Collectible Boxes

I know we have discussed the storage of HL boxes before, but it is interesting to see that there is a seminar at Rosemont on the topic of collectible boxes!

Can America Discard its Collectible Boxes?

Saturday June 29th:
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Important for Serious Collectors!: Collectors’ Information Bureau Town Meeting: Can America Discard its Collectible Boxes? Panel discussion of retailers and vendors. - Room 5
http://www.collect.com/shows/article.asp?id=2679

Do you think this will make for lively discussion?

Suzanne

I think it will make for some very serious discussion. Can't wait to hear the results! Imagine getting rid of all thos boxes. Unbelievable!

Bert

I won't be there, but here's my opinion.

I'd be surprised if anyone, other than a brand new collector or someone who bought these items with no thought to collecting, had the opinion that saving all of the Original Packaging- boxes, stryfoam, etc along with any paperwork was not the only way to go.

Yes it can cause a storage problem, but unless a purchaser has no thought of any possibillity of reselling the items in the future it can have a large impact on the resale value of an item.

Do i like this concept- no, but I'm not going to pay the same amount for 2 identical items if one has all the original packaging and one does not- unless it's a specific Lighthouse that is very rare or i want very badly. I'm still going to try and pay less for the one that is not complete.

Unfortunately in this situation it's not important what we think or how we personally feel- you have to go with the flow of the market, and the flow says complete is better than partial.

Dennis

Why is the box so important? I thought the piece and coa were critical. But I have had a COA replaced once because it was missing when I purchased the piece from a dealer. It was in the original box and all the other papers were there. I have forgotten which one that was now. Is it critical that I go back and try to find which piece it was? Is everything cool with the replacement COA, I think so. Besides the COA's are rather generic to begin with.


Chuck

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bigdragon

Replacement COAs are free and exactly the same as the originals. HL prints extras when the piece is introduced.

Never discount a piece because it is missing a COA.

I beg to differ...I had to order dozens of new COA's after inadvertently tossing out a scrapbook and the most of the replacements (especially of the older 5500 pieces) were on thinner paper and, in some cases, used smaller text.

The box is not the most important thing. The Lightouse is the most important thing. The box and any other items that came with the Lighthouse enhance it's resale value.

The point I was making was that there are a number of people who when they collect things expect it to have everything that it came with originally. If it came with a box they expect the box, if it came with a post card they expect the postcard, if it came with a COA they expect that, etc.

I did not mean that any of those things were the most important thing. The most important thing is whatever the buyer feels is most important.

All of this is a moot point if you never have any intention of parting with any of the pieces in your collection.

I was just trying to say that in general the more complete the item the more it is worth in the eyes of the Collecting Public. You can always find someone who is not that picky, but they may not pay the full value of the item, or they may.

Dennis

Sorry Rock. I was not aware of that. I stand corrected.

Like I said before I think that a box missing takes a least 10% off of the value of a collectible weather it is Harbour Lights Dept.56 or whatever. On some collectibles the box has important info about the product. Just my opinion.
Hal

I was watching The Antique Roadshow on cable yesterday and someone had an old tin figurine of a man from the 1920's. The object itself was valued at $1500, but since the person had the original box, the value was place at $3000. Does this make sense? I guess in the collectable world it does to someone! Not to me! Does a box have more value than the object that came in it? I do have all my boxes, but like others have said here in the past, I don't collect boxes - just lighthouses!!

Randy, that box for the tin man took 80+ years before it became as valuable as the guy inside! At the time he was new he was probably considered more a toy so lots of the boxes for these items got tossed at some point. If the majority of collectible collectors are now hanging onto the boxes how many years will it be before having the box will double the value? Guess we won't see that day!

I guess it like anything else - it's supply and demand! If what you're collecting does not have many original boxes, it will add to the value. Since everyone (most) saves their HL boxes, the value would be minimal. So if everyone throws them away except me, now my box could be worth more than the HL (not likely). I guess the white and brown boxes from some of the original '17' might be worth more?
It's like baseball cards - during the craze of the 80's everyone bought complete sets, so their value is pretty much the same except for traded sets that were produced in smaller quanties and usually had the 'rookie' cards. Everyone was convinced they were making a good investment but until MOM starts cleaning out the closets... Now maybe the sets in their boxes... since everyone was displaying the in poly sheets. A few years ago, I was in an abandoned card store and couldn't believe all the 'so called' valuable stuff left behind.

