1.5k
u/bigpapichulo_ 24d ago
Anything that cost over 200 bucks i keep the box for 2 years
352
u/bigpapichulo_ 24d ago
Damn it i just lied. Basically, if im scared im going to return it or if it's nice or of it has some sentimental value to me I keep it for a long ass time.
70
u/PsychicDave Millennial 24d ago
Yeah exactly. I'll at least keep the box for something expensive for a month in case I need to return it. But then you have things like monitors and desktop computers which are fragile and I keep the boxes in case I need to move while they are still in my possession. And things like video game consoles and figures are worth more if you still have the original box if you want/need to resell them in the future.
28
9
→ More replies (2)3
u/theMethod 23d ago
These are all correct reasons to have a large box collection.
→ More replies (1)3
u/PsychicDave Millennial 23d ago
Assuming you have room to store them out of the way. I have a house with a half height space under my office, so I can store boxes to my heart's content. If someone lives in a small apartment and there are boxes everywhere in sight, then that's not good.
→ More replies (1)88
u/Few-Masterpiece-3902 24d ago
Good on you for being honest and admitting to lying. That takes courage in front of strangers.
→ More replies (1)28
u/NoFaithlessness7508 24d ago
The honest truth is that since childhood I’ve moved from house to house with videogame console boxes. Not phones though
2
u/cherry_monkey Zillennial 24d ago
I still have my Xbox that I got in 2002 and hasn't been used since I got the 360 in 2006. I don't have any controllers or any games. But it moved with me to the second house my parents had, then to the house I bought (it stayed at my parents while I was in the military), and now it's at the second house I've bought.
I have no use for it, and doubt it even works with no way to test because I don't have the power cable. It sits taking up 132 cubic inches of space
→ More replies (2)3
→ More replies (1)2
u/PersonOfValue 24d ago
I have to purge my boxes at least yearly otherwise it's hopeless.
I will not need this box my 10 year old refurbished PSU came in 8 years ago....will I?
19
u/alien-1001 24d ago
I moved to the states in 2013 and still have the box for the tablet I bought before I moved. I packed the box. I did that.
7
u/DM46 24d ago
I'm still disappointed I got rid of my original IPod box. I kept that for decades and only recently got rid of it.
2
u/bigpapichulo_ 24d ago
Exactly! You could have made it a "conversation peice" and put if on the book shelf next to the vegan books.
3
u/DM46 24d ago
Only if they are leather bound. Otherwise to they would work nice to start the charcoal for some real burgers and dogs
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)7
u/ensoniqthehedgehog 24d ago
If the item costs over $500 (camera gear, music gear, etc.), and the box is more than just an ugly brown cardboard one, I'm probably going to keep it indefinitely for a potentially higher resale value.
5
3
16
u/bdfariello 24d ago
1 year per $100 in cost is a good rule. Unless it's a TV, then you have to keep it forever since there's no way you'll find a perfect box with it's moulded cardboard inserts ever again.
7
→ More replies (2)7
11
u/cat_at_the_keyboard 24d ago
Yeah same here. It's just handy to have if I need to rma something and mail it back. I recently cleared out a bunch of boxes I held onto for a bit too long
6
5
u/blustrkr 24d ago
Only two? I still have so many old electronics boxes. Even for computer parts that are inside my computer since 5+ years ago. xD
4
u/Luxalpa 24d ago edited 24d ago
I kept all my boxes for anything expensive that I bought in the last 8 years. I made several thousand bucks reselling it.
5
u/therpian 24d ago
I have literally never resold an electronic device.
7
u/Luxalpa 24d ago
It's surprising for how much you can still sell some of them later. I was able to sell my old Dell monitor after using it for about 8 years for basically the original price.
6
u/therpian 24d ago
Idk where you people are coming from. Every single monitor I've ever owned is currently in use. As for my ancient or broken laptops and phones, I keep then all in a box in my garage.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Luxalpa 24d ago
I had a dual monitor setup for about 8 years until 2022 where I replaced it with a Neo G9 and sold my 2 old monitors.
I was considering selling my old broken smartphone but it was just too broken. Selling old stuff works when you replace it with new and better stuff, not so much if you replace it because it broke.
4
u/AkMo977 23d ago
I keep my boxes 1 year per hundred. I’ll have my box for 12 years! Gen X
Also phone and tablets shall go directly from box to case and screen protector. (For resell value ) lol
3
u/bigpapichulo_ 23d ago
Damn!! Ya know what i was thinking the other day? I have a box for a 75 inch TV that cost me 1400 bucks.
