saving gun boxes

Pistol: Keep box
Long gun: Throw box away.

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That's exactly what I do, but I honestly don't why I keep any.

You know what, if they box is nice and hard, like plastic, I might keep it.

If it's one of them carboard boxes that S&W's come in, or worse, Colt's, who cares? It's a CARDBOARD BOX.

It's the gun that counts. Not the freaking cardboard it ships in.

I try to keep them all nowadays. As with most, nice hard cases over cardboard and handgun over long gun. Sometimes gives me insight as to when and where I bought the gun that I might not remember later.

I generally don't sell my stuff, so re-sale considerations are minimal.

Ruger gives the hard grey box for their handguns, I keep those.

Long gun boxes are a pain to keep around, I admit.




The funniest thing is how this thread reminded me that for my first .22 rifle, the box WAS the travel case for about 2 years. No, I don't have that particular box anymore. Good times.

I buy and sell guns frequently. I always keep the boxes, with all accessories. Having the box and accessories makes buyers assume that you have properly cared for the contents. I'm convinced it leads to faster sales.

I have literally sold thousands of dollars of empty gun boxes. I keep mine.

Even thou I don't use them, I keep my boxes and paperwork.

I have saved all of boxes going back nearly 40 years now. I even have some where I don't even have the gun anymore. Might be worth something some day.

bannockburn said:

I have saved all of boxes going back nearly 40 years now. I even have some where I don't even have the gun anymore. Might be worth something some day.

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I have always saved handgun boxes. Once when I moved, I had the boxes stored in a storage unit. The moving company threw them away. I was not present for that. They simply said they would pack everything inside the storage unit and transport to me in another state. To them, there was apparently no value.

I have a few that I had guns for that I sold. It was usually a gun show sale and I forgot to take the box with me at the time. My boxes are all "boxed up" and I have to dig to find them. Colt boxes are save inside plastic to protect them from rubbing damage.

The fact that collectors care about having the box and papers and such drives me nuts... because it means, in my mind, I can't throw that stuff away. I've got zero interest in it, and would never pay for it. But someone else might.

22-rimfire

I have always kept my empty boxes and cases packed away in shipping containers or heavy duty cardboard boxes. Whenever I have moved I take the guns and boxes in my own vehicle for safekeeping.

A lot of manufactures now package their guns in hard sided plastic boxes that meet TSA requirements. I can't imagine why you wouldn't keep those

I have open rafters in my workshop, and so I put a sheet of plywood up there. Long gun boxes get grouped and bagged with a pair of garbage bags. My rodent-control crew sleeps in the workshop, so there is no mouse problem, and the platform is 10'+ off the floor so it's wasted space for anything heavy. If I need to ship a gun, I have it's box.
Handgun boxes are in the safes.....

I keep them all.

#10
savage24
Member

Join Date: July 20, 2007
Posts: 37
Save them!
I purchased a blue plastic Colt factory box for a Python several years ago on eBay. I felt kinda silly paying $30 for and empty box, but I could probably sell it for $50 today.

I just bought a complete Python hard case. Case, letter from Colt, factory registration, gun bag, orange cylinder, factory instruction manual, Colt handling gloves, hang tag and warranty card. I paid $99 including shipping.
It isn't the correct case, it was the egg shell foam but it is a genuine Python box and factory material.
I guess that that was a pretty good deal. I found another deal, same extras but the case was the molded plastic one, and that guy wanted $275 plus freight.
Your $30 box looking better?

Some I keep by tossing them in one of the outbuildings. Others are tossed. Meh. I can't say I give a rip much either way.

Yeppers, I keep everything that comes with my guns. Boxes, hang tags, I even have most of the receipts. Just the way I am. YMMV.

If it's one of them carboard boxes that S&W's come in, or worse, Colt's, who cares? It's a CARDBOARD BOX.

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You obviously haven't priced any early Colt, S&W, Winchester, or Browning boxes lately, have you??

Some of those boxes are worth more now then the guns cost new then.

rc

Stack em deep. I have boxes for guns I no longer own...

I was watching some Python auctions for a friend. Check out the price difference between Pythons with original boxes, tags, paperwork, etc versus those without. I expected the box, etc to make some difference but I was amazed.

bannockburn said:

22-rimfire

I have always kept my empty boxes and cases packed away in shipping containers or heavy duty cardboard boxes. Whenever I have moved I take the guns and boxes in my own vehicle for safekeeping.

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I always transport my firearms or for that matter anything that has substantial value to me personally (jewelry, art, ammunition, knives, etc.) or subject to damage when moving by a moving company. I basically assume the moving company will loose everything and I bring enough stuff along for normal day to day life at the new location. The episode I was referring to was in the 80's and that was a 1000 mile move. I would have to rent a U-haul to handle just the boxes to keep things in perspective. On one move, I had an entire pickup bed full of framed art work. Guns were another trip. This was about a 100 mile move so multiple trips were a reasonable choice. I have little intention of moving again.

I chuckle about one move when a moving company employee offered to buy a nice bicycle from me..... he offered me $25 on a $700 bike that was only a couple years old.

I've done both. Lately I keep the boxes in case I sell or trade the gun.

I like Ruger's plastic boxes, but the last two Rugers I bought both had white cardboard boxes instead of the plastic ones.

A few years back I bought a Charger, and that came in a large cardboard box. But you can understand that due to its size.

Back in the '70's Rugers came in red and yellow cardboard boxes, so it's kind of full circle for them.

Still have the gun, too. The gun is in much better condition.

If it's one of them carboard boxes that S&W's come in, or worse, Colt's, who cares? It's a CARDBOARD BOX.

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You obviously haven't priced any early Colt, S&W, Winchester, or Browning boxes lately, have you??

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Not a cardboard box, but the case that a late fifties/early sixties S&W .44 mag came in was bid up to $799 on ebay the last time I looked.

Decent original boxes for Colts will commonly fetch $150-200 or more and S&W gold boxes sell for $100 to 200 all day. Even post 1960 S&W boxes bring $50-75 for certain models.

All of these are prices for post WWII boxes, pre war boxes are considerably higher. The reason? Guys like Cooldill have been throwing them away for years.

It's a CARDBOARD BOX.

It's the gun that counts. Not the freaking cardboard it ships in.

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I guess it depends....


http://www.gunbroker.com/Other-Gun-Accessories-Parts/BI.aspx?Keywords=Original+box