Original box- Important or not?

it depends on if it a collector or if its a shooter.....

....like anything collectible....they are worth far more in the original box....


....but if its a shooter....i really only care about the condition of the gun....


....if you have a gun that is beat to hell......but it comes in the original box.....well the box is nice and all ...but i cant very well shoot the gun now can i.....


if youve got a collectible gun.....the price can be substantially higher if you have the original packaging..........

....but on a shooter....the box shouldnt really add or detract much from the price.

For a 10/22, no.
For a Registered Magnum, yes.

The way I see it, or at least my experience has shown that, a lot of the time, when a gun owner has kept up with the original box, the owner's manual, even the packing materials within the original box, etc... the gun will have been well taken care of also. It's not necessarily valuable that the box is included and intact, but what that usually means about the gun's history.

CoRoMo, excelent advise.

Keeping the box and Every Thing that came with it is an excelent idea, as it will generally increse the value of any weapon at the time of re-sale.

For years I tossed the box and paperwork, I now save everything, as Collectors do pay a premium for origional boxes, and all the other items that came with the origional purchase.

I typically throw them away. Especially since it slows the draw when I have to take it out of the original box to use the darn thing.

When I see an offering that includes the original box and paperwork it makes me think that the seller is more likely to be a person who takes good care of his/her possessions, and potentially will be more honest/ethical in the transaction.

My conscious, rational mind is clear that the latter does not follow inexorably from the former, but to my subconscious mind it positively affects the way I regard the offering.

I keep the box for everything I have of value, at least until the warranty runs out. I keep gun boxes everytime. I am not a collector, and when a gun no longer interests me I sell it and get another one. With the original box, paperwork, lock (<-- haha... lock...) and other stuff that came with it.

yes

I have known for many years to keep the original stuff that comes with gun. Used guns are worth more money this way. I would still purchase used without box if the gun was clean

Space is limited and being military we move around a bit.

Boxes are thrown out unless it's a collectible (only have one...67 Colt Python with orig box).

Everything else has a soft case/sleeve for moving purposes.

I am aware of one case where a collector paid $360.00 at auction to get an original box for a 2.5" Colt Python.

Sometimes a box and papers, in and of themselves, can bring a pretty fair return - even when the gun isn't a part of the package.

If you want to get more out of your gun if you ever decide to sell it then having the original box is big plus even if the gun is not collectible. People in general are willing to pay more if the original box is included, perhaps it makes the gun feel less used.

I save all the original boxes for my guns in the event I decide to sell that gun someday.

Of course I have a habit of saving the original boxes for a lot of other things as well besides just guns.

Always keep the box and all the materials that came with the gun, including the plastic bag, tags, and sales slips. Place the box in a plastic bag and do not store the gun in it. It's not good for the gun, and constant opening of the box wears it out. This is especially important on unique, rare or potentially collectible guns. But it also enhances the value and saleability of common guns (you can advertise it as LNIB ). Plus it keeps all material together so it doesn't get lost.

The value of the original box and contents on collectible guns can add hundreds of dollars to the gun value. In addition, all parts that have been replaced (like original grips) must be retained to keep the gun in original condition.

But the real key is, what will be collectible. At the time of purchase when a person has the box they don't know. That is something that develops down the road, and if you pitched the box by the time it has collectible value it's too late. Consider a person who bought a cheap Ruger flat gate single six years ago. How would they know that some day it would become a treasure?

If you keep the original box, then you can always sell the gun as LNIB - Like New In Box. Otherwise, you will have to sell the gun as LNIAB - Like New In A Box.

People seem to think that by putting LNIB in their ad, it adds 25% to the value of the gun.

if it's clean and the price is right, the box would not stop me.. good luck buddy

Just One Shot said:

I was wondering because I'm in talks with a guy for a trade on an HK USP .45 Tactical but he doesn't have the box. I have seen pics of it and it looks as if it's been well cared for.

He stated that it doesn't have a scratch on it, that the only place that shows any wear is the slide release and it's not down to the metal. We are supposed to meet up tonight to do the swap so I'll have a better idea of the condition when I see it for myself.

The fact that he doesn't have the box doesn't bother me personally but I know some people prefer to have it so I was wondering what the good folks of THR thought about it.

Click to expand...

Ahhh... not likely the box was lost. The H&K box makes a nice pistol case. If he bought it new he has the box. You might want to press him for it. Very good gun though, the box isn't a deal breaker.

Have a couple of guns that I'd pay 4 figures for the original boxes if someone could provide them......

While I have to agree that usually people who keep the box show fastidious care for the firearm, you occasionally get the person who kept the box and original trimmings(which all undoubtedly add value) against the day they might have to try to get rid of the gun when it's not in the best condition of and by itself.

Assuming the gun itself is in good shape, I agree the box and originals add
20 to 25% more value to the package in a resale.

A careful inspection of the gun, IMO, in any event, is a prudent move.

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by an original box. A wise farmer once told me "Be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN to look a gift horse in the mouth. Orthodontist's bills could bankrupt you."

"...a Registered Magnum..." A 10/22 Magnum? Registered by/with whom? Only made from 1998 to 2006. Not a collector's piece now. May or may not be in the future.
"...does it devalue..." Nope. Not a bad idea to keep it all. However, it only matters to collectors and collector grade firearms. Winchester Commemoratives, for example, are only collectable if they're still sealed in the original box. Assuming you can find somebody who wants it.

Perhaps the question should be, is it important to throw away the box?

Having the original box and all that came with a gun is of course very important to collectors, but it's also important to a lessor extent for non-collectibles, even a 10/22. When you sell something do you not want to impress the buyer? The original box may not always make a lot of difference in the price, but it very well may help you sell the gun quicker. And it very well may reduce the haggling over the price.

Keeping the box also helps keep the other stuff that came with the gun that may be important to the buyer, such as the manual, or the extra magazine, scope mount/rings, or the original grips that you replaced with Hogues. If you put these in the original box you will know where they are. If you throw them in a junk box in back of a closet you might forget.

Keeping the box is passive, you should have a reason to throw it away.

I keep the contents and toss the boxes. All my guns are working guns and are regularly cleaned/maintained. When I die they will be passed on to my surviving family members, who are all believers in the R2KBA.

When I buy a used gun that comes with the original box, and even better, all of it's original contents, (and maybe even the original sales receipt too), I consider all of that a big plus, (but it doesn't weigh as much as the actual condition of the gun, of course). But I'm kind of a packrat when it comes to that sort of stuff. ...So for all of my new gun purchases, I keep the box and contents, ones for handguns go in one of a few Sterilite plastic snap-lid storage tubs kept on a high shelf in the garage. If I sell a gun, any original box and papers (minus the sales receipt) go with it, because it just feels "right" to me to do so.

Les

Hello friends and neighbors // Yes, having the box is a great bonus.I even kept the box from my 2009, Marlin 795.

Having moved all my firearms twice now. I can tell you "keep the box".
I have enough firearms, purchased used without the box, to fill all of my gun cases +,so any new purchases I keep the box.



Would I pay extra for the box?

Shooters or collectors, I'd pay a little extra. Especially if I was ever going to move.
How much, depends on the value of the firearm and if the serial numbers match.
My S&W Model 28 has the serial# on the box as do the Dan Wesson Pistol Pack and a couple of unfired Winchesters. In fact I keep both the Winchesters, still in origional wax paper, ITB.

It seems to have worked fine for the last 40+ years. (I do oil the firearms periodically)
Not only do I keep the matching SN boxes, I treat them gently.