Value of Tomica World boxes

[plarnold]

Hi everyone,

Over the years I've amassed a limited  range of Tomica World and Plarail sets.

Sometimes the boxes have been thrown away (in the case of most trains) while some have been retained.

As I am more interested in the contents I am unsure about the value of the boxes themselves. Some are in decent condition while others are absolutely weathered (e.g. fading colours, rips, stickers). The worst ones are generally the sets that were purchased as used sets.

I know there are collectors of boxes and packaging; maybe some lurking around on these forums.

Can someone offer their opinion as to what are the most important factors in determining the value of the boxes?

Is it the printed content?
Is it the dimensions?
Is the quality?
Is the age?
What are the common deciding factors for the value?
Is there a rule of thumb to determine how much some of my boxes are worth (if I were to part with them)?

Thank you BPT!

-plarnold

[chrisjo]

To me the most valuable part of a Tomica World box is the internal cardboard packaging. If I have that then I can re-create the set as it looked when it was new, and I can always be on the lookout for an exterior box in better condition afterwards.

Photographs or videos showing what new Tomica World sets look like in their original internal packaging are vanishingly rare, particularly non-Thomas ones. If you have any, or have links to any, please share.

[Super]

I am not much into boxes myself although I probably should be so I wouldn't know any more than you about value. I hope that if you do decide to unload some that you would give the members here first chance at them in the Trading Zone. 

[Off The Rails]

I think box collecting gives people an additional layer of “product history”. Well designed packaging is eye catching and stirs the imagination, of course but it can also tell a story about what’s inside. What set did that odd track piece or usual color of boxcar come in? “Well, I have it still in the box!”

Also “Mint In Box” seems to be revered in some collecting circles because the product inside is “untouched” and in “better than used condition”. (Not really true but....) I should mention that rarity of a box containing otherwise common items can be a significant attraction to some collectors. Back in the days when I collected GI Joe and other 12 inch- 1/6 scale action figures, vintage boxed sets from 1968 were especially desired because, while the contents often remained similar to earlier years, the photo boxes featuring images of real service members and equipment were impressive and unique to that year.


I’m not a deliberate box collector but in my days of “buying plastic crap in stupid quantities”, I often kept stuff in boxes just because it became impractical to unbox it all. I suppose this makes it easier to pair down and sell it, although 20-25 year old soft plastics and rubber band ties often harden and disintegrate. A great example is a couple of GI Joe scuba divers I bought in the early 2000 and HAD to unbox when the rubber scuba suits “melted”’and crumbled, sticking to the figure and damaging any “value” they might’ve once had.

Don’t get me wrong, there are folks like Muddy who have a great, curated collection of boxed items on display. I appreciate that sort of thing and the effort that goes into it but for me, that’s not a goal anymore.

[Super]

OTR...is home!!!

How have you been Buddy???

[Vio]

Clear images of the exterior box. Has the barcode, type of TOMY logo, and the product number which corelates to the catalogue. If possible, send me a DM containing front box image of:

7461 SILVER STREAK
7462 INTER RAIL
7464 BULLET TRAIN
7467 TGV
7560 ZOO TRAIN
Other TOMICA WORLD Sets

Thank you.

[DuckGWR]

For me I collect many (many, many, many) seemingly duplicate boxes because I'm ever so slightly pedantic about revisions, especially packaging. Without buying several boxed examples how would I have sussed out that Gordon's being produced as late as 1997 were being put in ST-5 boxes, with only a small sticker adding to the incompatible accessory list to tell the difference without checking the manufacture date sticker inside? Or that the early examples have a sticker over the barcode area?


For some other things I keep the boxes as a curiosity or because it is convenient to do so. This Plarail box is scribbled all over, but it still does a fine job of holding its contents on a shelf, and can fill a small area with something that looks cool, so why not use it


Personally, I wouldn't trash anything that is from another country, or that I couldn't reacquire the box for either at a store or readily on eBay.

[Off The Rails]

OTR...is home!!!

How have you been Buddy???

It’s been a weird past few weeks but thank God, family and home are intact, so that’s what really counts. My late father used to say “It’s like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your brand new Cadillac!”

It’s funny because I had been contemplating this same question recently as I start to consider a massive “inventory reduction sale” on things from my former life. I told my wife that I was planning to start by selling primarily boxed, unopened items on eBay or perhaps through broker/reseller outfits. Boxed stuff is probably easier to sell, especially with things like model kits, where if it has never been opened, it’s probably intact.

[Tharazero1]

I’m a big box collector as well, so if I see something that has its box I would typically add $40-$50 on top of the value of the train. I’d love to see what you have, then I can tell you the full value

[Super]

especially with things like model kits, where if it has never been opened, it’s probably intact.

