Packaging, Does it Matter?

One thing I’ll say for boxes, if I buy a commercially made pedal, I generally squirrel away the packaging, so if I ever decide to sell/ trade it, I can box it back up and send it on its way.

Stickers rule.

A piece of paper with some instructions is a nice touch.

I think if you’re looking to do mail-order business and establish yourself with a base of repeat customers, the “unboxing experience” actually does matter.
 
I should make it like those dam lol dolls my daughter used to like…. 15 plastic bags to get into it. Every knob has it own bag!
 
I've never ever cared. Packaging always goes right in the trash. I immediately pitched the little cloth googly eye bag my oohlala sodameiser came in. All I really want is stickers. I still have a few of the wood boxes from my early 90s sovtek pedals. Those are keepers.
 
If I ever decide to sell a pedal, my ideas are:

- No plastic in the boxes, wrapping, tape or filling, all materials recyclable (mostly, cardboard and craft paper tape). Minimalistic and practical. No waste.
- Include a manual and a sticker.
- Instead of a fabric bag, I was thinking of including a couple of these:
IMG_1938.jpeg
These are cheap and practical. And you can never have enough, specially if you have lots of cables.
Another idea was including a short patch cable. The ones Thomann sell are compact and not too expensive, but maybe it’s too much. I don’t know.
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I use black boxes, with a logo sticker and a model code printed out on my Dymo LettraTag... I also include some swag in the box and instructions... mostly because it's fun and it lets me keep the whole "dinosaur" theme going...

From my Instagram...

2023-08-24 - Kyle packing a pedal - steggo extras.jpg
 
Packaging may seem like a small detail, but it can make a big difference in the overall experience and perceived value of a product. It's worth considering how it reflects your brand and resonates with your audience's preferences.
 
Watching a YouTube vid last night, that dude from Thorpy mentioned Jam pedals having won an award for its packaging - that, and seeing this thread in the new posts piqued my curiosity enough, and this was the first search result:
https://www.guitarpedalx.com/news/news/jam-pedals-receives-gold-2020-european-design-award-for-its-packaging#:~:text=JAM%20Pedals%20Receives%20Gold%202020%20European%20Design%20Award%20for%20its%20Packaging,-Jun%201%2C%202020&text=Or%20more%20correctly%20speaking%20JAM,this%20year's%20European%20Design%20Awards.

To paraphrase Thorpy, “people eat with their eyes, and they listen with their eyes too”. I couldn‘t agree more.
 
drgonzo1969 said:
hahaha ya I save the tayda bubble bags and a few of the pedal size ones for shipping purposes. I still have way too many of them hahaha.
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I save the pedal size Tayda bags for shipping too.
My wife loves the little Tayda ones. She was using them for her crafts and then she started using them for our seed bank. I planted with them for the first time this year and ESD baggies FTW! They actually work AMAZING for seeds that usually stick in the plain bags. Makes perfect sense, I just never thought about it.
 
Fretless said:
Watching a YouTube vid last night, that dude from Thorpy mentioned Jam pedals having won an award for its packaging - that, and seeing this thread in the new posts piqued my curiosity enough, and this was the first search result:
https://www.guitarpedalx.com/news/news/jam-pedals-receives-gold-2020-european-design-award-for-its-packaging#:~:text=JAM%20Pedals%20Receives%20Gold%202020%20European%20Design%20Award%20for%20its%20Packaging,-Jun%201%2C%202020&text=Or%20more%20correctly%20speaking%20JAM,this%20year's%20European%20Design%20Awards.

To paraphrase Thorpy, “people eat with their eyes, and they listen with their eyes too”. I couldn‘t agree more.
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Totally agree with Thorpy there. Years ago I worked in a guitar store and it was so frustrating seeing how people made their choices. They usually asked to try a few thing to compare but had always made up their mind before they entered the store. One time a guy wanted to compare a G+L Strat with a Fender. The G+L in this case played better, sounded way better, was better finished, cost substantially less and he was very impressed with it. And bought the Fender.

It didn't really matter what the products were, how good they were (or not), they would buy the often clearly inferior thing because of brand name or looks.
 
HamishR said:
It didn't really matter what the products were, how good they were (or not), they would buy the often clearly inferior thing because of brand name or looks.
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There are the exceptions that prove the rule, like Dumble that spring to mind. But it really seems to need to be at that level of quality most times in order to break that bias or preference (or feature priority, given that the visual aesthetic can easily be put on a feature list along with everything else).
 
The last thing I want to see with any music gear is a sticker, personally. Straight to trash, with very few exceptions.

Edit: I simply have no place to put stickers where I'd be able to see them, regardless of how cool many are. I do save the OSHpark ones for hiding unused control holes in prototype pedals though.
 
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I like a good middle ground...

If I buy a new pedal I expect it to come in a box, and not just the ULINE shipping box. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, the usual folded cardboard box is perfect. I'd prefer some sort of marking on the box so I can tell what is actually in it when it goes on the shelf, and I think can apply to anyone with a pedalboard who tends to swap things out and store them for later. But that can amount to a simple inkjet sticker, a rubber stamp, or even just written on with a pen or marker.

What I don't care for is the big flashy high-gloss boxes with full color photo quality prints and magnetic latching lid, hidden compartments, fold out dinner trays, and all that mess. I'd much rather pay a few dollars less and get a plain old box (or the builder pocket those few dollars for themselves) than pay premium for an Apple style unboxing "experience".

I like stickers but don't need the little drawstring bags or cheap flimsy picks. I do keep all the Gravity Picks that come with JHS pedals though, those are much appreciated. :ROFLMAO:

It doesn't really bother me if a pedal doesn't come with any swag though, and I never even look at the instructions so don't care so much about that either.
 
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