Styrofoam Packing Important?

Along with all the other things that efect the price of Harbour Lights on the secondary market, how about the styrofoam packing? I sure would like to throw mine out and flatten the boxes for more efficient storage.

I have bought Lighthouses from a dealer who disposed of the styrofoam to save box storage space for the items put on display. If it was the only one they had they packed the lighthouse in tisue paper and bubble wrap. So I purchased lighthouses without box styrofoam. Does not having the styrofoam efect the price of the Lighthouse? If it does I guess I shoud not buy from that dealer anymore and save all mine.

How about it all you experts on such things?

Harry

I personally throw all styrofoam inserts away because of storage problems for my personal collection. I fold the boxes up, catigorize them and place them in rubbermaid containers in the garage. I place some dessicant bags in the containers to keep the moisture out. The pieces that I buy to sell are kept intact in the den closet for shipping purposes only.

When I die and my kids sell my collection I don't figure that having the original peanuts for my Coquille or foam insert for my New Point Loma will make a hill of beans for the buyer. In the meantime I have a room that is liveable instead of being filled up with boxes filled with foam and peanuts. I' sure that there are others that will disagree, but, then I sure they have a bigger house then mine or a basement or an attic that doesn't get up to 150 degrees in the summer.

In the meantime I'm enjoying my lighthouses without the hassel of finding storage room for the boxes. The boxes aren't that nice to look at anyway.

PS: The store that threw away the foam inserts and wrapped the pieces that you bought in tissue and bubblewrap wasn't by any chance in Ocala, was it?

Rich

Thanks for the information.

By the way I am just to the south of you in The Villages of Lady Lake. Am an active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Harry

Personally I save all the original pieces that come with a lighthouse, including the styrofoam. The only exception has been the peanuts of older pieces that I feel can be replaced very easily, but I'm not really sure why I save it all. I think my underlying thoughts are that it will increase the value if I resell a piece (something I can't even imagine at this point), or it will protect the pieces should I ever need to repack and move them.

I have thought about tossing some of the inserts and folding the boxes to save space where the pieces are not really complex and don't require expert packing, but I have never acted on the thought. There are some inserts that I would keep no matter what, since they would be necessary to adequately protect the pieces. I can't imagine not having the original packaging for something like Eddystone, or the Pharos of Egypt.

Where is all this going? Bottom line I can't bring myself to toss anything related to Harbour lights, at least until I run out of storage space.

on e-bay, the posting usually says whether the box is available or not. The postings usually do not refer to the inner packing. So I wonder if the value is the piece and box together rather than the stuffing.

I'm not recommending throwing away the solid foam inserts, but if that were the thing I was inclined to do, I think it would be better to cut them up into smaller pieces which could substitute for foam peanuts. YOu could bag up these pieces in large trash bags and fold up the boxes.

I'm inclined to save everything that I can identify as original. This includes the item, any accessories, cards, tent card, etc and includes the original form fitting strofoam and original box.

The reasons for this are many, but the most important one is for the protection of the HL Replica when you move. I try and keep original boxes and insets for electronics or anything else that can be damaged in transit.

The other major reason is resale value- many collectors place additional value on something that is in it's original packaging. It's complete original packaging.

That's not to say that a Coquille wouldn't not be worth probably literally it's weight in Gold with or without the box, etc.

It's the more accessible items that can differ in value more with things missing. Yes, I know we all say (or most anyway) that we are not collecting to sell things. As can be seen everyday in the forums and on eBay we Collectors often change our minds.

There's nothing wrong with not keeping the strofoam, it's just IMHO it's better to have it, than to not have it.

Dennis

If possible keep the lighthouse packaging original as possible. Peanuts are probably the least concern for keeping, since to this day they are still available. I don’t think you can still get the original peanut shaped pink and green any more. But, I am positive that not having original peanuts won’t affect the value. When the day happens that peanuts are made of some other material I think then it will start being important.

I keep all my Styrofoam inserts. Since they are molded for each individual lighthouse that makes them special and irreplaceable, totally different from peanuts.

Before I would throw out any inserts. I would take them and put them in garbage bags and stack them buy a tree or the house. They will never decay, so weather isn’t a problem. They could even handle a Florida 150 degree attic. That’s where mine are.

I save the box and inserts. From a practical standpoint, if I ever was to move...it would be allot easier to re-package the HL. Also, I think that most people who buy on the secondary market would prefer to have everything in tact when they but a piece from someone.
I guess it all comes down to storage space. If you don't have it...then you do what you have to do.

I never throw the stryofoam inserts away. They remain in their original boxes.

Styrofoam peanuts go into trash bags and are stored in my attic. If you ever decided to sell some of your collection, you will be glad you kept the styrofoam inserts and peanuts.

Bob