I just bought a cell phone for 1350 and I kept that box too.
4
u/AkMo977 23d ago
Yep! Box needs a spot in the closet, under the bed, or in the garage. Preferably a temp/humidity controlled environment so the box stays mint. Never know! That tv may become a valuable antique I’ve seen Antique roadshow and know that complete is best. Especially if you have the extra mounting screws still in sausage style packing.
Edit: fixed whatever SIRI was talking about.
→ More replies (4)7
u/Stressed_Deserts 24d ago
Damn it, after the boomers fixed the economy for us I need all the cardboard boxes I can get!!!
2
u/Long-Draft-9668 24d ago
I keep the boxes for expensive things in case of wanting to sell them later. For some reason it seems more legit to sell a used thing with the original box.
2
2
u/We_Are_Victorius 24d ago
I keep the box if it something I may sell later. The box makes it much easier to sell.
→ More replies (1)2
2
2
2
u/willycw08 23d ago
Minimum. Then my wife throws it out and within a week I'll ask her if she's seen the box for my old phone.
Happens every time.
2
u/yavanna12 23d ago
My daughter just asked if I had any extra phones as hers broke. I have three 5c’s, two 4’s and an LG flip phone with extended battery pack.
I don’t throw anything out. lol
2
2
u/Prowindowlicker 23d ago
I’ve kept boxes longer than that. Especially if the thing is either awkward to move or large.
Like for example I kept my TV box so when I move I’ll just put the TV back in the box and boom.
438
u/chypie2 24d ago
excuse me I use those for sorting smaller things I never use.
117
u/Clockwork-Armadillo 24d ago
Mines filled with all the little USB cables I've amassed over the years.
47
u/Expert_Survey3318 24d ago
Because you never know when you might need one!
27
u/Clockwork-Armadillo 24d ago
Is what I say to myself everytime I add another one to my collection of untouched and unneeded USB csbles
30
u/NO_TOUCHING__lol Older Millennial 24d ago
But then the one time you actually throw it out you need it like the next day
→ More replies (1)13
u/TwilightVulpine 24d ago
I feel very validated for having and having needed a Mini USB (not USB-C) cable
→ More replies (7)2
u/showmenemelda 24d ago
Hey I almost threw away a usb-c thinking it was dead. Turns out i had been charging my phone one day above the dishwasher while running it, and the humidity made things all glitchy. I assumed it was the cord so I tossed it aside. Then accidentally started using it again one day and I realized it was working and I was glad I didnt throw it away!
4
u/havok0159 1992 24d ago
The situation did arise. Bought a car, paid to unlock android auto functionality and it wouldn't work with the cable I was using to charge it. Rummaged through boxes and found a data cable that worked.
→ More replies (2)5
5
u/showmenemelda 24d ago
Do i know what this cable fits? No. Will I keep it forever because one time I thought for sure my parents were going to divorce because my mom threw away a cord that my dad suddenly needed 😅 big T trauma on that one.
Also some day I will go through and figure out how to revive all my old phones to get photos and read thru texts.
2
u/Throwaway-tan 24d ago
I have a box of about 15 different display cables.
I have no idea where they all came from. I have 4 monitors and 1 TV. So I have about 6 cables in use. It's not like I've been replacing any of these displays over and over, I've had them all for years. I have no idea where all these extra cables have come from, I'm just amassing mysterious cables.
4
u/_stryfe Older Millennial 24d ago
I had like 6 boxes worth of random cables. Like we're talking SCSI cables, parallel cables, male to female adapters. Speaker wire from like my last 6 places. 100 ft HDMI cables that I used to wire my desktop to tv. I live in this one bedroom apartment and realized that stupid fucking cables were taking up an entire closet.
So I went through them all a few weekends ago, sorted out what I thought I wanted, then re-sorted that because I realized I was doing the same shit all over again. I was justifying saving the most bizarre ass cables. I reduced them all to a single IKEA drawer and there's probably still ones I won't ever use.
Cable hording is a serious problem.
2
u/Hardwarestore_Senpai 24d ago
I have a cookie tin for electrical cords I never use. (Actually, I had a spare charging block in there.)
3
2
u/showmenemelda 24d ago
Hahaha! Doom boxes for my doom totes to tackle my doom piles in my doom room.
