How much is a gun box worth?

[Contender]

Not worth anything to me. If I bring a new gun home I throw the box away. I do save the plastic boxes. I don't expect a box when I buy a used gun.

 

[Leadeye]

I collect handguns in the 100 year old area, so to me the box is very valuable. New guns, much less important.

 

[cjcinin]

I'm confused by the "I throw it away" crowd. I want the box and other stuff.
I mean how small is your house? If you can't afford the room for a tiny box don't buy the gun.
But seriously. I want the box!

 

[Gluemanz28]

All guns regardless of what make they are will be old some day. The box holds little value right now but down the road one day it will add value to the gun. I keep all the boxes for my guns, just because I want to and can.

They work good to throw my wife off every once in a while when I put a box on the counter. When she ask "Did you buy a new gun".
I can reply Naw it's from a gun I've had for a long time. That way when I do buy one and she sees the box, she just thinks nothing of it.

Its like when John Wayne took a tree branch with leaves to cover his tracks.

 

[Contender]

I have sold a lot of guns over the years for the price wanted, never had a deal fall through because I did not have the box. Besides, haven't you ever heard that cardboard sitting around attracts spiders

 

[BGDave]

Put me down for keeping the boxes. A quick tour of The Blue Book of Gun Values. (I know, books don't buy guns ) The number of entries that say, add $$ for the box and papers.
Several years ago the big stink was fake craft boxes for 1911 and 1911a1 boxes. To the point it would take a mentalist to verify a real one.

 

[sparkyfender]

I like to have the original box for my guns. IF possible.

I have purchased quite a few used that were without one, so it is not a deal breaker. I've been known to go online to purchase a used box for one of my loose firearms, just to have it. Yes, I know it doesn't serially match my specific firearm, but I do it anyway.........

I don't have a solid and reasonable explanation why I desire the boxes, I just do. A quirk, I guess.........

 

[STEEL CORE]

Fast forward 2056, Antiques Road Show season forty comes to Indy, I can see the announcer saying, "If only you had the factory box for George Zimmermans pistol, this would be worth a gazillion in todays dollars".

 

[VERT]

All guns regardless of what make they are will be old some day. The box holds little value right now but down the road one day it will add value to the gun. I keep all the boxes for my guns, just because I want to and can.

They work good to throw my wife off every once in a while when I put a box on the counter. When she ask "Did you buy a new gun".
I can reply Naw it's from a gun I've had for a long time. That way when I do buy one and she sees the box, she just thinks nothing of it.

Its like when John Wayne took a tree branch with leaves to cover his tracks.

Hiding it in plain sight. Brilliant!

 

[NightFisher]

I could care less. I mostly throw them out. We are talking about the cheap plastic pieces of crap with bad latches on it right? Who would want that?

 

[Leo]

The old cardboard boxes didn't last if you used them. The tupperware box that comes with a glock lasts longer than the pistol. I still have the box that my 1st G-17 came in. The pistol totaled itself when it spit a slide rail out of the frame. The plastic box is still faithfully holding crimp on electrical terminals in the bottom of one of my tool boxes.

 

[shootersix]

I know a guy who sold a s&w model 36 red box (just the box, no gun) on ebay for 250.00 (I've never seen a red box before), I've got a colt ds made in 68, and a browning bda 45 (sig 220 European) with out boxes, I'd pay 150-200 each if I found the box, because all it'd do is make the guns more valuable

I have boxes for all but 4 guns I own, the two above, a 10/22 and a ruger mark one, and I doubt either of the rugers will ever be collectable, but yes boxes, paperwork, and "accessories" bring up the value.


its like a 68 shelby, it looks cool with the cragar sst's on it, but worth a hell of a lot more with the factory rims!

 

[Bfish]

I agree with everything said here and I really liked the car analogy given by VERT. For myself though, I think of two main things.

If the gun comes in nice packaging, and there for I'd like to keep it/have it. Or if it's brand new and sold that way. Otherwise I throw all of those rifle boxes away. I've kept the cases to my pistols, and a couple shot guns, but I can't think of any rifles really. A friend of mine bought several at a good price though, and they still sit brand new in the boxes. This makes sense to me over taking them out and throwing them in a safe to sit there as the purpose of having a few extras around and being "new." That and occasionally he will sell one to a close friend or something that wants to get in to a rifle cheap, so it makes sense to me.

The second is what 223 gunner said. If you see a guy selling a gun at a very low price it's easy to suspect it may be too good to be true and could be stolen. When the buyer has all of the paper work, factory goodies, and all in the box it makes it seem that he truly may just be hard up for some cash. I can think of a Sig purchase a friend made that felt like stealing even if forking over money was part of it. However, it had the box and all of the factory things along with some extra mags etc, so it was purchased and indeed not stolen. If it had been "just the gun" I would have leaned more on steering clear of the sale. Having the box is a plus here because who honestly keeps them in the original box? I know some do but it greatly reduces the bad vibes when making a purchase.

 

[rob63]

The guns I collect didn't come in boxes, they were usually delivered in wooden crates that are hard to find and are too large to fit in the closet anyway. A small cardboard or plastic box isn't worth anything to me, but I do keep them in case I end up selling to the people that think they are worth something. Couldn't care less when buying though.

 

[M67]

Depends on the gun if I care about the box, but I'm a pack rat by nature and I keep all my boxes and paperwork, even those dumb action locks.

I wouldn't not by a used gun if it didn't have the box if it was something I really was looking for, if it had the box, it's just a big plus. It never crossed my mind before about the stolen aspect.

How boxes become valuable, is by people throwing them away in the first place. S&W, Colt, Winchester, Remington, hell even old Hi Standard, JC Higgins.

To me, the value of a lot of items go up by having the box, especially when it's an older item that is no longer produced. I once bought a Ruger Standard in 98% condition because it had the box, Ruger patch, and even an ancient box of CCI mini mags from when the original person bought it way back when. To me it's just neat.

Can go either way and like anything it's personal preference and opinion.

 

[Clay]

I typically wouldn't pay much just for a box, but I might pay a little extra if the original box/accessories were included.

 

[Thor]

After all, that's how you got the gun.

It's also how I got my dishwasher, computers, many of my books. I'd need a separate pole barn for all the cardboard. Just the gun boxes would be the size of an SUV.

I suppose it doesn't really matter to me as I'm not selling, ever.

 

[Thor]

It's worth the knowledge of the care of someone took of the firearm. What that value is to you depends. To me, worthless.

But even the plastic boxes I have don't live in a safe...And a box would look silly on the wall rack...I second your valuation.

 

[Thor]

Especially numbered boxes or the wood presentation boxes

Well now, that's a different subject all together.

 

[Thor]

They work good to throw my wife off every once in a while when I put a box on the counter. When she ask "Did you buy a new gun"

Mine just asks what I bought...