Who else is struggling with whether they want to keep their flashlight boxes and accessories or not? I don’t know why, but I find it so hard to just toss out flashlight kits. I can’t imagine storing them again, except maybe for a move, but wtf. What do we do with all of this gear, like lanyards and spare parts and such??? I presently have a whole Hefty bag of potential throw-aways right now.
2 Thanks
I keep them in case I plan on selling or giving away, even for the white Convoy boxes that are usually crushed in transit.
4 Thanks
I think it depends on if you think you might ever sell them. I know I won’t, I’ll give them away to friends and family. I always keep the instructions, lanyards and o-rings. I have a small box of o-rings and another of instructions and lanyards. I seem to keep my o-rings lubed, so I’ve never actually replaced an o-ring. I don’t use lanyards.
Sorry, Rusty Joe, it occurs to me that I have no useful input whatsoever. My bad. 
1 Thank
Thanks. This is helpful. I’m tallying everyone’s answers since I just can’t let this go!
I keep the accessories and user manuals in the boxes and I put the boxes in larger boxes so that if I can include the box and accessories when giving a flashlight away or when selling them.
I was just throwing out the boxes but after 20 flashlights, I found it easier to manage things if I have the boxes. I can go and find a user manual or a particular o-ring in a box.
1 Thank
If I really like a light to the point where I’ll get more’n one, I’ll be using the one light but the others of course will be intact in their boxes. I’ll test them to make sure they work, and any come-with cells, I’ll test and then more’n likely pull from the boxes and put them with my other cells. But then the entire package is saved as-is, minus any cell.
Any included cell could just get lost in the shuffle if left untouched. Hardware lasts forever, but the cell can drain, especially if protected or includes a charging circuit. And I’m not about to open every box later to see if there’s a cell inside which needs maintenance.
Unique lights I’m not likely to use, like specialty hunting lights, diving lights, etc., get the same treatment.
One-off lights I’m likely to not use, I put on my list for gifting or selling, 'though I haven’t actually sold a light in forever. Those stay intact but in a separate pile.
Other lights where I have somewhere in rotation but no longer “need” the boxes, I probably got the boxes somewhere. Only by feeling, “Hey, this one feels empty” would I even know.
Any crap boxes like Cheap White Cardboard boxes get trashed immediately, as they’re likely already in several pieces, probably just in transit, but certainly after trying to open the flaps and have them fall right off or rip 90% of the way. Garbage.
Nice boxes that I really don’t need because a light’s been in-use quite a while, I’m wanting to trash, but they end up as the aforementioned empties. What I should do is pull the manual and O-rings and stick 'em into little baggies so I know at a glance what goes with what. Lanyards and usb cables are generic enough and a dime a dozen so those just get stuffed into my shiite collection. But the manuals, O-rings, diffuser caps, anything “special” to it, should go into individual bags for safe keeping. Should, but I haven’t done it yet.
1 Thank
The accessories are in a little plastic zip bag, stored sorted alphabetically by manufacturer and model name in a large box, same for manuals. Cheap boxes go right to recycling, while nicer boxes (those thick two-part cardboard boxes or the ones with a magnetic flap) are kept for other purposes.
2 Thanks
Ah, that’s the smart thing I mentioned that I haven’t done yet.
I really should…
1 Thank
What Lightbringer said…
1 Thank
I don’t keep completely generic boxes, otherwise I keep them all. I have a large plastic storage box that’s entirely full of light boxes with a few more piled up on top of it, need to make some room to start a second box box…
1 Thank
Similar thread from not long ago:
FWIW, I nest smaller boxes inside bigger boxes, reduces space significantly.
Also, write on the small bag of oring/clip/lanyard what the make/model of the light is and keep them all together in a “flashlight parts” box.
The day will come when you will want to sell them. They will be worth approximately 25% more with the box.
My advice, get one of those large plastic storage containers from Home Depot or Walmart and put all the boxes in there as well any unopened lights you may have.
Then find a place for the storage container.
4 Thanks
With boxes it all comes down to extra sell on price/needing to return the item (not just flashlights) vs the space they take up. When the point comes you can no longer get into your attic (cough cough…lol) then it’s time to shed those boxes.
The approx 25% more argument is valid IF the said flashlight is of some value, largely they are not and it also depends on how old they are - it’s not so much the 25% more either, people often like it when the item still has it’s original box/extras so it is more likely to sell over one that doesn’t have one - the question is though, will you ever sell it…since we generally collect them on here it’s less likely unless the light is like £200 and is used to buy…more lights, tbh I’m more likely to give my unwanted ones away to friends than sell them.
There is a fine line between sense and hoarding imo. I might be a hoarder… 
1 Thank
I am only keeping some boxes, and I’m throwing out most of them.
As for the accessories (lanyards, clasps, extra-lenses, o-rings, charging cables, etc) and user manuals, I am storing them in specific boxes for each thing.
At one point I had too many boxes and they were occupying too much space, so I made a purge and left only the ones that have some storage use for other stuff or the ones that are the most unique.
1 Thank
I’m in this category too.
2 Thanks
Like these
Or the ones with lights still in them
3 Thanks
They will not be worth anything extra with the box.
When i sold many lights no one cared if it had the box or not.
That said i can’t bring myself to get rid of the boxes from lights, i put the lights i sold in their original boxes since i had them but in one case it would not fit in a standard sized shipping box, would have been a few extra bucks, the buyer said toss the box and send it for the cheaper shipping.
1 Thank
Anything is worth more with the original box for a couple of reasons.
1 It gives the perception it have been well taken care of.
2 It allows for a second unboxing experience for the new owner.
Both of these carry a lot of value.
3 Thanks
Again it did not help my sale of many, many lights.
But if you want to think of it as an added bonus thats great, i sent almost all the lights in the original boxes.
1 Thank
After a couple of dozen flashlights x 2, there are just too many boxes. I keep a few but resort to labelled ziplocs like several others have mentioned for the appurtenances.
Try not too make it too obvious to my better half that the collection is still growing…
1 Thank