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Do you save boxes for dolls and accesories?

Nov 15, 2021

    1. Boxes, absolutely. I save almost everything they come with, even if I don’t use them in the case that someone else wants it one day. Also, it’s a PITA to ship dolls without the boxes.
       
    2. I save the inner boxes that the dolls come in, just in case I need them for storage purposes. Plus, keeping the boxes would come in handy if I ever needed to sell any of my dolls in the future.
       
    3. Absolutely! I do it for all my dolls - fashion dolls, 11 inch dolls and all other dolls. I keep those tiny bags for shoes and keep them there if not used (apart from the box I have for them, of course). Should I ever move boxing my dolls will be much easier.
       
    4. A box doesn't have much use other than storage, and a fully strung doll is pricier to ship, so I don't see any reason why not having the original box would be a reason to make a doll less valuable (other than worrying over it not being legit, maybe?)

      I've only ever thrown out a doll box once. Their boxes is where I keep my dolls on the regular, and the only reason I personally would toss them is due to a lack of space. I still have most of my dollheart outfit boxes too—I use them to store different clothes and accessories.
       
    5. I keep basically everything to a bothersome degree.
      Actually one of my big to do's this year is to finally throw away the heaps of packaging material from doll stuff. It's just useless clutter at this point. I'm probably going to keep the doll boxes themselves but I want to at least unfold them so I can store them flat.
       
    6. Oh, definitely! I have a problem when it comes to cute boxes. I’m always thinking that I could use them for something, but I haven’t figured out a use for them yet…
       
    7. I always keep the boxes for my dolls, both for the storage of that particular doll's accessories when they are not using them and also just in case I ever want to sell the doll later!
       
    8. I recently started holding on to boxes for storage reasons because I realized the futility of small pieces of things (whether it be LEGOs, mini foods, etc.) getting lost in the void of storage or the ambiguity of moving. I wanna hold on to my stuff! XD
       
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    9. I keep the inner boxes my dolls come in! Though I collect 1/6 and 1/4 scale, and right now I don’t have too many of either so admittedly that helps with the issue of storage for the boxes lol. I like having the box as a potential storage space for the dolls things or if I need to temporarily store the doll itself. I’d buy a doll without the box so long as it had its proper certification, but admittedly I like having the box as an another thing I can reference for legitimacy.
       
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    10. Like a lot of people here I keep my boxes. I did not in the past and ended up regretting it. Also I keep the shipping/ inner boxes heads are shipped in mostly for travel to meets or if they have to go out for faceups. I live in a small apartment and the closet is getting tight on space. But worth it!
       
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    11. Only inner boxes for particularly delicate/oddly shaped items (e.g Dollzone Jellyfish head) or nice decorative ones that have some use as storage.
      I live in a small space and can't justify keeping every box, especially as boxes can get pretty roughed up going through the post (thankfully I haven't had any dolls arrive broken because of this except where Customs opened and roughly repacked a doll before it reached my country).
      I do keep outer shippers flat-packed for sending dolls as there's no readily available doll-box-sized shippers for sale in my country
       
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    12. I keep the inner boxes for mine but I'm quickly running out of space Dx
       
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    13. I typically hold onto boxes that my doll bodies come in, as I trust them to keep my dolls safe while moving. I started collecting in high school and, in the intervening years since, I've lived in two apartments, a multiplex, and three different houses across two different states, so keeping my dolls safe was a big concern of mine (though, hopefully now, less so -- we just moved into what we're hoping is our "forever" home!).

      Anything that comes in thin plastic envelope-style packaging gets recycled immediately. I hold onto a select handful of small, sturdy boxes that may come in handy later, such as for sending heads out for faceups or wrapping small Christmas/birthday gifts for others, but I try not to hold onto packaging materials otherwise. I have a definite hoarding bent to my personality and it's very easy for me to grow attached to and accumulate stuff without really meaning to, so if it doesn't immediately serve a purpose, it has to go!
       
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    14. New I personally save all boxes they come in, to make it easier for me to travel with them when I want to bring them to a con ! Im lucky I have enough space to keep it all, but it is becoming a bit of a struggle !
       
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    15. New Yes! I just can't throw away a nice box. As a kid I collected boxes and nested them into one another. I believe I love boxes the same way I love bowls, I'm a gatherer at heart and need something to put my gatherings in. :)
      But, practically speaking, since I don't display my dolls, I do need something to store them in, and they are also good for mailing if I sell one.
      Plus so many companies create beautifully designed boxes with lovely artwork and protective linings, I'd have to be heartless to throw them away.
       
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    16. New I am going to keep the boxes for my dolls in case I ever need to store them. They're perfect for keeping the dolls safe. As for other items like clothing, wigs, eyes, etc., I use my own clear storage boxes. Everything else gets recycled or thrown away (if it can't be recycled), except for boxes I can use to ship things to my family.
       
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    17. New I have to keep them because they're perfect for storing and transporting for when I move, but also what if I decide to sell them? I'll never do that unless I have to but still, what if..
       
