And target when applicable, if you had no intentions of ever selling, would you say 200$?

I know it depends on the gun, so let's say current production. Not a collectible.

No, I would say 50 dollars.

I value the box and manual to the point that I would never separate them from the firearm for any amount of money I'd be likely to be offered for them.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
For personal collection, how much do you value box and manual?

And target when applicable, if you had no intentions of ever selling, would you say 200$?

I know it depends on the gun, so let's say current production. Not a collectible.

In that case, not a whole lot, maybe 20 dollars top. But, I'm not sure why it matters, since you're not going to ever sell it.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
In that case, not a whole lot, maybe 20 dollars top. But, I'm not sure why it matters, since you're not going to ever sell it.

I interpreted "no intentions of ever selling" to mean the firearm, not box and manual.

I bought a BHP plastic box off Ebay for my totally revamped BHP. I think I paid like $30 for it, thinking it was pricey at the time. But, I keep my BHP (no papers) in it so I guess it all worked out...

I just picked up a Glock 34 without any paperwork or packaging and it didn't bother me one bit

I couldn't care less about the box or manual.

I keep the boxes in which I received my firearms, in case I do end up needing them one day and do re-sell them, but many of them came in a box with a different number or for a different firearm, or didn't have a box. I have two closets with the entire upper part of the closet and all the shelvespacked with boxes, and they're stacked in one room on the book shelves. They take up space and will probably never be needed. Most likely, my wife will get rid of the firearms when I'm gone and she won't know what to do with them, and many will go to the kids, and they won't care, either.

Box has some practical use (shipping, traveling, etc.) The target, though? Why would anyone want a target that didn't go with the gun? OTOH, they don't take up a lot of room, so why sell? Manuals (for a current firearm) can be downloaded and saved at will....other than to put together a complete package for someone who cared, not a lot of value there.

Having trouble knowing precisely what is being asked, though. The title of the thread implies collection is a factor, but the post says the question pertains to a non-collectible gun, though one that is never to be sold....

So, I'm wondering if there's a bunny with a pancake somewhere. But if not, I'd say the value is entirely the box, (unless somehow a collector-type who values the completeness of a package is to be enticed to buy the non-collectible gun) so the value would be the market cost of a decent aftermarket container.

The key word here is “personal.” It is too much trouble to keep boxes and papers in collectible condition, here in this Gulf coastal climate, so, personally, I assign no value, whatsoever, to boxes or papers.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
In that case, not a whole lot, maybe 20 dollars top. But, I'm not sure why it matters, since you're not going to ever sell it.

I interpreted "no intentions of ever selling" to mean the firearm, not box and manual.

Yeah, I get what he meant, intend to never sell the gun. I suspect he would want to keep the box, at least to put the gun in, when not in use. Hence my statement about the box's value. It doesn't matter.

The target doesn't matter to me (it seems like many current production guns don't have them anyway) but I would rather have the box than not have it but it's not worth anywhere near $200. I have bought factory plastic boxes for a couple of handguns but I wouldn't pay more than about $25.

easy question that is hard to answer,

collectibles and some vintage will get a premium to have the box and paperwork, esp in good shape,

colt's and S&W's in particular,
but also HK, Walther (PPK etc) and a few others,

but,, once you get to the 80's, no one seems to mind as much, esp if used,

then you have commemoratives, with are really not worth much more than the same model that is not gucci'ed up, but depreciates much faster if you don't have the box etc, and it gets used,



when buying estates, any extra non matching boxes get put on ebay, and will bring between 20-100 each, depending on the model etc,



you have to beware of fakes, esp Colt boxes

I keep all my boxes and the paperwork. I prefer if guns I buy have both. But I don’t add any financial value to the box.

'If it comes with one, I'll keep it.' is easy to say, but If I can sell the box, manual, or parts to upgrade the gun itself, it is fair game.

The cases take up too much room in the safe. I randomly store them in the garage and basement. They take up a lot of space for something I havnt touched in 10+ years. I would not intentionally throw one away but would not care if it went missing.

I keep all the boxes and whatever was in them, including the stupid locks, which I never use. I have a lot of boxes stacked up on a closet shelf!

I realize the O.P. specifies "no intentions of ever selling" and "not a collectible", but what I've learned over 30+ years of ownership and buying and selling guns is that people, situations, laws, and gun markets change, often unpredictably.

- a gun that is not collectible in today's market, may become collectible, or at least desirable, in a future market... or conversely, a collectible gun in today's market may lose value in a future market.

- You may not have any plans to sell a gun that is not collectible, but a life change may later force its sale, or possibly an heir decides to sell the gun when it does become a collectible.

- In some cases, boxes contain labels with model configuration or other info that can be helpful years or decades later. I usually find a reason to reference a particular old box or its contents a couple times a year.

If nothing else, boxes can be used for everything from transporting guns to/ from ranges and classes, to returning guns to the manufacturer for possible service, custom work, or warranty/ recall work.

I keep it all, boxes, targets, owners manuals, even the action locks that rarely, if ever, get used. If nothing else, they help to establish provenance or at least ownership.

As far as value goes, it's a tough question to answer as it depends on whatever market is evaluating that. I'd put the bottom end of value @ $25ish and go up from there.

As a general rule, I prefer older handguns to retain their original cardboard boxes and all related shipping documentation. They take up very little room and add to the desirability. On the other hand, I place little to no value on the bulky, plastic hard cases which accompany most modern handguns. In recent years, I've begun using these cases to ship other handguns which are missing their original boxes. They also sell surprisingly well on the various on-line auction sites. If I were purchasing a few pistols I never planned to sell, I'd likely save the boxes if storage space was not a concern. As for actual value to me - I'll side with Q. Perhaps $20 but only for their functional utility.

quote:

Originally posted by Pale Horse:
I keep all my boxes and the paperwork. I prefer if guns I buy have both. But I don’t add any financial value to the box.

This is me also. I store my pistols in gun rugs in my safe, long guns in soft cases too.
But I have a cheaper gun storage case I keep all the boxes in. In those boxes are any parts particular to that firearm eg. Original triggers, etc.