Display Shelving for BOXED Sets?

I have been buying used store display cases.  I have not actually displayed any sets in their boxes, but have displayed a number of sets that have multiple accessories that originally came with them.  Also displaying some accessories with their boxes and a couple of original boxes.

This one is in my dining room.

Living Room A

Living Room B

Living Room C

NWL

Slot car guys collect sets. The boxes are big and have colorful pictures of the track set up to advertise them. Pictures I see the set boxes are usually are stacked on each other. Seems kind of odd to collect sets and not do anything with them but often they get them cheap at yard sales

Some of the set boxes that I have, have lids worth seeing, too, which is one of the reasons I am looking into ways to show them off.  Right now, I have them stacked and want to do better.

Sorry, who really wants to look at a box, I'd be more interested in seeing what's actually in it and knowing that is the reason you purchased the set in the first place.  I understand why people want the box in the first place as well as the shipping carton but don't understand the need to show the box to people and it seems like it would take up a rather large amount of precious storage space that most people don't have a lot of.  Maybe if you live all by yourself in a super large house, then I could see it.  If your wife (assuming you're married) let's you do that, whatever you do, keep her happy as she is a real keeper.

J. Motts posted:

Sorry, who really wants to look at a box, 

Honestly, the box art on some items is much more exciting than what's inside.  I get why someone would want this, as some of the boxes are just well done display items which was obviously done to help the item stand out on a store shelf and sell better.  Some of the best are the LGB sets from the early 90's.

I'm not sure how lighting affects box color the only worry I could see would be color fading.

There's a few options, but what comes to mind is if you have a standard shelf or display case (with a reasonable depth like the ones shown above) I'd build a wedge on one of the shelves with a small lip on the front to display the set box at an angle.  That way if you had one you wanted to display open with the contents you could do that without putting the pressure you would put on the boxes from their contents if displayed vertically nor having the possibly impaired view if you displayed them fully horizontal.

Another idea that comes to mind is again with display cases like the ones above.  If you want to show the outside of the box you could place it vertically on one shelf (as in the "living room C" photo above) making sure it's in between the shelf brackets and then place another glass shelf about halfway up the box.  Of course the second shelf would have to be of a lesser depth but the idea being you could have the pieces of the set on both the bottom and middle shelves and still be able to see the box behind them.  This would still allow shelves placed closely together to display a larger number of trains, but also to be able to see the box behind them (as long as you don't over clutter the shelves.)

I can say that

box art can be exciting.  For instance the box below, which is prominently displayed in one of my cases, is from 1908 (2nd year of American Flyer production) and is very rare.

The following boxes are from the mid 1930s and have great graphics

My last comment, is that everyone has their own likes and dislikes when it comes to trains.  Some people are interested in the history of the toy companies, which include all forms of paperwork from boxes to advertising, etc., and others do not care for the paperwork/box/history of the trains.  

NWL

Dave Ripp. posted:

I'm not sure how lighting affects box color the only worry I could see would be color fading.

Ultra Violet light does cause fading, which is why I have refitted all of my display cabinets with LED lighting, which does not cause fading and keep the items from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

I have also installed LED lighting in my train room.  I find it is brighter and shows the trains much better.

NWL

Have you considered a “Shadow Box” that you can place the box into and than place on the wall throughout you display areas. This would use limited wall space and no floor space.