To box or Not to box!!

I prefer the unobstructed view of the merchandise.

Larry

Does your friend only buy one of each item?
To me, it certainly makes sense to unbox and display a sample. Then people buy boxed ones from stock. That is no different than going to any other retailer, examining the floor sample, and then buying one in a sealed box. When I purchase a new pair of speakers, TV, or just about anything else, I expect it to be in a sealed box. I don't buy floor samples.

 

 

Usually, I know if I want an item or not.  That being the case, if I'm interested in getting a closer look, I'll take it out of the box.  For something like a locomotive, I will take them out to see if there is any cosmetic issues before plunking down the money.

 

Unbox, for sure.  It's more apt to lure impulse buyers.

For a retail operation, it makes good sense to have the items on display in a glass case, shelf, etc.

Guys,

 

For me, it's mixed I'm a collector who has some items on display and some I haven't run in a while and I box those. That way, I don't have to dust off those I have boxed.

 

For example, I have quite a stock of Christmas trains which I keep in the storage area of my closet neatly boxed and ready for next year. This way I keep a running cycle of unboxed items within reach, exchanging them at different times of the year.

 

And at the same time, I reduce the amount of space needed for shelves.

 

Mike Maurice

 

Doesn't everybody do this to a certain extent?

Doesn't matter to me as I usually get things I want from online.  But when I do buy things, I want it to have a box to keep it in when I'm not running it.  Very little of my O gauge stuff that I have bought has no box.  When I had  LHS, he was more than willing to pull things out of sealed boxes for us to look at before buying if we wanted.

My favorite LHS has the new high end products unboxed in a display case. He has an open shelve for higher end used products and an antigue  display case for the higher end used stuff unboxed.

For most customers he'll take anything out of the box if your interested in it. Most being those he knows or suspects are likely to open their wallet. There are some he knows couldn't get to open their wallets even at the point of a gun. But then I guess they aren't really customers anyway.

For a train store I think out of the box displays are the best for some items. My LHS displays engines, but with freight and passenger cars not so much.  I think this is good business practice for a store to have displays.

 

When I purchase something I would like to have the box to go with it (not an absolute must, but very desirable). If it has been unboxed that doesn't bother me too much as long as it isn't broken or damaged.  I have purchased a couple of diesels from my LHS that were on display. They were the only one's they had of that model. They boxed them back up just like new, which was fine with me. 

If I didn't liberate it…it’s second hand.







K.C.

When I buy I prefer the old she store approach. I examine the floor sample. If it meets my approval. Then is when I ask for the factory sealed box. I ask to examine the new in the box item. If it matches the floor sample, IT'S MINE.

 

I store every train I own in the original box. Just as my grandpa passed them down to me. I do not feel comfortable leaving my trains on my layout when I'm finished running them. I have a few boxes that are worth as much as the item inside. That just shows, "Power to the box".

I have been told that some people don't even remove items from their shipping cartons, so what would they care? As for me, I want to see the actual merchandise. But I run the stuff and play with it. No shelf queens for me.

I attended a train show at one time where the table owner was stacked high with MTH yellow and purple boxes....... as were many others in the hall.

 

The difference at his table was that he took the time to print the picture off the MTH site of each item and scotch tape it to the flap facing the public. I and many others stopped to browse the pictures. I and I believe most of us at a train show did not come to stop and read labels.

 

Show your merchandise off well as you can.

UN boxed for sure because it makes the shop have a lot of trains or engines in their stock. And And my lhs has a working layout so you can get a feel for that engine before you buy it and it and when you start it up you bot it because you like it even more .   - Matt

 What a toy train or box is worth on the market is of no concern to me. It's the toy train item I want and the toy item I will inspect before I buy, unless I have an unequivocal "return for full refund" understanding.  I have bought NIB sealed items that are twenty years old, but only from people I know and trust.  

 

I throw the boxes away, by the way.  Maybe some are valuable to someone, but not to me: they are just cardbox that takes up room.   

the box might take up room but what if you move or something then you dot have a box to protect it so they don’t get scratched or broken . - Matt

If you believe that "a picture is worth a thousand words" then you should display the item so that it can be seen.  That can either be out of the box or in the box with the packing removed so it can be seen.

 

Art

Art,

If you have 30-40 engine boxes on a 4x8 table a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture gets you interested, then you ask to see it out of the box.

No One I know, spends time studying words on flaps.

My preferences are:

 

Unboxed "sample" at the LHS with the hope that sealed pieces are in stock. If no sealed pieces are in stock then a thorough inspection of the display piece is in order and I will re-pack it.

 

Boxed pieces from E-bay sellers are preferred, especially engines. If I had $5 for every unboxed, unwrapped, "displayed" piece listed as "mint-in-box", or "MIB", I could afford a VL Big Boy............which is why I like when an on-line dealer shows a catalog image, and  a few images of the factory sealed box and not a botched up retape job.....   

Frankly, I want to inspect and test run before I buy.  A sealed box is no guarantee.  Two items I bought at my LHS unopened, I discovered were missing decorations on one side when I got them home.  Back they went to be replaced by Lionel.

 

When I bought my Flyer Y3, it looked fine out of the box, but when we test ran it at the LHS, it ran forward for a couple of inches, stopped and developed the smoke in firebox option.

 

The ones in the display case were test run previously by my LHS.  We test ran the display loco again to make sure and it ran fine.  That's the one I went home with.

 

Rusty

Most folks will stack boxes when the trains are in storage.

Anybody stack unboxed trains on top of each other?

Boxes save space.

I save the boxes to keep the trains in that won't fit on the layout. I have no shelf or box queens, I run them all at one time or another. Keeping boxes is a pain and takes  up room, but it's the best way to store and keep them protected while not in use.

 

I am not planning on ever selling anything, or ever moving again (after moving last fall), but it's still nice to have the box just in case, you never know what will happen. I'm not a collector, nor have I purchased anything in anticipation of increased future value, nothing is still sealed in the box. Just got them to have some fun, something to do that I like, and trying to enjoy my retirement. And trying to budget purchases so I don't end up in the poor house before it's time to check out.