Boxes, where do you draw the line?

depends on what you want to happen to the trains after you are gone, that is if you are going to keep them that long.

I originally kept my boxes until I realized I'm keeping them and running them until they fall apart.  so I recycled all but the engines boxes and a few that might need to be boxed to transport to the museum for donation.

I keep:

-Engine Boxes. 

-Z-4000 boxes (2). 

-Postwar Boxes.

I belive I have kept (literally) one or two modern rolling stock boxes due to the extreme fragile nature of the piece. All rolling stock boxes are trash. 

Being that I purchased 90 percent of my trains, rolling stock, accessories new, and the other 10% almost new, I have kept the shipping cartons, boxes, instructions, all wiring/diagrams, etc. All engine boxes with everything are stored in dry places with stock item numbers easily readable. All rolling stock I simply keep the box, not the shipper.  From a resale point of view, the original shipping Carton, original box, all components, brings a better price re-sell price. I like selling or trading the older technology for the latest and greatest.... I like rotating older for newer purchases this way, it really helps to be able to capture a reasonable resale price than losing so much depreciation.  Great question, I am sure everyone does it differently. 

Keep the engines, Cabooses, Passenger Boxes or specialty Boxes (M&Ms, Coca-Cola, Etc.) Right now I keep everything

I only keep engine boxes.  I do not waste space storing boxes, do not need them and I do not subscribe to the theory that if there is no box there is reduced interest.  I am keeping the trains until I hop on the express for down below so it really doesn't matter to me.

This question comes up so frequently I have about concluded Rich should create a new forum just so people can discuss whether to keep boxes.

In any event; I've kept all of mine for rolling stock and engines.  I've had to relocate multiple times because of my job and having the boxes has served to protect everything during each of our moves.

Ultimately the decision  to keep or discard is a personal choice and largely determined by whether you have the storage space to hold the boxes.

Curt

This subject comes up from time to time. I don't buy anything without a box. I always keep the boxes for all my engines and cars. When I run out of room it is time to start selling. More often than not it is easier to sell an item if it has the box it came in. Just my thoughts...... 

I save them. But that's what I was brought up to do. My dad got it from my grandfather. And so on. Although when I find loose cars. I just wrap them up. Of course as others have said it's a personal choice

juniata guy posted:

This question comes up so frequently I have about concluded Rich should create a new forum just so people can discuss whether to keep boxes.

 

Or at least maintain a thread for folks looking for boxes for stuff acquired without them

Personally, I could use a box for a RailKing 'offset steel' caboose like the 30-77290, and three Menards' boxcar cartons with the clamshell inserts.

---PCJ

I am keeping engine boxes and collectible boxes.  I, at the start, was going to keep everything, but in no time the boxes are/were taking over!  I still have a pile 7 feet high and four feet around that I need to catalog the information about the piece onto a computer file and then recycle the box.  I'd need another entire room just to store boxes.  It reaches the point of crazy to keep them all.

Ultimately the decision  to keep or discard is a personal choice and largely determined by whether you have the storage space to hold the boxes

I would not bother to keep boxes for track and switches. Otherwise, I keep the boxes. While having the boxes may not increase resale value, they certainly do make the items easier to sell. (Same goes for instructions and other paperwork).
That written, I would not pay for off site storage to keep boxes or trains.
If I feel I am running out of space, then it's time to do some thinning.

MONON_JIM posted:

 I am keeping the trains until I hop on the express for down below so it really doesn't matter to me. 

Jim..... 

"Down below"???

I'm hoping to hop on a different train....This Train Link...apparently!

However, being stuck in the box-saving paradigm,....a.k.a. 'basement kindling'...., my departure might be rather hot.....like 'down under'!

KD

When buying a used item, I prefer to get a box.  I won't reject an item due to the lack of a box, but I generally offer less for an unboxed item.  My reasons:  ease of shipping/transport to get it home without damage, ease of retrievable storage if an item can't go on the shelf or layout right away, ease of packing for sale or house move.  There's also a perception that the previous owner(s) took better care of an item if they kept the box with it.

