I’ve been doing a bit of buying and selling lately, and am finding myself wondering where this whole thing with having the original boxes became a thing?
I don’t remember it being particularly interesting years ago, and certainly didn’t keep boxes around. Wondering when that happened.
I suppose there’s lots of reasons. Electronics advancing an components becoming discontinued, buying fever to name a couple. I’ve been hunting eBay a lot recently and some of the prices for things are crazy.
I think since basically forever, I always keep all original boxes for anything collectible or valuable and my stuff always sells for max value. I don’t sell synths and music gear really (but I do keep all boxes), but any games or anything else I keep boxes and they always sell for more. I always go for a vintage synth with the box over one without!
I think it because 2nd hand platforms make it easy to sell your stuff. Meaning, purchases are different now.
One can buy something with the intent of selling it for a reasonable price if it’s “not really my thing”.
All of those YouTube unboxing videos may have contributed to a greater emphasis on the quality of packaging and the general importance of it.
The boxes keep the resale value higher on used products… which is nice considering how many new products are released every day. People may feel compelled to play with many instruments and gear, but obviously they can’t own them all at once. Maybe they’re just thinking ahead to the day that they may need sell their much loved gear to try something else.
Also, it’s nice to keep the boxes for at least all the gear that feels like an instant classic to you, for the grandkids and beyond to enjoy… or to sell or trade for the latest and greatest if they’re not jiving with the gear of the past, but that’s like… hoarding! Or maybe just highly considerate!
The purpose of the boxes is to protect the gear when moving it.
My philosophy is if it came with a nice box then I keep it (the box). If not then I don’t. Heck I sold my Tanzbär in a brown paper bag 
True, or it can help if you have to return the item or have it repaired by the manufacturer.
Edit: Which all qualifies as moving it!
Also, I feel worried buying used gear that didn’t include the original packaging because I feel like I’m not buying something coming from the original owner. Or it just gives me the general feeling that the previous owner/s did not value it enough to take good care of it somehow. In other words, keeping the original box is a sign of respect for the thing that once rested within.
Lol I have total baby brain 
and I call my elektrons boxes jeesus hah!!
I always keeps the boxes - great for warranty returns an looks more tempting all packaged like the day it was bought.
Quite a lunch…
I can understand that. It just never occurred to me when I was buying things like 20+ years ago. None of the used stuff I bought came with boxes because at the time everything was mainly bought locally, and if it wasn’t it came in a nondescript cardboard box.
I bought a few new pieces but couldn’t even tell you what the boxes looked like to be honest, probably not much.
It’s interesting, I don’t see too many Nord Modulars or MPC’s with boxes and if I remember right they were plain too aside from the Micro which was small and had a cool box.
Someone once sent me something else packaged in an old Machinedrum or Monomachine box… neither of which device I have. I did a double take when I opened the outer box too…
Do you think BT still has the boxes for all the stuff he owns?
I doubt it, legend has it a lot of BT’s stuff is craigslist finds bought while touring.
I keep boxes but that’s a hold over from collecting action figures. In box stuff brings a much higher value and interest resell wise.
I’m very into original boxes (and docs and warranty cards and (for real)). I’d say there are multiple parts - first off is perhaps the fact that when I was younger I could not affford hardly any gear. Through hard work and good fortune I now can afford things. Getting something with the original box brings me back in time to an experience I couldn’t have then.
Second perhaps is the fact that there are many subtle things about the original marketing, sales, etc. of a product that are revealed in how it was packaged up.
I think a large reason I’ll pay more for an item with original packaging is for peace of mind. Someone who stores and protects cardboard will almost always take better care of the item belonging inside it. The result is me having a closet full of boxes though. It paid off when buying a 707 and 101 both with original boxes though, I can’t imagine the units being any closer to Like New. The boxes were indicators of that which helped to sell me on the listings.
I confess to being obsessed with keeping the original boxes. One of the closets in my apartment is full to the brim of gear boxes. I sold my Linnstrument yesterday, and went to get the box out of the closet, only to find I didn’t have it, and got quite perplexed haha. Still confused, as I have every box for almost every other piece of gear in my studio (except for really old stuff, and the mixer, which was effin huuuuge). So I have no idea what happened to the Linnstrument box. It’s going to bother me for weeks haha.
I too keep the original boxes but wish I didn’t… takes up a bunch of storage space ffs
If Rick Beato is anything to go by, it’s been “a thing” for a long time now.
