Cards and Boxes...Keep 'em or Toss 'em???

trekking95 · 08-04-2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubba304

who keeps the advertisements inside the boxes as well? the folded mini posters and ads showing other figures in the line and other items related to them. I've got sooooo many of the star wars ones

Me! Both them and the front insert name tag with the figures picture. I have tons of those.... :P

DHeezy81 · 08-04-2012, 12:38 PM

If I keep the packages I keep everything it contained so it's 100% as-is from the factory. I even have all the damn shield files from MU in a baggy, all TF directions, you name it.

Snailbot · 08-04-2012, 01:14 PM

I wish I would have kept all of my old inserts. I keep them now unless I get doubles (like the ones that came with GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra figures). Still have all my old Secret Wars cards though.

conan050 · 08-04-2012, 01:28 PM

OMG I am the worst at this. I keep pretty much every piece of cardboard that comes with the figure! I got like boxes full of boxes and cardbacks, lol.

Bubba304 · 08-04-2012, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by conan050

OMG I am the worst at this. I keep pretty much every piece of cardboard that comes with the figure! I got like boxes full of boxes and cardbacks, lol.

I do the same...the only thing I toss is the plastic...and sometimes....sometimes...I'll even use a razor to cut out the Logo or name on the plastic (for display purposes...but I NEVER use them...TRASH!) haha

MeLikeJinx · 08-04-2012, 07:36 PM

I still have my Big AT-AT box... and I don't even know why. LOL.

BigHanksCustoms · 08-04-2012, 08:22 PM

When I was a kid I grew up very poor, so when I'd get a toy I'd keep them perfectly intact 100%. This served me well when I sold them off a few years back (wow, ten years ago actually).

I was anal man, I had the weapons trees with unused missiles still attached, used and unused sticker sheets, catalogs, you name it. I even had that little styrofoam shim that wedged the cardboard strip against G1 Jetfire (those who had him know, lol)

I think my good fortune selling them came from the completeness of the packaging as well as the mintyness. I remember showing my friends the figures as I was selling them and they simply could not believe they were 20 year old toys. They looked factory fresh, despite being opened.

Nowadays it's another story completely, I can barely make it out of the parking lot without ripping open the packaging in a flurry of shredded cardbacks and mangled plastic bubbles, lol.

However, I think the colle3cting environment has changed so much. It's commonplace to find several 100% complete examples out there, whereas back in the 70's-80's if a figure/box survived 100% it really was a rarity.

I say toss that junk, recycle it, whatever. Makes more room for the figures! But I can totally see keeping packaging for high end toys, exclusives, etc.

Bubba304 · 08-04-2012, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeLikeJinx

I still have my Big AT-AT box... and I don't even know why. LOL.

I still have my Big millenium falcon box...and inside...more boxes and card boxes LOL

Bubba304 · 08-04-2012, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigHanksCustoms

Nowadays it's another story completely, I can barely make it out of the parking lot without ripping open the packaging in a flurry of shredded cardbacks and mangled plastic bubbles, lol.

However, I think the colle3cting environment has changed so much. It's commonplace to find several 100% complete examples out there, whereas back in the 70's-80's if a figure/box survived 100% it really was a rarity.

I say toss that junk, recycle it, whatever. Makes more room for the figures! But I can totally see keeping packaging for high end toys, exclusives, etc.

I completely agree with you. The toys now a days are MASS produced more so than toys 20-30 years ago...I can't see any of the cards or boxes being worth much in 20-30 yrs....and after all that time you'll have to move it with you pay to put it in storage then go to sell only to find out its junk LOL
Maybe theres a slight chance that in 100 years when plastic action figures are antiques and kids are playing with robots and holograms the plastic figures we are currently collecting will be rare after some survive the alien invasion and half the planet is vaporized LOL and the cardbacks and boxes are even rarer who knows

trebleshot · 08-06-2012, 05:38 AM

Higher production runs are certainly one factor. Another factor is the number of adult collectors has increased significantly since the 70's, so you have more people willing to buy toys for themselves and keep them in excellent condition (sealed or not).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubba304

who keeps the advertisements inside the boxes as well? the folded mini posters and ads showing other figures in the line and other items related to them. I've got sooooo many of the star wars ones

I'm kind of weird when it comes to the catalog/ad inserts. I will keep one of each for a toy line as long as it is unique. For example, during the G1 run of Transformers, they would change their catalog insert every so often (advertising new product). So I would keep one as a sample. I think I have about 8 of them in total, running from 1984-90.

