Boxes are only important if you are at a certain stage of collecting. New collectors usually don't care if they have the box or not. This also applies to people who collect what they like or visited and have no real intention of selling the HL's in the future. Usually you're just happy to have the piece.

Then comes the collector who might take things a little more seriously because they have reached a level where they are close to getting them all, or might have them all. They are the people who will go out and buy a double because the one they have doesn't have a box. (You can't see me but I have my hand raised.)

It all boils down to the right deal. If you are getting an extreme value for your dollar, you can live without the box.

Bob