Retro packaging. It works for cereal. It works for soda and snackfood. It even works for Robocop. It's a fun way to give a nod to a brand's history without having to really change anything about the current product, and it's a great way to break up your display.
As a collector, what's really nice is how easy it can be to make your own throwback designs. For instance, take a look at this '70s-inspired box for 3¾" Joes:
That's the work of David Whitney, creator of the PaperBlox paper building system. As you can tell by the headroom above Skymate's head, it's big enough to accommodate 4" figures as well. The back has lots of Real American Hero art, done in the style of a cross-sell.
Oh, and the best part? It's all free! If you go to Sherry Lou Toys you can download the PDF and build your own boxes. Pretty neat, huh?
Our only wish? That the box was also big enough to fit a standard-sized GI Joe filecard in there, as well. That would make it perfect!
