I just got a really nice LIONEL boxcar off eBay - it was super cheap - not even 5 bucks with postage included! Darn near mint!
I was surprised how nice and heavy this LTI-era car was - die cast frame - sprung trucks - def a little nicer than most of my other LIONEL rolling stock
But - its the same Orange and Blue box that everything else had back then - how did people tell the difference, beyond referring to the catalog?
Today - it seems they've caught on a bit and make snazzier more unique boxes for their better products.
Just an observation...