Original boxes

[euphorbioid]

Recently I have come across a number of knives in great shape that have no box. I have decided to buy the knives so at least I will have them. I plan to continue to look for the same knife with the original box. How much does the lack of original box affect value to collectors?
Thanks,
Jan

[JD Spydo]

Recently I have come across a number of knives in great shape that have no box. I have decided to buy the knives so at least I will have them. I plan to continue to look for the same knife with the original box. How much does the lack of original box affect value to collectors?
Thanks,
Jan

I assume you are talking about Spyderco knives? Well if you are then I can say this>> it does help if you have the original factory box for trading and selling purposes. I can't say exactly how much or even an average per knife would be hard to pin down because it just depends on too many variables. For instance if I had an original Spyderco "R" model for sale and it was in mint condition and let's say put away in a zipper pouch instead of the factory box>> then I would say you would probably get another $5 to $10 more if you had the original factory box on average. But if someone really wanted that "R"model to complete a collection or if that person already had the serrated version and wanted the plain edge to complete his collection then I would say the box wouldn't play that much in the final price.

Now some collectors are different because I have met a couple of collectors that always want the factory box to go with the knife. But they are not in the majority. Just recently I did a trade of a very sought after, discontinued Spyderco model to a good friend of mine. I just happened to have the factory box for that model. But knowing how much this guy wanted this certain model I doubt if the box would have played any role in the trade at all. A lot of times I've had guys that want the Spyderco zipper pouch more than they would want the factory box>> and in some of the models like the Civilian for instance they come from the factory in a Spyderco Zipper Pouch>> If I was trading and they had what I wanted in a zipper pouch I personally would rather have the pouch than I would the box.

All in all it really just depends on the person you are trading with or selling to. If they want the certain model of knife bad enough then the box wouldn't be that big of a deal.

[Blerv]

It depends on how many other knives are for sale with the boxes. In my experience it hardly influences price for lightly used products, especially if it's more than a few years old. Description is key though...good pics, description of play and centering plus some talk of how special the knife is. Ie: if you really "sell it" the box isn't a deal breaker if you have one of very few that are being sold.

YMMV.

[guitarwolf]

I throw all my boxes out. I don't have the space or time to hoard dozens of boxes. If I lose $40 in sales over 10 years I'm cool with that.

[Johnnie1801]

I throw all my boxes out. I don't have the space or time to hoard dozens of boxes. If I lose $40 in sales over 10 years I'm cool with that.

Start putting them on ebay instead, there's obviously a market for them, the little money you make you can put towards a new knife :p

[euphorbioid]

It depends on how many other knives are for sale with the boxes. In my experience it hardly influences price for lightly used products, especially if it's more than a few years old. Description is key though...good pics, description of play and centering plus some talk of how special the knife is. Ie: if you really "sell it" the box isn't a deal breaker if you have one of very few that are being sold.

YMMV.

I am talking about rather rare knives like the early Militarys with ATS34 or G2 blades. So far I have bought them when available and stored them in generic pouches. I keep looking for knives in boxes though.

[The Deacon]

If two specimens of a given "collectible" Spyderco are being auctioned off, and the only difference is that one has the original box and the other does not, almost without exception, the one with the box will close at a higher price. So yes, the presence or absence of the original box, or pouch in the case of some models, definitely impacts value. "How much" it adds is going to vary, but I'd say a difference of anywhere from 10% to 25% would be unremarkable. It's also fairly safe to say that the older and rarer the knife is, the more value original packaging will add, since the probability of having it will be lower.

[bdblue]

Start putting them on ebay instead, there's obviously a market for them, the little money you make you can put towards a new knife :p

I've sold empty boxes on ebay before for other collectibles. I've seen that some old firearm empty boxes can be worth more than the equivalent new box with the firearm in it.

For knives I think the value of the box is dependent on the value of the knife. If a knife has gained value over that of a similar new knife, then the box is worth something too. Knife people don't seem to be as interested in boxes as some other collectors are, so I'm going to guess that boxes are typically not worth more than 10% of the knife value.

If the knife is not NIB then the box isn't worth much, say for a knife that a person wants to carry. I figure if I can buy a knife that is not NIB, and get a better price for it, then I am spared the trouble of having to keep up with the box.

I have a knife of a different brand, a rare model, and I'm thinking about selling it. Now I have to determine if it is worth turning my house upside down trying to find the empty box.

[JD Spydo]

Start putting them on ebay instead, there's obviously a market for them, the little money you make you can put towards a new knife :p

With all the outrageous fees involved with the auction sites I'm not sure it would be worth your while to try to sell them on any of those websites. You could get a GOLD membership on Bladeforums and sell them there. Because there are people (myself included) that do collect all kinds of Spyderco memorabilia that would do some kind of a trade with you I"m sure of it. You can't sell them or trade them here on this forum because the rules don't allow it.

There are a lot of good guys and gals to trade with over at Bladeforums and there are other knife websites you could check out as well. Some of the older boxes going back to the mid to late 90s had small catalogs in them which are now getting collectible so by all means if you have any of them don't thrown them away if you have any.

It's your call but there are options you can take

[phillipsted]

I use my Spyderco boxes to make confetti for New Years Eve - very festive.

TedP

[SpyderNut]

If two specimens of a given "collectible" Spyderco are being auctioned off, and the only difference is that one has the original box and the other does not, almost without exception, the one with the box will close at a higher price. So yes, the presence or absence of the original box, or pouch in the case of some models, definitely impacts value. "How much" it adds is going to vary, but I'd say a difference of anywhere from 10% to 25% would be unremarkable. It's also fairly safe to say that the older and rarer the knife is, the more value original packaging will add, since the probability of having it will be lower.

+1

[SpyderNut]

I use my Spyderco boxes to make confetti for New Years Eve - very festive.

TedP

:eek: Please tell me you're joking!

[Holland]

I use my Spyderco boxes to make confetti for New Years Eve - very festive.

TedP

Rofl! :D

[Tubpbs]

I would say one aspect of the original box - at least for me - that has been left out here is that it is an indicator of the care with which the knife has been treated for its lifetime. This may be insignificant for a newer knife, but as others have said, the older the knife, the more value the box may hold.

For an older knife, having the original box and it being in good condition means to me that the knife has also been taken care of well. If buying from the Bay or other secondary sources, it makes me feel more comfortable...

[bh49]

Based on my observations I agree with Paul's estimate that NIB vs "like new no box" will catch on secondary market from 10 to 25% more and probably in most cases closer to 20-25% more. If you use the knife, I do not see much financial sense to keep a box. If a knife is not used, than WhyNot. May be one day you will need to sell it. Boxes really do not take much room. I never had a big collection. I believe max was 80 :spyder: . All boxes were in three shoe boxes under my desk. But instead of trashing boxes to make "confetti for New Years Eve" is great idea.