have learned to like boxed stuff, but I don't overvalue it as much as certain other collectors do. If I have the chance of getting something boxed for a good price, I grab it and will try to store the box for the future, but I will just as well get a loose computer/game if the price is right.
 
Zeela said:
Stacking boxed computers are easier then stacking loose ones. It takes a bit more space, but I don't mind (my wife on the other hand... ).
Click to expand...

This is indeed the case but I often find the ORIGINAL boxes are not the best for keeping my collection in. I like to pull out the computers and play with them now and again. Often the original boxes have so much polystyrene and are such a chore to re-pack (Commodore 64s and Vic 20s are good examples), I find it more convenient to keep the computers and all accessories (power supplies etc) in simple tough generic (but labelled) cardboard boxes.

Easy to get at.

The original boxes (with the polystyrene) I keep separately.

Tez
 
Yes, that is true. Those of my computers that are in original boxes don't get as much use as those which are loose anyway and stored in cabinets, drawers and so on. Often it ends up with you get a second, identical machine if you have the space and can afford it. The first one may be complete in box and kept for spare, while the second one is loose, perhaps a bit rugged and intended to play on. The worst case is when your second machine ends up to be complete in box too, perhaps even nicer than your first one. Then you tend to store both away and go hunting for a third machine, pray to God it doesn't come in its original box... :-D
 
Question

You don't typically see the box in a museum exhibit. Do museums keep the box? Perhaps we need a computer box museum.

If I was bidding on an auction and the box was included, it was more likely to have been cared for. You pay more for that.

I think that's what it's all about
 
If I buy a boxed game I'll open it (because it was meant to be opened and used!) but I keep the packaging unless it looks like my cousin has had his hands on it. What I do though is to make a copy and use that rather than wear out the original.

I've had to get rid of some packaging due to space constraints but fortunately nothing which would have been worth £$£$£$ if I'd kept it.

For modern stuff I confess to usually only keeping the boxes whilst the stuff is in warranty!


BG
 
That's an interesting one. I didn't used to care and mostly just found cheaper unboxed systems. I agree since my intent was to have them all out and available for use to anyone looking at the collection.

Through the years though I've seen the box for a lot of buyers is one of those increases in value (if it's in good condition, a tattered box won't be worth anything). One way I was trying to decrease my buying was to only get boxed and working items, no more risks. Still, that was mostly a way for me to curve my spending when it was a little more wild.
 
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