Hi All,

 

Couldn't find a post relating to this so I thought I would start one (sorry if this isn't the right forum, it was either this one or the Odds & Ends...).

 

Anyway, back when I started buying sets for my son (self!), I was cutting out pictures from the boxes to decorate the walls in his room.  He loved it, and it was a great way to sort of hang onto the boxes without them taking up space.  But the wall soon ran out of space, and so I have accumulated a collection of around maybe 30 or so (some essentially mint, others a little dinged) that I can't bear to simply toss out.  I have tried to keep them as undamaged as possible - most dents were present at purchase, while a couple (e.***. Republic Gunship) have had the side flaps torn along the pre-cut line.

 

I toyed with the idea of trying to flog them on eBay, but never got around to it.  So my question for is whether or not there is a market for empty boxes?  It is getting to the stage that my wife (patient and long suffering though she may be) will quietly recycle them while I'm not looking, and any opportunity will be lost.

 

If there is any interest, I'll post some a list and some pics.

 

Thanks for reading

i would say yes and no - 

 

first off, you say you hung them on his wall? - did you cut the main picture out, so all you hung on the wall was a piece of cardboard? - if that is so, then there is no value there unfortunately, people are looking for boxes so that they can complete a set they only have the pieces to.

 

not al boxes are worth it though. boxes like for the 10179 MF, 10185 GG, and those real popular or UCS sets are always worth something to someone. However, alot of the more basic boxes for the sets that were more widely produces hold little value. Its all about the entire package, people like to have everything as when the set was new, for some sets, it is more essential than other to have the box.

 

the boxes for the 10030 SD go for around $75, and i have seen boxes for sets like the 10179 get up to $200!

 

I hope this helps!

I think he is talking about boxes he has not cut and used for decoration if I read the post right. It depends on the boxes like said above. Bricklink is where many people look for boxes maybe you can list them there.

i would say yes and no - 

 

first off, you say you hung them on his wall? - did you cut the main picture out, so all you hung on the wall was a piece of cardboard? - if that is so, then there is no value there unfortunately, people are looking for boxes so that they can complete a set they only have the pieces to.

 

not al boxes are worth it though. boxes like for the 10179 MF, 10185 GG, and those real popular or UCS sets are always worth something to someone. However, alot of the more basic boxes for the sets that were more widely produces hold little value. Its all about the entire package, people like to have everything as when the set was new, for some sets, it is more essential than other to have the box.

 

the boxes for the 10030 SD go for around $75, and i have seen boxes for sets like the 10179 get up to $200!

 

I hope this helps!

 

Wow, that's pretty cool.  A pity I don't have that one...and when my wife bought back Death star 10188 from her trip to the US, she had to leave the box behind

 

I think he is talking about boxes he has not cut and used for decoration if I read the post right. It depends on the boxes like said above. Bricklink is where many people look for boxes maybe you can list them there.

 

Correct   I'll check out Bricklink and I'll report back.

 

Cheers

It depends on the set but certain boxes really do well after because the set does so well.

 

Another thing you could do, if you are artsy, is make a mural or something of that nature and try to sell it.

 

I have thought about having my wife do that with mine. She can make anything, and I can't make a sandwich right.

I agree with what was already said.

 

Most of my inventory on my bricklink store are empty boxes. These are simply from sets I have purchased for my own and I don't intend to keep the boxes.
 

Boxes for large sets get lots of inquiries, simply because there are so few sellers selling only boxes. Most inquiries come from Europe or Asia, though I have sold several domestically here in Canada. However shipping large boxes is cost-prohibitive and it's a hassle to package, even if shipped flat. Most buyers get turned off by the cost (often more than box itself) even if you price your box well. I've only ever had one buyer from Europe who wanted a box shipped as is, and it's the collectible minifigure carton display box.

I usually price my boxes from $5-10 CAD for mid-large size sets (Emerald Night to modular houses). For retired, larger sets I price them at 15.

 

There is definitely a market for boxes. 

This is slightly OT, but relevant.  About 4 years ago, when my wife was making clear out some closets at our old house I came across my original Game Boy box.  I was going toss it out with the garbage, but I decided to put it on ebay and see what happens.  I started the min bid at 0.99.  It sold for over $50.  Makes me wonder what it would have sold for had I included the Game Boy with the box.

 

Wow, that's pretty cool.  A pity I don't have that one...and when my wife bought back Death star 10188 from her trip to the US, she had to leave the box behind

I bought two sets of Horizon Express while in vacation in the US. Even with the extra checked baggage I was still saving $20 a set than if I had bought them in Canada.

I had put two base plates (also bought in that trip) at the bottom of the baggage and stacked the two boxes on top of each other and wrapped clothing around the boxes. Still the boxes arrived mangled and creased beyond recognition.

Usually I would've put the boxes up for sale soon after I've built the set but I would just hang on to them for a few more years until they are rarer then even my mangled boxes might worth a few dollars. Right now they are perfect for "Russian doll" with my unsold smaller boxes.

So moral of the story, boxes don't fly well unless you have the material to package it properly while on vacation.

Sorry to be drudging up such an old thread, but couldn't find any other topic about this.

I would say there is definitely a market for empty boxes. There are a lot of old sets being sold in the secondary market, such as old retired sets where boxes had been thrown away due to taking up so much space.

There are 2 buyers who would be interested in acquiring the boxes for these sold unboxed sets.

Resellers - who are able to find good deals and want to package up as a complete set and sell on.

Completionists - who, having bought something, want it as 100% complete for their collection with the option of later selling on, should they ever want to sell their collection.

 

With all that said, I find it quite rare to find the boxes I need right now in the UK. Wish more people would hand onto them and sell. I don't suppose anyone has any of these they want to sell in UK? Overseas (even EU) seems to be impractical due to excessive shipping costs...

21303 : Wall-e
42024 : Dump Truck
42029 : Pickup Truck

So a bunch of boxes showed up on CL today. Normally I would not care but a ucs y-wing box was in the mix so I worked out a deal. I only want the y-wing box to add to one I am selling. If someone local wants the rest you can have them for free, I'll recycle them after the weekend if no takers. A few retired ones in there include Hayabusa, Winter Post, R2, and HH. If your dying to have one shipped lmk maybe we can work it out but would rather not. 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 20178 yr by marcandre

That hayabusa box is rare. You may want to consider selling it.

43 minutes ago, Migration said:

That hayabusa box is rare. You may want to consider selling it.

Well I just checked bricklink and there are zero for sale. Maybe I'll throw it on there. 

edit- I put that and the winter set on bricklink. Worth a shot and they are small enough to throw on a shelf and forget about. Thanks for the tip. 

Edited July 13, 20178 yr by marcandre