Why Does It Matter If The Box Is Included? 2024
FL Bass Abducter reply :
When someone sells a used reel, sellers and buyers always talk about the box/papers/etc being included. WHY? When I get a new reel, it gets put on a rod and is used for fishing. Nothing more. I have never taken a reel and put it back in the box it came in. Somebody please help me make sense of something that doesn't seem to make any sense to me...........
kickerfish1 reply :
It makes it collectable, adds more value and a sense of completeness. This comes into play more on the high end or rare reels where the collectors are looking for the entire package. No different than say any other collectable piece...
Also some people want the schematics, warranty info, and oil and tools so they can do basic maintenance to the reel.
.ghoti. reply :
I've never understood this either. When I get a reel, once I've determined that there is no out of the box warranty issue, the box goes in the trash. I keep all schematics. I also keep any lube that may come with the reel. I figure I can use it for something. The small "tools" that sometimes come with reels are cheap pieces of trash, and also go in file13.
I once had a guy interested in buying a reel I had up for sale, and his first question was about "box and papers".
I told him sure, I got boxes and papers. What do you want. I can give a cigar box, shoe box, bread box, cereal box, even a tampon box if that's what you want. Papers? I got newspapers, toilet paper, wrapping paper, and I can go buy some rolling papers if necessary. Just let me know what kind of box and papers you think you need. I'll make it happen.
Needless to say, he did not buy the reel. Got a little pissy with me about the whole thing, he did.
I got a chuckle out of it, and sold the reel to somebody else.
S Hovanec reply :
It's an OCD thing. This is a corner in my buddy's fishing room. He's a charter captain by the way.
geo g reply :
To really get the big money the reel, lure, or rod has to be in perfect to good condition. If used the price will drop considerable.. In the box always adds value to whatever it is. Sometimes the box and instructions will be worth more then the original item. I found about thirty old lures in the boxes dating back to the early 1900's, when cleaning out my mother in laws house. Many had never been used at all. Lots of wooden top water baits. I'm dying to try them, but I know the value will drop if I do!!!!! 
buzzed bait reply :
i would never get bent on not having the box..... i get mad at the wife unit because she is what i call a box hoarder. funny enough though i know for a fact i have like 4 or 5 reel boxes in my garage! i guess for me it's just where i keep the schematics that came with the reel, sure i could use a file or another system, but i guess i just don't think about it.
but it would NEVER impact my decision on whether or not to buy a reel..... even the schematics can be found online in most cases so just the reel in perfect working order would be my only demand.
5fishlimit reply :
I personally keep the boxes. For me I take apart my setups in the winter, and store the reels in the boxes. It's an organization thing. It's not a deal breaker if I am buying a reel without the box, but I would pay a slightly higher price if the box and paperwork is included.
CarolinaBoy4Life reply :
To each his own kinda thing I guess. When I buy a new reel I alway's keep the box and paper work. When I take my reel's off to clean during the winter month's I don't put them back on the rod I put them in the box they came in until I re rig my rod's for the year in Feb. Just an OCD kinda thing for me
fishballer06 reply :
I keep my boxes because whenever the reel gets retired and I upgrade the newest and greatest thing, it's got a nice place to be store.
I also store all my receipts for rods/reels/trips in those boxes, so that the old lady doesn't find them.
Hogsticker reply :
People are more prone to not buy a reel if the box is not included as pointed out above, so why not keep it? It's just a small box. Plus if I want or need to send it out for maintenance, well then I have the box!
J Francho reply :
I put the receipt in the box, and it goes into storage. I do this for anything with a warranty, that I care about. I routinely purge the boxes in my attic.
Choporoz reply :
On 9/18/2014 at 11:06 PM, Hogsticker said:so why not keep it? It's just a small box.
About five years ago, I drastically purged most everything I own down to next to nothing. I have missed almost none of it. Today I keep nothing I'm not using now, soon, or has a specific, anticipated use. I've never been happier. No boxes for me.
