We believe that the Swarovski cylinders and Swarovski boxes are necessary for the safe transport and safe storage of Swarovski crystal. After all, imagine a company producing fragile crystal and having no proven packaging to get the products to the retailer without significant risk of damage. But after the Swarovski collector purchases the crystal pieces, should the box be retained for overall Swarovski value?
Among the most frequent questions is "Just how important are the Swarovski cylinders and Swarovski boxes?" The answer to that question depends on the Swarovski crystal piece in question.
If the Swarovski crystal is an Annual Edition, Limited Edition, or Numbered Limited Edition, the Swarovski boxes are crucial to retain value. For all these figurines, the boxes are specific to the item. This means that you cannot swap them from other pieces, for example, the Unicorn box with the Dragon box cannot be interchanged. In the case of the numbered editions, the boxes were specifically designed to protect the figurine. No other boxes would likely fit the figurine, much less store it or protect it from damage.
If the Swarovski crystal is an item from the Silver Crystal product line, or any other Swarovski product line for that matter, the Swarovski box is more generic and can be might be switchable from other crystal similar in size within the same product line. Keep in mid that the box identification label would not be appropriate for the item after the switch.
Some Swarovski collectors are certain they need the Swarovski packaging for every single piece in their collection. When they purchase retired Swarovski from us, they WILL spend extra money to ensure that the proper Swarovski cylinder or Swarovski box is included with the crystal. We've seen collectors pay as much as $50 extra for a Swarovski box with label to be included in their Silver Crystal product purchase! In our online store, to be certain that the correct Swarovski cylinder is included with the figurine, make sure that the product details page states: Box : Yes and Identification Label : Yes.
Swarovski packaging does take up storage space. Swarovski packaging is not typically displayed by Swarovski collectors. While the original, correct packaging does make a figurine more sellable, easier to ship, and will generally sell for more than a figurine without the packaging, the storage issue would likely play a part in the decision to keep or discard the box once the crystal figurine is placed in the cabinet for display. In the end, it is a personal decision on whether or not you go that extra mile to have the Swarovski cylinders and identification label.