A friend came over a bit ago and helped me with some chimney flashing and sealing. Part of the work required the emptying of a small storage space behind a knee wall in order to gain needed access. Anyway, I keep all my boxes for all my computer and camera and basically all electronics stuff. If I am still using it, I still have the original packing.
So my friend comments that this is very 'anal' and totally stupid. However, he also has no computer and could care less how to use one (he is in construction if that matters); has no camera, well, basically has no 'gadgets' of any kind.. His truck is his office and he does all his accounting longhand (except when it comes to taxes and he calls me as he does for all his 'electronic needs').
So here is the dispute: Obviously I keep my boxes and see a need for it and he doesn't and he thinks this is odd behavior. I told him I would ask what others do, forgot to ask, he called tonight and we now have a $10.00 bet riding on it.
So which is it: do you keep the boxes for important electronic/camera stuff you buy? Or not?
I have just always felt that if I have the original box for as long as i am using something, if I have to send it back for some reason, I don't have to worry about packing. Hard for the manufacturer to argue that you didn't package something well upon return and that caused the damage or whatever when you use their packaging.
I keep them until the return or warranty period expires then I chunk them or pack other stuff into them. I do quite a bit of eBay stuff, so most of my boxes get reused. The only boxes I've kept beyond the warranty or return period are the ones my camera and lenses came in, and I don't really know why I have them other than future reselling for upgrades. I have no idea if this helps your case or not. ;)
I have just always felt that if I have the original box for as long as i am using something, if I have to send it back for some reason, I don't have to worry about packing. Hard for the manufacturer to argue that you didn't package something well upon return and that caused the damage or whatever when you use their packaging.
My husband feels that way. I am too disorganized to keep all that stuff around.
I used to keep all the boxes to everything. You know, in case I neeeeded them. But then I moved and man, were all those dumb things a hassle so I threw them all out. I'm trying not to keep boxes for anything anymore, unless it's for a very short period in case I have to return it.
I know sometimes people include the box when they resell but does that honestly increase the value? I mean, I'm not apt to pay more for your two year old lens just because you still have the box.
For most small items I keep the boxes until the return or warranty period is up. Larger items (like computers) I keep them indefinately--or until my husband throws them out when I'm not looking. :)
Edit to add: But who says this isn't "anal" behavior? And how did you know this would be the place to ask the question?
=o
I keep most camera boxes and packing material as long as possible due to re-sale, or repairs. However I get rid of TV boxes and large items as there is just no room for that. But even 5 camera boxes take up very little room unless you are just storing more than 30 boxes. You can always stack them into each other.
People who don't have electronics won't really need to do this. Nor will they understand the importance of saving boxes/receipts.
boxes too big to fit in a closet (keep my big screen TV box? are you kidding?) no.
I use that big TV box to put all the others in - no kidding :-) I junk most but keep boxes from a lot of electronics because the stuff is safer to pack in the moulded padding it came with (I have moved a fair bit until the last few years, so that's my excuse - but it really is just anal :-).
From experience I keep boxes for big electronics. If I need to ship, it's much, much easier to do so with the original. The box for my HP tower is being used as an end table right now. :D
And how did you know this would be the place to ask the question?
=o
Because I know everyone here potentially has the same boxes I do - computer and camera.
I thought it was because photographer-types have anal tendencies...think about it...we're nuts about preserving moments, crazy about odd bits of math like calculating depth-of-field, and at DPC there's a healthy population of computer geeks. (Not that you intentionally skew the survey pool.)