21farms reply :
i think it's truly one of those things that, if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand. i'm totally OCD about my gear and i'm as much a collector as i am a fisherman. i invariably change the bearings, handles, knobs, spool, etc. and keeping all the stock parts in the original box along with the brakes, papers and OEM oil helps me keep everything organized. the boxes also give me a safe way to long-term store my reels. i've only bought one used reel without the original box (shimano conquest 51) and it still bugs me that i don't have the box for it...i think i like knowing that the guy i bought a used reel from is as OCD as me 
Fishes in trees reply :
I understand that having the box makes an item more "complete" and if you're a collector that is how you want it, in a perfect world. I was at an old fishing tackle swap meet once and there was a guy selling just old boxes of different fishing tackle and related gear. I thought that was weird. However, I have seen and done dumber stuff, therefore ever since then I've taken all the lure boxes and packaging, reel boxes, depth finder boxes and so forth and kept them in totes. I believe that I have 5 or 6 totes full of that old stuff now. I've got plenty of room in my tackle shed, so storage isn't a problem, maybe when I hit my 80's I"ll bust that stuff out and see what it is worth - or I'll have material for a bonfire - who knows?
BassinLou reply :
Similar to Francho, I keep all revelant information inside all my reel boxes. Besides, I usually gift the reels that I part with instead of selling them, (do not ask why because idk) and seeing a reel in its box is exciting to the receiver of the gift.
Fisher-O-men reply :
On 9/18/2014 at 9:33 PM, .ghoti. said:I've never understood this either. When I get a reel, once I've determined that there is no out of the box warranty issue, the box goes in the trash. I keep all schematics. I also keep any lube that may come with the reel. I figure I can use it for something. The small "tools" that sometimes come with reels are cheap pieces of trash, and also go in file13.
I once had a guy interested in buying a reel I had up for sale, and his first question was about "box and papers".
I told him sure, I got boxes and papers. What do you want. I can give a cigar box, shoe box, bread box, cereal box, even a tampon box if that's what you want. Papers? I got newspapers, toilet paper, wrapping paper, and I can go buy some rolling papers if necessary. Just let me know what kind of box and papers you think you need. I'll make it happen.
Needless to say, he did not buy the reel. Got a little pissy with me about the whole thing, he did.
I got a chuckle out of it, and sold the reel to somebody else.
I got nothing, just thought this was worth reading again!
TrippyJai reply :
Having the box, paperwork and tools will help sell a used reel faster and will also add more value to it (about $10).
I buy a lot of used reels and I prefer to have everything that came with it, especially the schematics. If I'm buying a reel that I already own, the box doesn't really matter to me, maybe unless it was in NIB, but if I buy a reel I've never used before, I want everything that came with it.
Choporoz reply :
I'll (needlessly) add that I never buy something (or even hold on to it) while considering how to retain resale value, except maybe a house. Even my cars --- I use, store and operate in a manner that gives ME the most value today....like not devoting storage to empty boxes. I'm so glad that I have whatever the opposite of OCD is called. If I did have the boxes, they'd be in a crooked pile - not stacked...lol
ColdSVT reply :
I still have 75% or my original boxes...my wife thinks its stupid but then again i think her wanting a cat is really really stupid so...
Dwight Hottle reply :
I save the boxes to store the paperwork, spare oil, brakes, spare spools & factory tools. I have used the boxes for shipping for reel repair inside of another box. Just helps keep things organized. When I want to sell the reel I have the all the original stuff the reel came with from the factory for the buyer who gives a crap.
SirSnookalot reply :
I keep the boxes for shipping, receipt inside but I do scan it and save to my PC just in case of misplaced or faded out.
John G reply :
I have bought older Shimano Bantams without boxes and a 05' Calcutta 100 without a box but no more. Even it was an excellent condition Conquest 50, if it doesn't have the box, I will not buy it.
21farms has it right IMHO. If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand!
Goose52 reply :
If I buy a new reel, I keep the box and as others have said keep the original paperwork, tools, etc. in the box.
NOW, if buying a used reel, I LOVE buying them without the box. You can usually get them cheaper that way...like the excellent condition Conquest 50 that I DID buy on eBay that perhaps John passed on. Thanks John ! 
Jeff H reply :
I could never imagine passing up a good deal on a good reel because there is no original box for it! I do keep mine.
John G reply :
On 9/19/2014 at 6:49 AM, Goose52 said:If I buy a new reel, I keep the box and as others have said keep the original paperwork, tools, etc. in the box.
