How to store LEGO boxes

[lisqr]

I know that there is a thread about storing bricks. But how do you store those empty set boxes? It's not a problem for me right now, since I don't have that many sets. But I know it will be a problem one day :)

Throwing them away seems like a BIG waste. But they takes up so much spaces. Any good suggestions?

[adik_sa_lego]

I know that there is a thread about storing bricks. But how do you store those empty set boxes? It's not a problem for me right now, since I don't have that many sets. But I know it will be a problem one day :)

Throwing them away seems like a BIG waste. But they takes up so much spaces. Any good suggestions?

i store them one inside the other. not only does it save space, but it gives additional rigidity to the boxes so that they're nto squashed when stored.

[Siegfried]

Keep a few but throw the rest out. I used to keep all of mine but eventually it came a choice of room to build or the boxes.

Prior to this I used to flat-pack the small into the big, but unless you have oodles of space it's just a short term solution.

[Princess Muttonchops]

Prior to this I used to flat-pack the small into the big, but unless you have oodles of space it's just a short term solution.

Surprisingly short term! I thought we were going to be good room-wise for ages once you finally, reluctantly bit the bullet, but it didn't take long at all for that cupboard to start overflowing again. Ah, good times...

[Rick]

I still store a lot of my 'AFOL' sets inside their boxes, but I really need to start storing the boxes separately to save space. So far I've flattened and stored the modular houses' boxes. I just can't get around to discarding the boxes. I used to cut out the boxart of my Lego and Playmobil boxes as a kid and put them in folders. But they got lost along with my catalogs.

[RileyC]

i store them one inside the other. not only does it save space, but it gives additional rigidity to the boxes so that they're nto squashed when stored.

Thats what I do as well. It's going to be annoying though when the late 2010 sets come out because they look like they have different sized boxes compared the last few years ones.

[Milan]

I use big old (and strong) boxes to store Technic bricks, I have a lot of them and those boxes are great for that.

The rest of the boxes from my childhood is still with me, but I keep them at my grandma's house, at the attic.

If you have some relative that has attic, that is good solution.

[Zorbas]

Box in a box is my choice too. Saves a lot of space and also all the smaller boxes are packed and can be easily moved. Plus, it's like playing Tetris too.

I then put all the boxes in a small storage area above my bedroom's door. (Can't find the exact english word.) The problem is that I now have a large number of large boxes and I'm starting running out of space.

Edited December 29, 2009 by Zorbas

[badboytje88]

I allways throw them away. Why would you want to keep the boxes?

[Milan]

I allways throw them away. Why would you want to keep the boxes?

I dont save them anymore, but when I was younger, I kept them.

My father told me to, so i listened to him, and i did not regret it.

Some people really like to have all the boxes intact.

[Matn]

When I was little I threw them away. Together with my instruction booklets... I don't know if I did that myself or if my parents made me do it. Strangely, I still have all the boxes and instructions of the sets I got from my grandparents. Today I don't throw them away, I store the smaller ones in the medium boxes and the medium ones in the bigger boxes, ... and so on. And then I place them under my tabletown or on my closet. When everything is sorted in my LEGO room I hope to have them all stored under my tabletown. From 2005 I am conscientious of not throwing them away.

I don't think I'll cut or throw them away soon. I try to keep in mind that LEGO has a collectors value, so if times aren't so good in the future I'll still have something to keep my savings intact. And I get a bit of a nostalgic feeling when looking at some old boxes, the feeling when I had in the store seeing those awesome sets for the first time, it has something.

Edited December 29, 2009 by Matn

[spade450]

Our little town here in Southern Italy recycles everything! Curbside collection for cardboard and paper is on Thursday mornings. That's where I "store" my boxes.

[brickzone]

Inside one another, and the largest ones (when full) wrapped 2/3 together inside bin bags and hoisted up into the attic (it's unconverted - good for storage only). I have no idea why I am keeping them other than that it seems criminal to throw out ones for Lego Exclusive sets and other large sets in particular (and *all* smaller boxes are kept inside those). Of course, I could chuck out the small boxes and fold flat the big boxes...

