Here’s a fast search. Yes, it includes products, but if you look closely you will see how many successful auctions feature boxes only. Or boxes and other packing/manuals.
The obvious answer would be to fake someone out, but over and over and over again? There’s a lot of fishy weird auctions but here’s history on one… bidders don’t seem to be high volume scammers. Nor this one.
Are there a bunch of Apple box collectors out there?
What the hell?
How else are you going to move your wooden iPads?
Putting “box only” in quotes displays it better.
That’s… weird. I’d assume you’re trying to rope in people who don’t read closely but I saw one iPhone 3GS box sell for $122 and the buyer left positive feedback on it. 
I think there was a discussion about this before and it was speculated that these auctions for empty boxes could be some kind of money laundering scheme.
A portion might be people who want to sell their used Apple product, or perhaps gift a used one, both of which increase in perceived value with a box.
Perhaps they’re used by these people.
For those that don’t want to follow the link; It’s a story about how popular Apple branded crap is in China, and how the logo is stolen and used on unrelated products. In this case, it’s gas stoves with the iPhone logo on them. They even have counterfeit Apple stores there.
I dunno, but I have kept a couple of mine - the damn things are GORGEOUS! Apple’s product boxes are more nicely made than most of their competitors products.
A 5-star classic: Microsoft Re-designs the iPod Package.
Could it be the same reason that Tiffany boxes are so highly valued?
So for the oblivious amongst us, why are Tiffany boxes so highly valued (amongst people that apparently value them at all)?
I don’t know if I could tell you. Cache? A quick Internet search doesn’t seem to turn up a black market in them, but they have value.
I know this: If you ever give a woman jewelry from TIffany, DO NOT throw away the box. That’s 90% of the value.
Because they’re distinctive and usually contain good stuff in them.
I suspect that you’d find Tiffany boxes for sale, too. The better to package your cubic zirconia ring in and sell to some poor schlub trying to impress his girlfriend without actually spending all that money at Tiffany.
Tiffany sues people who sell their empty boxes online, and reports them to ebay and the like, so their accounts get suspended or closed. http://forums.ebay.com/db1/topic/Fine-Jewelry-Gems/Authentic-Tiffany-Co/510183796
They’re more likely to be found at flea markets than on-line, and Tiffany’s been known to send people in to flea markets to look for sellers there, too.
Yeah, I’ve heard that they jealously guard their boxes and that color. Don’t they have a copyright on the color?
I wonder if that’s what makes them so valuable. Make something rare and hard to get, and suddenly everyone wants one.
That is thoroughly awesome.
Apple does design some excellent packaging. I like everything from the minimalist design to the little “fssh” of escaping air when the lid settles onto the box.
I wouldn’t freakin’ BUY one, though. Jeez.
Oops! But either way, you’re not getting one without cash.
I’m going to guess there are people who want to keep their i-devices in the original packaging and have somehow damaged theirs. A couple of people I know might be that way. I had a really hard time throwing away my iPod box. It was so smooth and solid, like an actual product, not just packaging. Wish I’d known there was a market.
My spouse dumped the box to my desktop mac. If we ever move, I may have to buy a box to pack it in. Don’t know if that helps.
Are they looking for fake Tiffany boxes, though? We generally follow the first-sale doctrine in the USA, meaning that I sure as heck have the right to sell a legitimate Tiffany box.
I keep my iMac boxes for this specific purpose.