Just advice DON'T throw boxes away

[JR1]

I am always and continuously amazed by the number of people who buy anything photographically related and throw the box away, why.

Does it not occur to people that when / if you come to sell it the buyer wants to see that it has been looked after, and keeping a box shows you care.

Also remember that without a box you will get quite a bit less for an item if you come to part exchange it also retain the manuals, dvd's etc.

I have every piece of packaging for all my gear, and previously when I have sold on ebay to replace gear I know for a fact that I get more when photographed with the original packing.

[wilgk]

me too, all of mine are opened so they fold flat & stored in a suitcase, most of use would have an old one of those stored somewhere in the house. So I'm on the same wavelength this weekend it seems.

[JR1]

me too, all of mine are opened so they fold flat & stored in a suitcase, most of use would have an old one of those stored somewhere in the house. So I'm on the same wavelength this weekend it seems.

I hope that people take note, you will want to sell one day and you are missing out on a lot of money throwing boxes away

[Shadowman]

I have a closet shelf filled to the ceiling with all my photography equipment boxes.

[PhotomanJohn]

I agree but have always found this interesting. The person that buys my used equipment has as little use for the box as I do. Whether I have a pristine box that has been safely stored in my closet says nothing about how I have actually treated the equipment. There is absolutely no connection. People are really strange creatures.

John

[loosecanon]

Well the attic is full, thinking now should I put the enlarger and processing equipment back in thier boxes, Still have the box for my original F1 of 1971, all brown and gold, very tasteful.

[chauncey]

I'm sorry...I fail to see the linkage between saving empty boxes and caring for gear.
Does a mechanic save the boxes his wrenches come in? That gear is merely tools of the trade.

[Geoff F]

Yes, I'm much of the same opinion.

I do carry a small stock of suitable boxes and packaging in case something has to be returned for repair; but that is all. Instruction manuals are different and I do keep them for reference until I actually throw something away.

However, I don't sell secondhand equipment or keep updating for the latest model. I tend to use my gear until it becomes worn out then ditch it; or alternatively keep some as back up/rough use equipment.

[Donald]

I think the point, William, is that the mechanic is not likely to want to sell his wrench at some point in the future if he looks to upgrade.

[HaseebM]

I have a one and a half shelves full of boxes of various gadgets, lenses, accessories, equipment, graphic cards, motherboards, speaker systems and my wife is not amused.

[xpatUSA]

If one is interested in two identical items on eBay, equally priced, identical age and usage and in apparently identical condition . . .

[edit . . one with box and papers, one without . . .]

. . which one would you buy?

A question addressed to those who say "it doesn't matter": can they honestly say they would, for example, just toss a coin to decide which one to buy?

Not me.

[JR1]

For those who don't see the point, try part exchanging your gear, you will get less for it

The first question LCE asks when you go in is, do you have the box, instructions, cd's, if not the trade in value is less. When I buy I will never pay as much by quite a margin for something without a box

Would you pay as much for a car without a service history than one with even if they have been serviced the same, no

[JR1]

I'm sorry...I fail to see the linkage between saving empty boxes and caring for gear.
Does a mechanic save the boxes his wrenches come in? That gear is merely tools of the trade.

If you ever part exchange or go to sell you will


If I were buying I know which I would pay more attention to, this thread was simply to offer advice...

Ignore the battery grip etc just look at the images

[PhotomanJohn]

Would you pay as much for a car without a service history than one with even if they have been serviced the same, no

????? I don't see how the box the item came in demonstrates how the piece of equipment was used, maintained and serviced. I guess I don't posses the level of psychic abilities that others have.

John

[JR1]

????? I don't see how the box the item came in demonstrates how the piece of equipment was used, maintained and serviced. I guess I don't posses the level of psychic abilities that others have.

John

I can't be bothered, you do what you want others will do what they want. If you can't see the benefits that is your problem not mine.

[Stagecoach]

Would you pay as much for a car without a service history than one with even if they have been serviced the same, no

As a very experienced engineer and an owner over the years of too many cars (because I used to enjoy changing them) my answer would be yes.

A service history simply tells you it has been in a garage and had this and that charged for. My priority when purchasing a car is it's cosmetic condition which also goes a long way to saying how it has been looked after, the mechanics of a car are relatively easy to change/replace compared to body, seats, interior and paintwork.

Not everything is black and white, we all have different priorities in life and some have the skills to sort these priorities in order for themselves.

[Mike Buckley]

I keep the boxes because I've always been told that doing so increases the resale value of the camera gear or at least makes it easier to quickly sell the gear. It's also because I've got the space required to store them. Otherwise, I wouldn't keep them.

If a prospective buyer wants to believe the boxes are evidence that I took good care of the gear, that's highly flawed thinking. (I do take good care of the gear but the boxes provide no evidence of that.) I'm happy to take the money from people with highly flawed thinking as much as from people with highly sound thinking.

Last year I purchased a used speed light from a retailer that was going out of business. The speed light had been in their inventory that was being regularly rented to customers. It came with no box and no manual. I had rented equipment from that retailer several times and their equipment always worked flawlessly. Would I have paid more for the same model being offered in the same condition by the same company if it had come with a box and manual? Nope.

I throw away the boxes that come with my lighting gear. That's because I don't have the space required to store them.

[tao2]

So,

a question tae the folk who've sold their gear with boxes etc. How many of you received emails/letters, saying "Aye, it was worth another £75 'cos ah got a coloured cardboard box and a receipt from 2007 showing how much of a saving I've made...and the box was mint++.

[mknittle]

As a very experienced engineer and an owner over the years of too many cars (because I used to enjoy changing them) my answer would be yes.

A service history simply tells you it has been in a garage and had this and that charged for. My priority when purchasing a car is it's cosmetic condition which also goes a long way to saying how it has been looked after, the mechanics of a car are relatively easy to change/replace compared to body, seats, interior and paintwork.

Not everything is black and white, we all have different priorities in life and some have the skills to sort these priorities in order for themselves.

I am the same way. as for cars I prefer old cars 1970s and older. Most of mine are 1947 to 1954. As for other things I buy used the original box is cool but I really don't care if the item works like it is supposed to. I think the manual would be a bigger plus.

[NorthernFocus]

This is a subject that I've always been amazed by. I think it has really become a more of a phenomenon because of eBay. Whether we agree with Jeremy or not, the very fact that he feels as strongly about this as he has expressed is demonstrative of the phenomenon. He is not alone. It is quite evident when one shops on eBay that there is a premium associated with items that are sold with all of the original packaging. One can argue philosophically about whether it makes sense or not, but it is a practical reality. On eBay.

On the other hand, I've long since abandoned selling on eBay other then out of pure desperation. When confined to smaller audiences this phenomenon doesn't exist. Or at least isn't pervasive. I now sell all of my camera equipment either on Craigslist or on another photography forum. I can't recall ever being asked about original packaging in the dozen or so sales that I've made over the past couple of years. I attribute it to a more rational consumer base. Which is also reflected in the pricing achievable without the effects of the bidding mindset. It is likely that the items I've sold would have fetched more on eBay. But by the time you subtract out the fees you end up with a similar sum in the pocket.