Up for auction is an incredibly rare, authentic piece of postwar Lionel history: an original uncataloged master set box stamped "X-535" in blue ink on an affixed label.
This box features the highly collectible mid-1950s tan/kraft cross-hatch (chevron) pattern with all-blue lettering. It includes an incredible piece of ironclad holiday provenance: an original, printed Gimbels Pittsburgh department store mailing label dated November 1957, with a handwritten delivery address.
Box Dimensions: 14" x 12.5" x 9"
Condition Report for Collectors:
- Flaps: Excellent structural integrity. All top and bottom flaps are 100% present. The bottom flaps are fully intact with no tears, which is incredibly rare for a master carton of this age. The top flaps have typical creasing from being stored tucked over one another, but are completely and structurally sound.
- Cardboard Quality: Very clean. The cardboard is stiff, dry, and has absolutely zero moisture staining, rot, or water damage.
- Tape: There is old brown packing tape across the top flap, likely added decades ago for storage or transit. It has been left as-found to preserve the underlying blue ink skin and cardboard fibers.
- Interior: The box is completely empty (no internal cardboard dividers or inserts are included).
This is a collector-grade reference piece or the perfect finishing touch for a Lionel variant collector looking to complete a rare 1957 regional Gimbels department store promotional set.
Please review the high-resolution photos carefully to evaluate the condition. The box will be packaged with extreme care in a larger outer box with plenty of padding to ensure it arrives exactly as pictured. Shipping from a smoke-free home.