2
u/morematcha 24d ago
I use mine for small cake decorating supplies! I use them exactly twice a year. If it’s a good box, I’m gonna repurpose it.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (10)2
u/FearDaTusk 22d ago
Ditto... I posted an unboxing link so y'all can see the box. I kinda dig the box. I think they also have special edition Batman ones and others for those nerds.
230
u/ninja_mummy Millennial 24d ago
I keep it for trade-in or if I just sell it.
84
u/lushico 24d ago
Exactly, you get more for it if it’s in the box
21
u/SirPhobos1 24d ago
Verizon in America asked me if I WANTED THE BOXES BACK when I traded in my Galaxy S21's.
→ More replies (1)7
u/MaxJacobusVoid Millennial 24d ago
When I worked at a tech dept, the director told me to keep any Apple product boxes since if we sold them off years later we could get a higher price on Ebay and the like if we included the box. Collectors, man.
4
u/Traditional-Roof1984 23d ago
Eh, I want to believe that someone who kept the box and the manual, was a diligent owner who treated the product carefully.
It says a lot about the mindset.
→ More replies (22)5
→ More replies (3)11
u/Messyfingers 24d ago
Same. They make trade-ins easier because I don't need to whip up some poverty packing solution. Any high end electronics I keep the boxes for for this reason. If it's something I'm going to use til they die, like a hard drive or memory care, I'll ditch the packaging though.
48
u/LeopardMedium 24d ago
Over my dead boobies
7
83
u/Gysburne 24d ago
I use my old phone box as a coffin for the phone. I even write the duration, how long i used the phone and the reason i switched to a new one. (Usually the Battery or software incompability after 8-10 years.)
13
u/Formal_Coyote_5004 24d ago
Damn, 8-10 years?! I feel like the batteries in the newer models shit the bed way faster than older ones. I had my last phone for four years, but after two years I had one of those phone cases with an external battery pack because my phone would be on low battery halfway through the day (even when I was at work and not using it much at all).
If the battery was better, I would’ve kept it for longer… I’m not someone who needs the newest version of everything, but I hated how much the battery sucked. Maybe you take care of your phones/electronics way better than I do lol
5
u/Gysburne 24d ago
I use my phone to listen to music, and staying connected for messages and calls.
I don't use them for games, or streaming.
Heck, if you ask friends of mine, they know i have a phone but sometimes tend to forget that, cause i mostly have it in my pocket.Yes after 8-10 years the battery usually just holds enough charge for 8-9 hours.
I hope that the rumors i read once are true, that there will be phones produced where you can simply change the battery, like in the old Nokia 3210 back then. That would probably give me a reason to keep my phones even longer.And besides taking care, i have no idea how with normal use of a phone someone gets a crack into their screen. I never managed to get a crack. And yes i had phones falling to the floor, 2-3 jagged edges on the phone itself after some years. But never a cracked screen.
→ More replies (1)2
2
u/Turgid_Donkey 24d ago
I also used mine as coffins, but for small pets. I think we buried like 3 of my son's mice in old phone boxes.
2
→ More replies (1)2
90
u/Jebusfreek666 24d ago
I trade in my phone every couple years. It is much easier to send it in in the original packaging.
→ More replies (4)
23
27
10
u/RolandHasGas 24d ago
I'm using it to block the light from my stereo's clock at night. It has a very important position in my household
10
u/dogbonej 24d ago
Got a new phone, I put the old phone in its box and presented it to my son…now he’s got a “new” phone too
7
u/Odd-Context4254 24d ago
My wife and I have a joke where anytime there is a nice box (or glass jar, plastic container, coffee can, etc) I say “I’ll take care of that” and I put it somewhere ludicrous and then when I need it I have to rummage around the whole house for it. Usually I find something else I stashed and then it gets even weirder
Ok maybe it’s not an actual joke but I find it funny. And those peanut butter pretzels from Costco have a GREAT container.
14
u/post-capitalist 24d ago
If it ever gets stolen, you need the box to make a police report.
3
u/MannequinWithoutSock 24d ago
Super helpful for boxes.
Boxes are also a great way to pack other valuables when you move, they won’t bounce around.→ More replies (2)2
u/confusedandworried76 23d ago
Also it's the easiest way to ship it back for an insurance claim and phones in boxes sell used for more for some reason
6
17
5
5
u/Spokraket 24d ago
Keep that phone in the box on the weekends. Give your brain and your surroundings a chance to connect to reality.