NOW, if buying a used reel, I LOVE buying them without the box. You can usually get them cheaper that way...like the excellent condition Conquest 50 that I DID buy on eBay that perhaps John passed on. Thanks John !
Your welcome! LOL
John G reply :
On 9/19/2014 at 7:09 AM, Jeff H said:I could never imagine passing up a good deal on a good reel because there is no original box for it! I do keep mine.
I believe that if I am patient, another good deal will show up that has a box.
David P reply :
Some fisherman are into "collecting" and not as much into the actual fishing or catching... Some guys care as much if not more about their gear than they do about fishing. I admit, at one point, I was like that as well, I cleaned all my rods and reels regularly, took excellent care, wanted boxes etc with used stuff, but did it catch me more fish? No, in fact quite the opposite. Spent more time caring about the condition of my gear, than about catching fish.
To each their own though, but the box means absolutely nothing in terms of fish-ability or quality of the reel.
John G reply :
I'll disagree with you the quality of the reel part of your post in regards to Shimano'. The boxes that the Antares and the Conquest's comes with are beautiful pieces of cardboard that have intricate detail. The box that a Curado 50E comes with is nothing to write home about. Not that the 50E is nothing to write home about, but any objective person will admit that in terms of quality, it's not in the same league as an Antares or a Conquest and neither is the box that it comes in.On 9/19/2014 at 11:20 AM, David P said:To each their own though, but the box means absolutely nothing in terms of fish-ability or quality of the reel.
David P reply :
On 9/19/2014 at 1:44 PM, John G said:I'll disagree with you the quality of the reel part of your post in regards to Shimano'. The boxes that the Antares and the Conquest's comes with are beautiful pieces of cardboard that have intricate detail. The box that a Curado 50E comes with is nothing to write home about. Not that the 50E is nothing to write home about, but any objective person will admit that in terms of quality, it's not in the same league as an Antares or a Conquest and neither is the box that it comes in.
This is exactly my point... The box, whether it is a piece of art or not, is just that, a cardboard box... It has no factor in how the reel fishes out on the water, nor does it help you catch fish... It's geared towards a collector.The quality of the reel and it's ability to cast, and catch fish, has zero to do with whether or not it came in a cardboard box, or a brown paper bag. Quality of the box may be different, quality of the reel is not.
thehooligan reply :
On 9/18/2014 at 12:00 PM, kickerfish1 said:It makes it collectable, adds more value and a sense of completeness. This comes into play more on the high end or rare reels where the collectors are looking for the entire package. No different than say any other collectable piece...
Also some people want the schematics, warranty info, and oil and tools so they can do basic maintenance to the reel.
On 9/19/2014 at 12:03 AM, 21farms said:i think it's truly one of those things that, if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand. i'm totally OCD about my gear and i'm as much a collector as i am a fisherman. i invariably change the bearings, handles, knobs, spool, etc. and keeping all the stock parts in the original box along with the brakes, papers and OEM oil helps me keep everything organized. the boxes also give me a safe way to long-term store my reels. i've only bought one used reel without the original box (shimano conquest 51) and it still bugs me that i don't have the box for it...i think i like knowing that the guy i bought a used reel from is as OCD as me
Haha, couldnt agree more with these guys... Ive always been a collector and im always hoping any used reel purchase comes with the original box. All my reels get modified right away and i like to keep all original parts in the box. On the other side of the coin, a used reel with no box wouldnt stop me from buying it...
Talk about downsizing !!
deaknh03 reply :
On 9/19/2014 at 3:10 AM, SirSnookalot said:I keep the boxes for shipping, receipt inside but I do scan it and save to my PC just in case of misplaced or faded out.
thats a great idea.
cbass12 reply :
On 9/18/2014 at 11:10 PM, J Francho said:I put the receipt in the box, and it goes into storage. I do this for anything with a warranty, that I care about. I routinely purge the boxes in my attic.
This
FishTank reply :
I keep the boxes and store the paper work, receipt, diagrams, oil and some parts if necessary. Then at the end of the year the reels come off the rods and go back in the boxes. If I choose to sell the reel, the box just makes it easier. I also write in the inside of the lid the day I serviced it and if I changed the line (sort a of a mini service record).