That said, finding a particular box on the rare occasions when it's necessary is always a challenge.  I hope that there's never a need to get to the far end of the attic.  Also, I get a twisted sense of satisfaction when the storage area in my basement looks like a train warehouse, and I could have Christmas every day by opening up a box.

And I wish someone would design a house with thick walls which are designed to use train boxes as insulation.

The whole "boxes" topic doesn't need it's own forum; it needs a 12-step program.

I keep the boxes, and these are only those for locomotives. I have another floor to ceiling mountain of boxes.

Powered unit boxes are retained.  The line for all other boxes leads straight to the recycling bin.

"It reaches the point of crazy..." "My dad got it from my grandfather..." "Basement kindling" "The whole "boxes" topic doesn't need it's own forum; it needs a 12-step program" and "It reaches the point of crazy..."

Hey, at lease many of us recognize we have a problem...isn't that the first step to recovery? 

OK this is what I do ; (my layout is 30x14,28 engines ,237 pieces of rolling stock

Engine and passenger car boxes are stored in basement store room (easy to find)

All car boxes are stored in large boxes under platform numbered number 1 thru 18 (soon I will need number 19)

Since I got into trains in 2000 I have kept an excel program listing all purchases by month and year,mfgr`s part number,car type,cost and box number (1thru 18)

All cars have part number on under side of car with blue tape so if I need box for any car check blue tape find on excel program box number can be found.

I keep the program up to date by deleting anything sold

My boxes don't take up space, they store trains.  Not one to leave things lying around (call me Felix), I keep all boxes and put the trains back when not in use.  Avoids oft-expressed angst associated with such as dust and rust, not to mention offering a head start on packing for shipping when sold or given away.   

It has gooten to the point where I would rather bid on an itemwithout the original box just to avoid the issue entirely.

I only keep boxes for my passenger cars and engines.

Everything I have was purchased new since 2011, when I got back into the hobby. So far I have kept all the boxes for engines rolling stock and things like that. I didn't keep the boxes for buildings, kits, or things like that. 

I keep all the boxes for engines and rolling stock; which are rotated in use...

They reside on five 6' high x 3' wide shelving units, and  adjacent "overflow" space.

I keep locomotive boxes but once a piece of rolling stock hits the rails the boxes hit the recycle bin.

I keep all boxes even though it takes up room.  Stored mostly under the layout.

I keep the engine and caboose boxes. All the rest of the boxes are trashed.

As primarily a club runner my rolling stock and passenger cars get bubble wrapped and placed into a container for easy transportation. I dont have the time to constantly un-box and re-box after each operating session

I cant see keeping boxes for cars that are  worth almost nothing.

When I was a child, my mother threw away all of my postwar boxes. Perhaps as an over reaction to that, I have never thrown away a single box since. I must say, that when I buy used pieces, I like it better if they are in their original boxes. I'm fortunate to have the space to store all of them.

When space becomes a problem, you have a difficult decision.

As primarily a club runner my rolling stock and passenger cars get bubble wrapped and placed into a container for easy transportation. I dont have the time to constantly un-box and re-box after each operating session

Bubble wrap is known to leave permanent marks on trains. You probably are not leaving the wrap in contact with your trains for a reaction to occur. But I thought I 'd mention it.

C W Burfle posted:

Bubble wrap is known to leave permanent marks on trains. You probably are not leaving the wrap in contact with your trains for a reaction to occur. But I thought I 'd mention it.

I did not know that!  I recently purchased some used rolling stock and it was packed in bubble wrap.  I kept it that way for storage.  Time to go dig them out and remove the bubble wrap.

I keep all my stuff in the original boxes, even shipping cartons if I get those.  Like most have said here, when I run out of room I will have a decision to make.  I will admit, it's time consuming to put everything away in the original boxes but I feel it keeps everything in the best possible condition.

When I buy used, I prefer boxes but I will not reject something that does not have an original box.  When I buy used from my LTS without boxes, they wrap the items in some sort of plain white paper.  It kind of looks like the paper deli's use to wrap sandwiches.

