outer shipping cartons

Yes. After I remove a particular item from the "inner" box. I put the inner box back in the shipping carton it came out of.

If I need to put and item back in its box, opening the loose end flaps of the shipping carton will reveal the end flap of the inner box which has the item number and description.

rattler21 posted:

Why not leave the inner box in the shipping carton and slide out the foam?  Obviously will not work on Weaver piggyback flat cars.     John

I've noticed that with the tightness of many foam forms, you may be more likely to damage the inner box if you try to remove the item without first removing it from the shipper.

YMMV.

-Dave

To coin a phrase " If it fits it ships", when I take all my trains out to play or look at I just toss the master shipping cartons aside. When I go to put them all away, if it fits in the carton, it goes in the carton. That's if I even have the carton, a lot of my train don't even have a master shipping carton, I got rid of them and just kept the box. With all the hoopla about boxes this and boxes that, I understand boxes add value, but I'm not going to worry master shipping cartons.

jim911 posted:

Do you folks save all the outer shipping cartons? If you do ,how do you know what  goes in which carton?   

Lionel stamps them with identifying numbers

I only save the outer carton if that is the way it shipped originally. Shipping cartons from sellers just to get the items to me I do not save....................Paul

I keep the master shippers in case of repairs or selling the item.

Mikey

All of the outer shipping cartons from Lionel I have received have labels stating what was in the carton.  I think that high end stuff seems to be worth a little more with the original boxes and shipping cartons.  

I usually use them to ship stuff!

I save all mine, they are all either MTH or Lionel. I don't have any from any other manufacturers. I am pretty sure they are all marked with the manufacturer's product number right on the shipping carton.

All those dang boxes...inners or outers, blue, orange, black or whatever...the scourge of train rooms all over the world. Do I keep them because of potential added value, or to enhance shipping perhaps. Do I store them under my layout, in a closet, in the attic...or toss them in complete defiance of there space eating cardboardiness...phew I thought this hobby was trains not storage...

Just reorganized my boxes this morning...half have a ready to run model in them, half are unbuilt kits from assorted mfgs, half are in total defiance of my existence, and the last half just causes my wife to ask "WHY' do you have so many boxes... Now if you added up the halves I have you realize the problem is twice as bad as you imagined previously after you take your quarterly inventory .

In summary...find someone who actually collects boxes, and see if you can turn this cardboard monster into some cash...obviously to continue this cardboard spendforall you've already become addicted to. Don't eBay them either...I'm watching and may bid...

Nope, throw them all out