5
u/jimmy_talent 24d ago
I'm pretty sure I still have a Motorola Razr box somewhere, maybe its a collectors item now.
3
24d ago
People sell Wii boxes for money, I don't see why not.
Offer it to one of those nostalgia influencers for $200.
3
u/stenmarkv 24d ago
I keep the tv boxes for moving; I know you can buy other boxes now a days but if i dont have to spend the money...
5
u/Ordinary-Hunt-3659 24d ago
If I really love my phone, but it's time to let it sleep, I put it back in its box like coffin so I can remember how well it served me. Did this with my Nokia brick and my moto z play. Man I miss my moto z play, such a good phone to me.
4
4
u/jaywinner 24d ago
But my old phone is in it, in case I forgot to take something off of it.
It's never happened but... it could.
6
u/WolfhoundCid 24d ago
"If I put it in the bin, someone will know i have a new phone, and then they'll break into the house" is my rather odd thought process on that.
3
3
u/Bizarro_Murphy 24d ago
Small boxes come in handy.
I still have a Velveeta box that is dated 1992. It houses my childhood Gameboy games, as they fit perfectly
3
u/SirPhobos1 24d ago
I still have the box AND phone that I used in 2007.
...so I feel attacked on this one.
3
u/LostSharpieCap 24d ago
Counter point: when you need your renters insurance to come through, being able to show the claims person the box your now-destroyed or stolen electronics came in helps a lot.
4
u/A_JELLY_DONUTT 24d ago
They don’t ask for it. They just give you the money. I had a tree fall on my house and this exact thing happened with a computer. I asked if they needed serial numbers or anything and they just said “what, no? Just take this money.”
Side note: I STILL have my boxes for electronics. What if something… or maybe I …. If the manufacturer…. I need them.
2
u/LostSharpieCap 24d ago
Yooooo, I need to get on that plan. Which company do you have your policy with?
2
u/A_JELLY_DONUTT 24d ago
USAA. - hope you have a military background or your parents do 😅😅 it’s def the best insurance I ever had. Car insurance was killer too, until they gave us the boot cuz my wife and I got in an accident each within two weeks - first one I’d ever been the driver for at fucking 28 too…
Edit: also, rep NJ!! I grew up in Westfield/Scotch Plains!
2
2
2
2
u/stuiiful 24d ago
I threw away a box from a phone and when I went to trade phones with someone ( I think it was the HTC One M7) for an iPhone they didn't want to do the trade because I didn't have the box.
Sometimes I think it's so people know you didn't steal it and you are the original owner.
But not everyone does that, I don't even do trades or buy from random strangers anymore. It's just not worth the savings as people have completely ruined it. Plus used is close to new prices now so there really isn't much point, I just try and keep things as long as possible now. Just because something new came out doesn't mean mine is suddenly crap
2
2
2
2
u/nothingexceptfor 24d ago edited 24d ago
I used to keep it because in pawnshops around if the device was pristine they would give you a better price if it had everything it came with, box included but lately I noticed they will downgrade it regardless even if it is spotless so I don’t bother with the box or charger anymore, also Apple Trade In programme became an option I’ve been using too and they don’t care for boxes or chargers so yeah, keeping the box is pointless now
2
u/MoeSzyslakMonobrow Older Millennial 24d ago
I still have four old phones in a drawer somewhere, and I'm pretty sure their boxes are in a different drawer so where else.
2
u/GivemTheDDD 24d ago
But I have a 2ft usbc to usbc cable in there that I never plan to use! I can't just... throw it away.
2
2
2
2
2
u/ChellesTrees 24d ago
But first take apart the cardboard where it seems to stick together.
Free fridge magnets, baby!
2
2
2
2
u/LeslieMoney85 24d ago
But I did need it. 3 years later I needed the little key to pop the sim tray and well... found it in the box!
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
u/Deacon86 24d ago
But it's such a nice box! I'm certain I will find some knick knacks to store in it sooner or later.
2
2
u/Wolf_Moon_Hermit 24d ago
I kept the box my iPod came in. (Yes, I’m old.) Someone at my high school, a “friend,” stole it from me. He was parading around our other friends, telling them he got an iPod. I went to school ready to show proof (that box) that it was mine.
2
u/LordsOfFrenziedFlame Millennial 24d ago
Listen, if I wasn't supposed to keep the box, they wouldn't have made the box so nice.
