[Skoob]

My rule is BOX OR BUST. I reconsider any purchase if I learn that it's in a clamshell.

My principal gripe is the integrated hang tab. Having worked in retail, I know what it's like having to try to repair those little hang tabs with tape and staples and etc. after some ignorant and/or malicious little turd wrenches a product off its display peg. Some little psychopaths actually damage them deliberately, because they know you as the retailer have to mark down damaged goods, essentially extinguishing any flicker of hope that you might have of turning a profit. Think of it this way: every damaged hang tab means someone has stolen a little piece of a retailer's soul, or at least their livelihood. It's a shame that so many retailers have to install security cameras just because a small number of little bastiches can't restrain themselves from tampering with packages and fondling the contents without paying for them.

It should be obvious to everyone here that the vast majority of collectors want to buy something 'fresh' and 'pristine,' hence the acronym "MIB" (Mint In Box) seen frequently in the secondary market. (Notice: that's Mint In Box, not Mint In Clamshell.) EnSabahNerd just reminded me of what a pain it can be, trying to open a clamshell so as to minimize damage and preserve value and usefulness. I'm averse to such pain.

A good box should be easy to open without damage, for re-use to protect the toy, resale, and for storage. Every product developer who designs a box that stacks easily should get a gold star. Many are the times that I try to take one old irregularly-shaped clamshell out of a stack and have the whole shebang come tumbling down, and falls usually entail damage, to soft cardboard backing especially, but also to brittle contents. Most of the hang tabs that come with a box are affixed with adhesive, and can be folded out of the way or removed entirely (and replaced, if you hang your collection) without damaging the box.

There's another reason why I prefer boxes. The printed surfaces provide graphic designers with more opportunity to add value by incorporating background scenes and graphics, creating a kind of mini-diorama for the product inside. Black Series is a rare exception, but the solid black background is its own kind of branding. (My only criticism in that regard is that I miss some of the full-color airbrush artwork of favorite Star Wars artists.)

If scummy people are getting away with substituting contents, then retailers need to be more vigilant. The same thing is going to happen regardless of packaging. It's amazing and pathetic, the lengths to which some people will go... Rgds