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    18. New I really prefer to have the original box just so I always have a good place to store them for whatever reason, but I don't need one so much that I wouldn't buy a secondhand doll that didn't come with it.
       
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    19. New I envy you all who have saved all the boxes. I have saved the inner boxes and sometimes both of them my whole life. I still have some stored on my mom's but, sadly, I was obligated to rid of some of them when I moved. I'm decided to keep the boxes of the dolls that came from now on.
      Anyway, I have bought dolls without box before and I will continue doing it if I really want the doll, specifically spare heads :)
       
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    20. New If a doll comes in a box, then I save the box for storage or for if I decide to sell the doll again in the future. I do use some of them for storage for clothing... especially full sets that I don't want to get damaged.

      I don't save packaging from doll clothing. I tend to throw the packaging away after I unbox them and then either dress the doll or store the item in one of the doll boxes.
       
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    21. New I keep all my resin dolls my closet inside their original boxes, so I do keep all those. I don't purchase clothes, for dolls of this kind. However, I did purchase wigs, shoes and eye balls back in the day. So, I also kept the original packaging for those as well.

      I feel it's easier to store wigs in their OG package because it keeps them from getting messy. It also seems like a safe way to store eyes and shoes. More so the acrylic ones, to keep them from getting scratched. Not all my eyes came with an actual box or package, so I know first hand it's easier for me to keep packing for most of my BJD related items. It's a pain because the larger stuff (like long wigs for my 60+ dolls) take a lot of room, but I rather that than have damage on items I spent money on.

      I don't plan on selling my BJD, so that's not a deciding factor for me. I have known and collected these kinds of dolls since late 2003. So, after twenty-three years I can safely say, I'll keep my dolls until I kick the bucket. (:
       
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    22. New
      I was thinking of doing the same but the foam takes up pretty much all the space. What do you do with it? I’d like to actually use the boxes for something too instead of them just taking up space. :abow:
       
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    23. New
      In my experience, there's a limit to how much weight foam can handle before it loses its springy qualities, which is fine for keeping a doll safe in the post, but means the foam isn't of much use afterward. A few of my 70cm+ dolls arrived with their foam already heavily indented by their bodies, in particular areas like the buttocks, heels of the feet and shoulders. I tried to reuse some of the foam for a bench seat, but the springiness was already gone. The foam can perhaps be reused to pad delicate items for postage, but it's not good for much else.
      Futons/cushions that come with some dolls fare better as they're stuffed with polyester fibre and can be "refluffed" if they lose their volume.
      I tend to throw out the foam that comes in doll boxes, and if I intend on keeping the doll in the box, I'll use spare futons to pad it instead.
       
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    24. New
      That makes sense, thanks!
       
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    25. New
      I have a space in my closet that I just store them. They do take up space but I don't have the heart to throw them out. I'm a bit of a "dolly item" hoarder so I keep ALL the things.
       
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    26. New
      Totally get that! I have the same issue. :XD:
       
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    27. New I keep all doll boxes, but I flatten them and store them stacked in large storage totes. I keep most of the totes in the top of a large closet, but will be moving them to my attic as I ran out of space. I toss out any foam padding as it's hard to store otherwise. I once tried to store it in vacuum sealed bags, but the seals kept breaking and the foam puffed back up. I got frustrated and tossed it all out, lol. I figure that I can make pillows if I happen to move along a doll that originally came with foam padding. I keep any box pillows and just store them in a vacuum sealed bag to reduce the amount of space they take up.

      I don't keep any clothing packaging, unless it's a fancy box or good plastic bag that I can reuse for storing something else. If the clothing is fancy enough to have its own box, it is stored in the box when not in use. I keep wig packaging, as I find it the best way (for me) to store wigs that are not in use.

      I also usually keep a shipping box for my cats to play with, and trade it out when I receive a new one. :)
       
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    28. New I used to keep the boxes, but I stopped.

      It was a massive hassle making space for them when I didn't even care about the boxes from a sentimental perspective. I find that it helps me bond with a doll better if I ditch the box and forget about it entirely.

      Even if I don't end up bonding with the doll after all, I find that keeping boxes tethers me mentally to the financial cost instead of letting me focus on the more valuable aspect of enjoying my dolls. (They say true richness comes from being rich in experiences, not money, after all :wiggle)

      Given that I don't care about keeping boxes, I definitely would buy a doll without the box, provided I'm without a doubt that the doll is authentic (through COA or otherwise. Outside of Volks, a lot of the dolls I like haven't been copied.)
       
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    29. New All my dolls so far have been preowned and/or very old so I haven't gotten boxes with any of them :XD: but when my 1/4 Baldwin gets here I'm hoping to save his box and maaaybe use it to store spare doll clothes and accessories in, haha.
       
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    30. New Unless the box is damaged I keep it. I collect other dolls and figures and so I already have a closet for boxes in case I need to resell anything. I only keep the valuable or old doll ones and only if there’s space. My BJD is my most expensive doll so far so yah, I keep the box just in case.
       
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