MegaPrime33 · 08-06-2012, 05:48 AM

For me it depends. I have only ever kept boxes for larger toys to use as storage; things like the AT-AT or Imperial Shuttle. For smaller things like Basics, Deluxes, even Megas I've tossed them all out. I'd say rule of thumb should be, the older it is, the more packaging you should keep. Unless you want it for storage or for display purposes, if it's new, toss it.

thetoybox1138 · 08-06-2012, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemist559

I never understood how you can remove the plastic from the card, I wanted to do this to keep the card backs but always end up ripping part of it no matter how careful I am. Anyone know how this is properly done?

Exacto knife with a very steady hand. Insert it between the sealed bubble and cardboard, and slowly move it through the entire card, always lifting up, but not cutting.

cobracobra · 09-15-2012, 05:41 PM

If the card has original artwork on the front I cut the blister off of the card back with a box cutter to keep the art and I hate the look of that torn card front.
Other than that I don't keep stuff unless the toy is huge and the box is a storage space for the toy. Ie. At-At Imperial Shuttle, Ewok Village, Secret Wars house?...

cobracobra · 09-15-2012, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetoybox1138

Exacto knife with a very steady hand. Insert it between the sealed bubble and cardboard, and slowly move it through the entire card, always lifting up, but not cutting.

Could you show a demo?

grayfox · 09-15-2012, 11:44 PM

Good advice guys.

What about boxes with a cardboard tray? Often seen used for larger TFs or GIjoe vehicles. Up until now, what I've been doing is throwing away the cardboard tray and flattening the box. Yep, I'm beyond out of space.

Is my method taking away what (most likely little) value these boxes could potentially bring?

Ninjinister · 09-16-2012, 12:02 AM

I used to keep everything but the bubble. Then I went to move earlier this year, and was like "Holy God that's gonna be a lot to move. Fuck it, if I ever wanna see the pretty pictures again, I have the internet". Then I threw out everything other than instruction/ad/bio inserts, TMNT portraits, and packaging for anything that was limited edition, like con or foreign exclusives.

View Poll Results: Cardbacks are they Trash or Treasure?
Trash	13	59.09%
Treasure	9	40.91%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

08-04-2012, 12:05 PM	#51
trekking95 Oh, it's beautiful. Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Under Tarkin's skin. Posts: 884	Quote: Originally Posted by Bubba304 who keeps the advertisements inside the boxes as well? the folded mini posters and ads showing other figures in the line and other items related to them. I've got sooooo many of the star wars ones Me! Both them and the front insert name tag with the figures picture. I have tons of those.... :P __________________ photobucketsucks.jpg please vistit my BST http://www.toyark.com/trekking95s-b-s-t-107986

08-04-2012, 01:14 PM	#53
Snailbot And How! Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Seattle! Posts: 695	I wish I would have kept all of my old inserts. I keep them now unless I get doubles (like the ones that came with GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra figures). Still have all my old Secret Wars cards though. __________________

08-06-2012, 05:38 AM	#60
trebleshot Dark Lord of the 'Ark Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,224	Higher production runs are certainly one factor. Another factor is the number of adult collectors has increased significantly since the 70's, so you have more people willing to buy toys for themselves and keep them in excellent condition (sealed or not). Quote: Originally Posted by Bubba304 who keeps the advertisements inside the boxes as well? the folded mini posters and ads showing other figures in the line and other items related to them. I've got sooooo many of the star wars ones I'm kind of weird when it comes to the catalog/ad inserts. I will keep one of each for a toy line as long as it is unique. For example, during the G1 run of Transformers, they would change their catalog insert every so often (advertising new product). So I would keep one as a sample. I think I have about 8 of them in total, running from 1984-90. __________________

08-06-2012, 08:31 AM	#62
thetoybox1138 The Toy Box Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 110	Quote: Originally Posted by Alchemist559 I never understood how you can remove the plastic from the card, I wanted to do this to keep the card backs but always end up ripping part of it no matter how careful I am. Anyone know how this is properly done? Exacto knife with a very steady hand. Insert it between the sealed bubble and cardboard, and slowly move it through the entire card, always lifting up, but not cutting. __________________ The Toy Box http://thetoybox1138.blogspot.com/ or www.facebook.com/thetoybox1138.