Empty Hot Toy boxes - Do people actually want them?

[Darth Fok]

I needed some space back and got rid of a lot of empty Star Wars HT boxes that were in mint condition. Afterwards I looked on eBay and people are selling them. Some of the older boxes are going for ridiculous prices. I was like WTF, did I just throw money away? Why would people buy these?

 

[sithocan]

People that pay those amounts are rich and happy to pay for a printed cartoon Most, on the other hand, use the boxes for storage and protection.

 

[Sassafras]

I needed some space back and got rid of a lot of empty Star Wars HT boxes that were in mint condition. Afterwards I looked on eBay and people are selling them. Some of the older boxes are going for ridiculous prices. I was like WTF, did I just throw money away? Why would people buy these?

"True" collecters want the box so pick up replacement for damaged box, to up the price of a loose fig. There's a few boxes I would like an extra for to flatten and use art in display. Wouldn't pay more than 5$ tho.

 

[rayeknor]

Still not close to $120k bananas taped to a wall, but people will buy literally anything.

 

[SvenDokki]

It's true. Some people pay for membership here so they can read people's complaining while spending money too!

 

[Sassafras]

Still not close to $120k bananas taped to a wall, but people will buy literally anything.

I'm partial to toast that has the face of Jesus *miraculously* appearing, and vaguely remember reading about someone-or-other selling their used bathwater.

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

I've wondered this too. I have some art boxes and shippers of figures that I no longer have, due to parting them out.

 

[Getter Dragon]

I keep mine to ensure a higher resale value.

 

[EvilPrincess]

I saved mine forever, but when I moved, I had to trash mine for the space. I kept the art boxes, for the most part. And yes, it was kinda painful taking them all out to the dump. I console myself that I'm not reselling my figures, lol.

 

[Bilbo Skywalker]

I keep both the art boxes and shippers just Incase I ever needed to sell. Space has become an issue though.


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[darth dennis]

I keep mine to ensure a higher resale value.

Same here. I'm no flipper, but occasionally space and finances require hard decisions. I recently got rid of my Rogue One figures pretty much because HT won't do a Baze... Having those art boxes, inserts and shippers makes a huge difference in getting your money back.

 

[rayeknor]

I'm partial to toast that has the face of Jesus *miraculously* appearing, and vaguely remember reading about someone-or-other selling their used bathwater.

Colleague at work keeps getting offers from drunk older men if they can buy her used underwear/socks when she goes out on weekends. For the money they're offering I'd sell mine! Few things beat a well toasted Jesus toast tho.

 

[Getter Dragon]

Same here. I'm no flipper, but occasionally space and finances require hard decisions. I recently got rid of my Rogue One figures pretty much because HT won't do a Baze... Having those art boxes, inserts and shippers makes a huge difference in getting your money back.

Exactly. I usually flip when I get bored of a character/brand or upgrade to the latest version. I've had every 1/6 Vader since the first one sold by SSC 10+ years ago, but I sell the old one off when I get a new one. I have no desire to have multiple versions of the same character. I'll sell off my HT ESB Vader as soon as they announce the inevitable ROTJ version with removable helmet. The downside is all the space this packaging junk takes up.

 

[darth dennis]

Exactly. I usually flip when I get bored of a character/brand or upgrade to the latest version. I've had every 1/6 Vader since the first one sold by SSC 10+ years ago, but I sell the old one off when I get a new one. I have no desire to have multiple versions of the same character. I'll sell off my HT ESB Vader as soon as they announce the inevitable ROTJ version with removable helmet. The downside is all the space this packaging junk takes up.

There are people getting ready to condemn you for not appreciating all of the difference the ESB and ROTJ helmet have and you can't possibly replace one with the other. I've had the first HT ANH Vader since it came out and see no need to replace it. I can see the costumer differences IF someone points them out, but otherwise I'm pretty much "yeah, that's Vader". I do have multiples of other characters with more significant costume variations like Luke, Leia and Han...

 

[dukefett]

People want them if they buy a loose or incomplete figure from the people who've thrown the box away. I've sold one box on eBay after parting a figure out, but have trashed other ones that didn't sell after a 1-2 months on eBay. Not worth the $9 I'd take in to keep them hanging around forever.

 

[pixletwin]

Ive been on the lookout for a Vader/Tarkin set box for AGES.

 

[stevenmh]

I have a large collection and kept all my boxes and cards until I pitched them all a couple years ago. I've sold a few pieces since and I'm sure I could have made a little more, but I still have no regrets:

(1) I gained back a huge amount of space.
(2) I've trimmed my collection down quite a bit the past few years, and learned to focus my collection so that I'm not getting rid of things.
(3) We're currently building a new house. Given the cost per sq.ft. for new construction, the cost of the area to store the empty boxes would offset the additional amount I'd get if I had to liquidate my collection and still had the boxes.
(4) I knew people were selling boxes on eBay when I threw them out. But I can work as much overtime as I want, and if I wanted to trade my time for money it would make more sense for me to spend a Saturday at the office than screw around selling cardboard. I realize not everyone has the overtime option and can understand someone selling the boxes, but it seems like it would have to go for quite a bit to be worth it given the cost of shipping something that size even if it doesn't weigh anything. Not to mention the stress of the carrier damaging it, or the seller claiming it was damaged so they can swap theirs out for a nicer one at your expense.

In the end, it was pretty liberating. I don't spend time worrying about babying a box anymore. I just rip it open and enjoy the contents.

 

[Getter Dragon]

There are people getting ready to condemn you for not appreciating all of the difference the ESB and ROTJ helmet have and you can't possibly replace one with the other. I've had the first HT ANH Vader since it came out and see no need to replace it. I can see the costumer differences IF someone points them out, but otherwise I'm pretty much "yeah, that's Vader". I do have multiples of other characters with more significant costume variations like Luke, Leia and Han...

LOL! I don't think there is a character in all of fiction whose 1/6 figure is so obsessed over than Vader. Some people in those threads go way overboard trying to match a doll to a film still to the nanometer, while not realizing the costume changes from scene to scene in the film because the costume department put it on wrong half the time.

I really liked my ANH version, except the hands. They were terrible. Hopefully Hot Toys just shrinks the 1/4 mold and the ROTJ figure will be perfect.

 

[medicomsucks]

Colleague at work keeps getting offers from drunk older men if they can buy her used underwear/socks when she goes out on weekends. For the money they're offering I'd sell mine! Few things beat a well toasted Jesus toast tho.

Apparently its a thing in Japan too but they also want video of girls working out in the video as well.

I've got a lot of dirty underwear and i guess i can film myself eating pizza and drinking beer but i guess there isnt much of a market for that yet.

 

[jkno]

I have all the boxes of the high end collectibles in the attic. I even have the boxes from a few HT and SSC figures I sold long ago, like HT Predators and SSC Stormies and Sandtroopers, as the buyer didn't want them. I used to keep the boxes because of the times I moved - the boxes are very important for statues and props, more than for figures.