MarkH024 reply :
I keep my boxes and goodies but burn my receipts to hide the evidence. Ironically people just give me these things brand new...
shootermcbob reply :
On 9/18/2014 at 10:44 PM, 5fishlimit said:I personally keep the boxes. For me I take apart my setups in the winter, and store the reels in the boxes. It's an organization thing. It's not a deal breaker if I am buying a reel without the box, but I would pay a slightly higher price if the box and paperwork is included.
Me too.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 9/20/2014 at 8:04 AM, MarkH024 said:I keep my boxes and goodies but burn my receipts to hide the evidence. Ironically people just give me these things brand new...
Mark just have the new stuff shipped to me and then she will never find out. I'll give it all back when I see you.
flipin4bass reply :
Boxes are everything to a collector. I found this out years ago with my lure collection. Todays bubble packs makes display a challenge, but with lures still sold in boxes, I print out a picture of the lure and then place it in the box for storage. having those boxes will help my wife recoup a lot the money spent on my fishing trips when I'm gone. Save those boxes!
.ghoti. reply :
Despite my aversion to doing so, I have started saving reel boxes. Just in case. In reality, once I get a reel, I'll upgrade spool bearings and drag washers, do a full internal polish, add bearings where posible, and put on a four bearing handle with smooth knobs. Once I've done all that, they are really mine, and it's very difficult to part with them.
Besides, who am I to argue with anybody elses neuroses. I have a lot more fun argueing with my own.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 9/21/2014 at 8:49 AM, .ghoti. said:Despite my aversion to doing so, I have started saving reel boxes. Just in case. In reality, once I get a reel, I'll upgrade spool bearings and drag washers, do a full internal polish, add bearings where posible, and put on a four bearing handle with smooth knobs. Once I've done all that, they are really mine, and it's very difficult to part with them.
Besides, who am I to argue with anybody elses neuroses. I have a lot more fun argueing with my own.
Us older guys are either more neurotic or more organized but we do have a plan.
TiNuts reply :
I also prefer the box and keep all the boxes my reels come in. I couldn't tell you why, as I have no reason, other than I like to keep the boxes. I've been known to also keep the boxes for other silly things for no reason, small electronics being a major one.
I will admit, that when I see a used reel that includes the box, I get a feeling that that reel was taken better care of than used reels without the box. I have no grounds for that feeling, I just get it. I guess if they cared enough to keep the box, maybe they cared enough to take extra care of the reel.
TiNuts reply :
I have stored my reels away for the winter in their boxes. It was ALMOST like getting a batch of new reels the next spring
primetime reply :
I have not read all the posts but I can say with certainty that if you are buying a reel on Ebay or from anyone you do not trust or know, be carefull of the "New without box" that is often advertised...If the seller has a reel that is not commonly paired with a combo, where would the box be if new? Also you need the box and papers alot of times for warranty purposes, and I can say with 100% certainty that many sellers will often call a reconditioned reel a display model or new from a combo.
I worked at a wholesale company and we sold a ton of reels without boxes, many were truly new and from combos as we made more money breaking them up and selling them seperate, and if anyone had an issue the owner simply honored the warranty as long as it made sense...However, I know several of our customer's would purchase large quantities of reels that were reconditioned and then sell them on Ebay as NEW without a box.....I don't know if they did it intentionally as reconditioned reels usually look new, but I know that many reels on the bidding sites are refurbs and not brand new, and if they are not a reputable dealer of that product, then I would pass. I would never accuse anyone of doing this intentionally, but if I am paying regular price for a reel, I expect a box, papers, and warranty.
If you are not sure, simply ask if it comes with a warranty and what happened to the box or rod etc..I know one seller who has over 100 reels that are all display models or from combos, and that seems crazy as you would at least save the tag from the combo if planning on selling them. Warranties are key, companies today truly honor them and work with you since so many companies are producing high end reels and the market is much bigger than Daiwa and Shimano with Okuma, Pinnacle making reels instead of just being an oem for other companies,Lew's, Quantum, Bass Pro, Cabela's,Academy, Gander Mountain all make reels with at least 1 year and they will replace with a box...Hope that helps someone.
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