Never folded boxes

[chuppy44 | 56]

Acquired a number of these awhile back. They are clearly authentic Gameboy and SNES boxes but in a completely rigid, unfolded state with factory indentations for folding that were never used. I've never come across anything like this. What do you suppose they are? Factory leftovers? Rejects? The guy I got them from had a number of those SNES "for display only" boxes as well so maybe some copies of regular boxes were sent out to be used as empty store displays? Not sure whether I should just fold these or preserve them the way they are.

[Gloves | 11,775]

I'd definitely preserve as-is if you can. Seems like a cool find to me. What others do you have?

[chuppy44 | 56]

It's mainly Konami GB games (though none of the really desirable ones) and a few others. The best one is probably Contra III SNES.

[Sumez | 2,941]

When I got my unfolded Mario RPG box, the first thing I did was folding it immediately. Is there actually a market for this stuff?

[fcgamer | 4,722]

3 hours ago, Sumez said:

When I got my unfolded Mario RPG box, the first thing I did was folding it immediately. Is there actually a market for this stuff?

I don't know about others, but I'd buy the right boxes unfolded, as opposed to folded.

[croagunk | 798]

That’s so cool! I would definitely keep them as is.

[Gulag Joe | 582]

9 hours ago, Sumez said:

When I got my unfolded Mario RPG box, the first thing I did was folding it immediately. Is there actually a market for this stuff?

Yes. People are buying them, swapping them out with cib's they have, and sending them to wata to manipulate the market with misleading frankensteins

[Code Monkey | 2,006]

10 hours ago, Sumez said:

When I got my unfolded Mario RPG box, the first thing I did was folding it immediately. Is there actually a market for this stuff?

R.I.P. history

[Gloves | 11,775]

1 minute ago, Code Monkey said:

R.I.P. history

To be fair it is just a box.

*glances at shelf of expensive boxes*

Oh.

[Tanooki | 4,932]

Two cents dropped onto the table...

If it was made flat, it was sent out flat, and you found it undamaged like that flat.  It stays flat.

 

By assembling the box you're now going to potentially cause, bends, folds, creases on the old material, and even if you are 100% lucky with that carefulness popping it out, odds are the proper fold angles will given the age also potentially on the bend split the ink.  Just leave it alone.

[Sumez | 2,941]

Counter-argument: You'll get a nice minty box for your game, which might have previously been an unboxed copy.

Isn't this the forum where people love to have boxed versions of games?

Edited April 21, 2021 by Sumez

[Gloves | 11,775]

2 minutes ago, Sumez said:

Counter-argument: You'll get a nice minty box for your game, which might have previously been an unboxed copy.

Isn't this the forum where people love to have boxed versions of games?

This is the forum with many people with pretty wildly varying opinions.

[DefaultGen | 5,401]

I'd keep desirable ones unfolded for the novelty (Contra III). I wouldn't mind folding up random boxes, but like, what are you going to do with them? Get 100% inserts, then use that as an actual box? Upgrade an existing CIB then have a random loose box? Empty box on the shelf? Is that really any cooler than an unfolded box? Realistically I'd just keep them unfolded.

I just don't know what to do with these kinds of boxes. I have all of mine just sitting in a bin. Not a very exciting place for a collectible thing.

Edited April 21, 2021 by DefaultGen

[Sumez | 2,941]

43 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

I wouldn't mind folding up random boxes, but like, what are you going to do with them?

Keep the game in it?

I read your argument in favor of just folding the box. Like what the hell am going to do with an unfolded Mario RPG box?
My Mario RPG did already have a box admittedly, but it was some store display one with a printed label on it, and I still have that one somewhere, so in a way I'm not any better off in that regard, but at least my game has a nicer box.

[chuppy44 | 56]

2 hours ago, DefaultGen said:

I'd keep desirable ones unfolded for the novelty (Contra III). I wouldn't mind folding up random boxes, but like, what are you going to do with them? Get 100% inserts, then use that as an actual box?

Well, considering that they are the actual boxes, then... yes? Maybe?

I don't think any of these are really what would be considered "mint" in the first place (though, certainly in nice shape) which is why I'd think about folding them if I happen to need them to complete a game. Was mainly curious as to what exactly they are. It sounds like some of you have come across these before.

[LaC | 104]

They were used for a lot of different things.

I know they were used to setup store displays. Like imagine a tower of empty Super Metroid boxes in a store for the promotion of the game.  

Also they were swapped out to repair boxes that were damaged to make them more presentable in stores.