Tony 

I keep all of the boxes for my O-gauge trains. It makes storing them much easier and protects them. I have bought some boxes on eBay for cars and locos that didn't have a box when I bought them.

N-scale is a different story. I keep my locos in the jewel cases. I keep some of my passenger cars in the cases they came in. All other rolling stock gets put in larger containers for easy of storage.

C W Burfle posted:

As primarily a club runner my rolling stock and passenger cars get bubble wrapped and placed into a container for easy transportation. I dont have the time to constantly un-box and re-box after each operating session

Bubble wrap is known to leave permanent marks on trains. You probably are not leaving the wrap in contact with your trains for a reaction to occur. But I thought I 'd mention it.

CW

Maybe I'm the lucky one, have been using bubble wrap for the better art of 20 years and no issues thus far.  Appreciate the insight

Steve

Maybe I'm the lucky one, have been using bubble wrap for the better art of 20 years and no issues thus far.  Appreciate the insight

I'm certain there are other people who would back me up on this.
Styrofoam in direct contact with trains can also leave marks.

There are heavy smokers who never develop cancer, but that doesn't mean there isn't a link between smoking and cancer.

When I store delicate ones I valued most I wrapp them  up in cotton towels and they are put in drawers.

C W Burfle posted:

Maybe I'm the lucky one, have been using bubble wrap for the better art of 20 years and no issues thus far.  Appreciate the insight

I'm certain there are other people who would back me up on this.
Styrofoam in direct contact with trains can also leave marks.

There are heavy smokers who never develop cancer, but that doesn't mean there isn't a link between smoking and cancer.

I have what was once a nice postwar 2341 Jersey Central trainmaster, with permanent little bubble wrap circle stains on its roof from the chemical reaction between the plastic and paint finish.

I learned my lesson. But there are always others who know better and prefer to learn through life's school of hard knocks. 

I keep boxes for brass engines and cars if they were included; otherwise everything goes into uniform size boxes from ULine (makes storage easier) and the contents of every box loosely wrapped with heavy industrial white paper towels.

I keep boxes and shipping cartons for all my locomotives, as they are the most likely equipment to ever need to be shipped off for repairs.  (I live out here on the high plains where one cannot just conveniently drive a reasonable distance for authorized repairs.)  

Ditto with passenger cars, as they are the most likely for me to sell or trade.  Freight cars, no, as they can be re-packaged if sold through the mail.

C W Burfle posted:

Maybe I'm the lucky one, have been using bubble wrap for the better art of 20 years and no issues thus far.  Appreciate the insight

I'm certain there are other people who would back me up on this.
Styrofoam in direct contact with trains can also leave marks.

There are heavy smokers who never develop cancer, but that doesn't mean there isn't a link between smoking and cancer.

I have had other items damaged by bubble wrap and Styrofoam. However, due to past experience, no train items because I haven't used any of these things to package trains. Seems like I have also had something marred from using newspaper.

 Seems like I have also had something marred from using newspaper.

Yes, the newspaper ink can stain.
And there was one unfortunate fellow in my area who purchased some very rare Lionel standard gauge freight cars out of a private home. The newspaper got stuck to the sides of a few of the cars and could not be removed.

Does it happen every time? ..... no, I have encountered many trains wrapped in old, yellowed newspaper that were just fine.

I always put my trains into food grade bags before putting them away. The bags are left open and have a few vent holes punched in them to avoid trapping moisture.
Even when the items are boxed, the bags prevent box rubs.
Newsprint cannot transfer or get stuck to the trains though the plastic.
Also protects from Styrofoam.

I'm curious too because I've been debating whether to toss them or not. Problem is when the trains go to storage some day or need to be packed up to move then I'd like to keep them in something other then throwing them all into one tote to be banged around.

But on the other hand I just had a garage sale to get rid of all the junk in the basement and garage so I don't want more garbage cluttering the basement. I'm not sure what to do, I guess they can be wrapped in bubble wrap and thrown into a tote.