[Peppermint_M]

Well, I take a craft knife or a Stanley knife and slice along the glued end, flatten them and push them into an old carrier bag until it is full. Then I take them to the recycling center and throw them into the "Cardboard Only" skip... Saves no end of space. Bricklink, Brickset and my folders full of instructions retain the information that the box has and I have no plans to ever sell my Lego (plus a box? no one wants an opened box. MISB is the only way to get shot of that cardboard). If you have to keep them then gently seperate the tabs and flatpack, but when you have those preceiouse plastic bricks do you really need to?

The only boxes I save are a handful of Zoid boxes and my Final Fantsy Master Arts figure boxes, for future transportation reasons. They are all stacked in the loft and support my building board.

[Big Cam]

I carefully use a knife to cut through the glue and then I fold them down flat keeping all original creases in tact and not making any new creases, and then I store them in a rubbermade bin with my LEGO's, that way I can easily reassemble them for reviews, or any kind of future use.

[MrTools]

I put my boxes in each other then in empty spcaes in my room like under my bed. However i just ran out of room so i had to move them to my basement.

[Noworries]

I'm glad i'm not the only one who throws his boxes into the trashbin ;-)

I was keeping them about half a year, but this weekend i finally got rid of them. Had them stored "Small Ones in Big Ones" but it still took so many space

I ripped them apart before throwing them in to blue bags...

The only reason to keep them is displaying or selling ... but honestly ... SELLING YOUR LEGO? FOR WHAT REASON?!

[desultor]

I also recycle my boxes. There was a time when the box backs had photos of "official" alts - a hint at what kids could make with the set if they had more imagination than I did.... When I tossed those boxes I cut the alt photos out and kept 'em for inspiration. To this day I compare each box photo with those in the instructions, just in case.

[LEGOMAN132]

Pack the small into the big and just put the big ons into the slightly biger ones. Then in the closet.

[Inconspicuous]

I usually only save the big ones. I simply toss them into the garage, and eventually move them into the loft. Sometime I'll use them to store sther things in my room.

[CP5670]

I have kept all my boxes so far. I have them in a big pile at my parents' house since they would take up too much room in my current apartment, but I intend to collect them at some point. The modern, post-2000 boxes are easy to stack inside each other since they are hollow, but I'm not really convinced that those are worth keeping. They are nothing like the old 80s and 90s boxes, which had transparent covers with flaps, featured parts trays, internal dividers and alternate models in the back. I currently do it for continuity more than anything else, as most of my boxes are the older kind which I do want to keep.

[Destroydacre]

Wherever you keep them make sure they are off the floor! I lost a couple several years ago when an old pipe in my house sprang a leak while I was away.

[Grimmy]

Well I just got back into Lego since childhood and I really haven't decided what to do with them so they are still together with instructions inside as well as the emptied bags. If I get rid of them then I will definitely put them in the recycling bin. I like to be green when I can. The reason I haven't thrown them out yet is because they look so nice and from what I see on ebay, Lego used sets sell a little better with the original box and instructions together. I don't think I will sell them though. And with this thread helping me decide what to do with them now, tomorrow I'll either cut them up and save them or just throw them in the recycling bin and save the instructions. We already have too much junk in the basement piling up. You wouldn't believe how crazy it is down there.

[Jvvv]

I love my Lego boxes. Recently I dug them out of the closet and set them on shelves, but now my inventory is taking so much space that I must pack those again to get 10 meters of shelf space.

I save all the boxes and I'm willing to pay more if some used set has it's original box with it. What would be nicer than look closely a spectacular set and it's box after 10, 20, 30 years of purchasing it? Oh, those memories...

[dr_spock]

We didn't have much money for Lego back then. What few sets I had were of great value to me. So I kept the boxes since they are part of the sets. I kept them dry and stored them in the closet. Smaller box in the bigger box.

I recently took out my old Lego boxes and it was fun going down memory lane. They are still in pretty good shape after 25 years.

Edited December 30, 2009 by dr_spock