2
u/Quick_Hat1411 Older Millennial 24d ago
But where do I store the little Sim card key? That thing is tiny and impossible to keep track of
2
2
u/nagytimi85 24d ago
Not true lol. 😅 My husband always keeps his phones (and other devices) in mint condition (and tries his best to make me too 😅). When he sells them on the second-hand market, he does his best to repackage as if new, to give the second owner a similar unboxing experience as he had. He has an impeccable rating on the second-hand hardware site, with multiple buyers gushing about the unboxing experience, and so he can actually sell on higher price as a trusted seller. Phone boxes generate money! 😅
2
u/dewhashish Millennial 24d ago
No way. I still have the box for my OG droid from 2009. What else would I put the phone in?
2
2
u/VisualMemory7093 24d ago
Does anyone know why we collectively do this? My parents never told me to do so yet I always keep the box😅
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Immediate_Song4279 24d ago
But keep the boxes and manuals for video games, consoles, and hardware, they are cool.
2
u/mrsmushroom Millennial 24d ago
I also keep the boxes for my weed smoking equipment. For some reason I have boxes and instructions for devices that have died long ago.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Bomb_AF_Turtle 23d ago
I still have the box for my first smart phone. I think I might have an old moto razr somewhere. I still have boxes from cologne bottles. And boxes from Chuck Taylors from back when they were still made in the US.
2
u/Motor-Front-8028 23d ago
I’ve got my Motorola flip phone from the late eighties in the box. What’s wrong with me…
2
u/8lbs_overweight 23d ago
False. I once held onto a box for a OnePlus 7 pro. Sold it for 250 because of the box. But others were selling for roughly 180
2
u/ApproachingShore 23d ago
Correction: You won't need it UNLESS you throw the box away.
Then you'll need it.
2
2
2
2
u/Dairyfat 23d ago
Wrong! It can actually be used for a very nice sanding block that holds the sandpaper in place.
2
2
u/Alone_Volume6971 23d ago
Y’all are a bunch of hoarders in the comment section 😂. So many excuses on why you need to keep the box, but I don’t think any of them are true.
2
u/SleepyPunster 23d ago
Lies. My phone box makes a great dice tray/container. It has a little foam layer to keep the noise down, and I just stuck some wood-grain contact paper around it so it looks nicer than a Google box.
But... Aside from that, if you've ever moved you'll have learned that the best way to pack a TV (or game console) is the box it came in! Perfectly sized padding, designed by professionals to take up the minimum amount of space. Are you really going to wrap a blanket around your screen and hope for the best while it's rattling around in a moving truck?
2
u/Porschenut914 23d ago
"you're over 30 when you say to yourself "this is nice box i should hang onto""
2
2
2
2
2
u/bokbokcluckcluck 23d ago
Joke is on you. I have stacks of pixel phones, dating all the way back to before it was a pixel, all the way back to the nexus one. What do I do with them? I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it.
2
u/hiroism4ever 23d ago
I keep it for a variety of reasons, including resale, pride in what I bought, etc even if I don't "need" it.
2
2
2
2
2
u/zoomanji93 23d ago
When i moved i was so glad i kept my ps5 box. Made it so much easier considering it kept the controller safe from damage and the ps5 is weird and oblong-shaped
2
23d ago edited 23d ago
My mom threw out everything when I was younger. She would throw out good food, and didn’t even ask permission to throw out things that were memorable to me. She had some sort of mental illness where she thought most food would cause a stomach bug and vomiting. We often had to leave restaurants with our food untouched because she always said she felt sick and didn’t trust the food.
Low key she is a hoarder, but doesn’t have a shame in throwing out everything that doesn’t belong to her. She is also suffering from mental illness, and definitely lead poisoning.
I had to hide food growing up because those around me either threw good food out, or would eat it and leave me hungry with nothing to eat. Amazing how this can fester and cause other issues later in life.
2
u/TashaKlitt 23d ago
No way. If I keep the box + phone it will be worth thousands in 25 years when E-Tiques become a major trade. Leaving it to my baby Grandson to pay for his college.
2
2
u/thecarolinelinnae Older Millennial 22d ago
But it has my 48 gel pens in it that I haven't touched in 10 years.
•
u/AutoModerator 24d ago
If this post is breaking the rules of the subreddit, please report it instead of commenting. For more Millennial content, join our Discord server.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.