In the past couple years I have picked up a few pieces off e-bay without boxs at a great price and then turn around and sell my same piece with the box at a higher price reducing my invested money, since I don't plan to sell off my collection I would love to replace many of my high $$$ pieces with pieces without boxs at a discounted price. I don't have the room to display my whole collection right now, but no one has ever asked to see my boxs that went with them.

As my boxes are all in various closets keeping them serves another purpose - less buying of stuff to store in closets!

I will keep my boxes because they may bring an additional buck or two. They also have the added function of keeping the dust off the shelf. However, if someone finds out how to keep the dust off the boxes please let me know.lol

Chuck

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bigdragon

The boxes come in handy for storing the extra Lights you have no room for displaying and for safely moving them. (I'm sure John would agree with that part.)

And they also do add to the value of each lighthouse, no matter if we individually agree or not. The Market says they do, so they do.


Dennis

[This message has been edited by wheland (edited 06-25-2002).]

So Suzanne, what was the result of this seminar? Can we throw our boxes away? Sell them for Big Bucks? Or was this(as I suspect) a good topic to debate with no real resolution?
Bob

I don't know if anyone from the Wackos went to this seminar. We were too busy doing other things. Also, it is a topic that many HL wackos have already made a decision about...

Suzanne

In my opinion, boxes were important to collectibles because it implied that the product had never been out of the box. For collectible figurines (like Star Wars, Barbie, GI Joe, etc) and toys, this also implied that they were in perfect condition.You will often note on e-bay that someone states that an item is still in the box, having only been removed for inspection. Of course, we are taking their word for that. I could say the same thing about mine, place all mine back in the boxes which I have so dutifully saved and then sell them (but I won't ever do that). We are counting on the seller's honesty. I think that the box thing just extended to include all boxes.
In any event, I am saving all my boxes because 1) I currently have the space to do so, 2) you never know when you might need to move them and 3) I have a hard time throwing ANYTHING away (trust me on this or ask my husband).
The debate rages on (and on....)

chris g

I also have kept all my boxes. I can tell you that they have come in handy several times. 1. I store those that I don't have room to display at the present. 2. THis week I had to move my curio cabinets from an upstairs room to a downstairs room and I feel very good that all my HL's are safely stored in their original boxes.

I am very much in favor of boxes, even though they do take up room.

Bert

It would seem to me that it is a no-brainer" with respect to saving the boxes. The real question is whether one saves the packing material within the box. As you know the older lights came with the pieces within wrapped in a bubble-wrap material and generic styrofoam "peanuts". Currently the lights are protected by custom, split foam insert pieces that totally encapsulate the lights. I would suggest that the packing material within the box does NOT enhance the value of the cllectible piece and, as such, could be discarded to conserve storage space. Personally I have retained all the styrofoam packing inserts for my replicas in anticipation of moving to another residence. Protection of the pieces, if they need to be moved, would be the sole purpose for retention of all the packing inserts IMHO.

Without the inserts, the boxes would break down and you'd be able to store them flat. Takes up a LOT less room.

Would like to hear your thoughts on this perspective.

Dan

I follow your idea Dan. What I do is I take out the styrofoam insert, tape together the upper and lower halves and write the name of the light on it. I then put them in a big trash bag (I can fit about 7 - 8 in a bag). I close up the bag and then store these in an old coal cellar I have in a corner of my basement. Its damp in there but I don't figure there will be much damage and in this case I will always have these styrofoam inserts. I then flatten out the cardboard boxes and store them in a closet in my main living area of the house.

I would have to say that if the boxes have monetary value, then so do the specially made styrofoam inserts. So if you are collecting with the goal of investing then I would save both. If you are collecting because you love the lighthouses and don't ever forsee of getting rid of your collection, then pitch them both. You can always find appropriate packing materials to protect your pieces if you move. Originally I didn't save the boxes and then when I became aware that they had some influence the value I began to save them (especially true for pieces I got on the secondary market for higher than retail). However, as the boxes have begun to accumulate and take up space (even when flattened) I have seriously pondered the question as to whether its worth saving them any more.



[This message has been edited by DocJ44 (edited 07-16-2002).]

I'm so disappointed Suzanne! You raised my expectations of a full conclusion to this timeless controvesy. Maybe they published a 'white paper' or a least appointed a 'blue ribbon' commitee?

LOL
glad you had better things to do
meanwhile the debate rages on!
Bob