Like Model Car Kits?

[plarnold]

Thanks to everyone for the responses!

 

To me the most valuable part of a Tomica World box is the internal cardboard packaging. If I have that then I can re-create the set as it looked when it was new, and I can always be on the lookout for an exterior box in better condition afterwards.

Photographs or videos showing what new Tomica World sets look like in their original internal packaging are vanishingly rare, particularly non-Thomas ones. If you have any, or have links to any, please share.

Interesting. I will make sure I take photos as I open things from now on. 
 

I think box collecting gives people an additional layer of “product history”. Well designed packaging is eye catching and stirs the imagination, of course but it can also tell a story about what’s inside. What set did that odd track piece or usual color of boxcar come in? “Well, I have it still in the box!”

Also “Mint In Box” seems to be revered in some collecting circles because the product inside is “untouched” and in “better than used condition”. (Not really true but....) I should mention that rarity of a box containing otherwise common items can be a significant attraction to some collectors. Back in the days when I collected GI Joe and other 12 inch- 1/6 scale action figures, vintage boxed sets from 1968 were especially desired because, while the contents often remained similar to earlier years, the photo boxes featuring images of real service members and equipment were impressive and unique to that year.


I’m not a deliberate box collector but in my days of “buying plastic crap in stupid quantities”, I often kept stuff in boxes just because it became impractical to unbox it all. I suppose this makes it easier to pair down and sell it, although 20-25 year old soft plastics and rubber band ties often harden and disintegrate. A great example is a couple of GI Joe scuba divers I bought in the early 2000 and HAD to unbox when the rubber scuba suits “melted”’and crumbled, sticking to the figure and damaging any “value” they might’ve once had.

Don’t get me wrong, there are folks like Muddy who have a great, curated collection of boxed items on display. I appreciate that sort of thing and the effort that goes into it but for me, that’s not a goal anymore.

I can understand the value of a box in good condition. It's the boxes in weathered condition or faded condition that I am undecided on.
 

For me I collect many (many, many, many) seemingly duplicate boxes because I'm ever so slightly pedantic about revisions, especially packaging. Without buying several boxed examples how would I have sussed out that Gordon's being produced as late as 1997 were being put in ST-5 boxes, with only a small sticker adding to the incompatible accessory list to tell the difference without checking the manufacture date sticker inside? Or that the early examples have a sticker over the barcode area?


For some other things I keep the boxes as a curiosity or because it is convenient to do so. This Plarail box is scribbled all over, but it still does a fine job of holding its contents on a shelf, and can fill a small area with something that looks cool, so why not use it


Personally, I wouldn't trash anything that is from another country, or that I couldn't reacquire the box for either at a store or readily on eBay.

I normally keep my boxes if I bought them in good condition because they are easy to store and stack.

It's usually the boxes from used sets that are quite knackered (but still a box) that I can't decide whether I would like to keep, throw away, give away, or sell.

All Plarail is from another country unless you live in Japan.
 

OTR...is home!!!

How have you been Buddy???

It’s been a weird past few weeks but thank God, family and home are intact, so that’s what really counts. My late father used to say “It’s like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your brand new Cadillac!”

It’s funny because I had been contemplating this same question recently as I start to consider a massive “inventory reduction sale” on things from my former life. I told my wife that I was planning to start by selling primarily boxed, unopened items on eBay or perhaps through broker/reseller outfits. Boxed stuff is probably easier to sell, especially with things like model kits, where if it has never been opened, it’s probably intact.

Always good to hear things are intact. I'd like family, homes, trains and toys to be intact as long as they can.

If it's Plarail, wouldn't BPT be first on the list instead of ebay?
 

I’m a big box collector as well, so if I see something that has its box I would typically add $40-$50 on top of the value of the train. I’d love to see what you have, then I can tell you the full value

Even if the box is knackered? Some boxes I own have tape (not clear tape) attached to them because the previous owners didn't care about the box.
For the external box, the logical value should be embedded in the print e.g. pictures, set numbers, descriptions, bar code. The cardboard is cardboard. 

Another conundrum is the issue of selling large boxes. These things are so large that shipping them would be extremely cost prohibitive. This is especially true of international Tomy sets (e.g. Tomica World, Motor Road and Rail) which tend to be larger than Japanese sets.

-plarnold

[Tharazero1]

Yes thats true, I'd only add that value on to it if the box is in very good condition though.

[ajtrain944]

@Vio I have a few Silver Streak trains Bnib I’ll get you photos tonight!

[Vio]

@ajtrain944 Perfect, send me those screenshots please. I will be waiting in private message.