I have a bunch and keep them unfolded.  I've seen people frame them.

Certainly a rare and niche item.  

 

[chuppy44 | 56]

Thanks for the info. Maybe Super Metroid is not the best example though as I know that is a game that has one of those "for display only" boxes. I got a few of those along with these actually and they are made of different material.

[phart010 | 1,707]

The ones I have were part of the sales rep agents selling kit. The sales reps worked either directly for or were agents for the publisher. They would go out to distributors and retailers and try to get large purchase orders for the publishers games. So they’d have marketing materials for the games and often were given sample boxes that they could show to their customers as well. 
 

The ones that I have came from a guy that was a rep for Konami and Irem, he did not work directly for them but he received commission on his sales. I have a box for Kung Fu Master and R Type on Gameboy as well as Super R-Type SNES. They are unfolded production boxes (not “Not for resale” or “Display only”)

I would have also had a box for Metal Storm NES as well as its marketing materials, but unfortunately I ran my mouth as to what it may be worth and the seller decided to keep those, then he eventually sold them to someone else

[Tanooki | 4,932]

On 4/21/2021 at 5:34 PM, DefaultGen said:

I'd keep desirable ones unfolded for the novelty (Contra III). I wouldn't mind folding up random boxes, but like, what are you going to do with them? Get 100% inserts, then use that as an actual box? Upgrade an existing CIB then have a random loose box? Empty box on the shelf? Is that really any cooler than an unfolded box? Realistically I'd just keep them unfolded.

I just don't know what to do with these kinds of boxes. I have all of mine just sitting in a bin. Not a very exciting place for a collectible thing.

That does raise a good argument though, and one towards keeping it flat.  Why would someone usually want that box?  Sure it could complete a set, but would you feel bad uncracking that from it's natural flat state to do so?  And for what, completion sake?  It is, it's just flat.  To display it?  Space pig, throw it in a frame with acid free backing and UV treated glass and mount it wherever like the art it was intended.  There's really no rational good reason to take a flat one, never touched for opening to hold retail goodies, and do that...other than just TO do it which is dumb.

[Gloves | 11,775]

I've been thinking about these folded boxes and I've grown curious what prices might look like on them. 

Honestly I'd be very interested in picking some up to actually frame in shadow boxes along with the cart/manual. 

If anyone would consider selling, I'd buy certain ones for a decent price for sure. 

[LaC | 104]

18 hours ago, chuppy44 said:

Thanks for the info. Maybe Super Metroid is not the best example though as I know that is a game that has one of those "for display only" boxes. I got a few of those along with these actually and they are made of different material.

Yeah, but some of the unfolded boxes are production ones. 

Here is some of the ones I have:

 

[chuppy44 | 56]

17 minutes ago, LaC said:

Yeah, but some of the unfolded boxes are production ones. 

Here is some of the ones I have:

 

Dang, I did a search for "never folded" before making this topic, didn't think to search for "unfolded" since that could just mean that act of unfolding a box lol. That topic is very helpful, thanks.

[NESfiend | 1,515]

On 4/21/2021 at 4:22 PM, Sumez said:

Counter-argument: You'll get a nice minty box for your game, which might have previously been an unboxed copy.

Isn't this the forum where people love to have boxed versions of games?

Funny to see all this. I have an unfolded sunday funday box I got from a former employee who sold a handful of them on NA years back. I always planned to fold it to get to a CIB version of the game, but have always been too afraid to screw it up. Never occurred to me having it unfolded may be better/more desireable. 

[Code Monkey | 2,006]

1 minute ago, NESfiend said:

Funny to see all this. I have an unfolded sunday funday box I got from a former employee who sold a handful of them on NA years back. I always planned to fold it to get to a CIB version of the game, but have always been too afraid to screw it up. Never occurred to me having it unfolded may be better/more desireable. 

That one you can fold, they sold them by the case load for about $3 each, not worth anything.

For the others, I don't really want them but I'm willing to buy all of them just to preserve them, if that's what it takes. Please sell them to me so they don't just get folded and sold.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

As others have mentioned, these were sent out to retailers and even rental stores as display pieces. They are legit production boxes and no different than what you would have gotten if you bought the game brand new.

I haven't looked in a while, but you could buy a decent variety of these on eBay as recently as a year or two ago. They usually have a small premium attached since they are essentially just mint boxes. I bought a few to upgrade my low quality CIBs and I immediately folded them into beautiful specimens. Come at me.