Ornaments are stored in a smoke free and temperature controlled environment. However, I cannot say where they have been before. A few years ago, I bought stock from a closed store. Some of the ornaments boxes seemed to smell like tobacco. A relative of the original store owner told me, "Dad used to smoke cigars in the warehouse, because Mom didn't like the smell in the house."

As a seller of retired merchandise, I don’t know the history. I don’t generally notice a tobacco smell unless it is very strong. Ornaments are graded on their visual appearance and if they have moving parts, if they work properly.

I grade boxes on visual appearance as follows:

Mint to near mint: retail store-grade merchandise.

Near mint to excellent: Minor flaws that might not even be noticed in a store

Excellent to very good: some visible flaws, not extreme, but definitely there

Very good to good: several minor visible flaws or a few larger ones

Good to fair: quite beat up

Fair to poor: pretend it does not have a box.

For most people, a box in the excellent to very good range would suffice even as a gift. Serious collectors would want a mint to near mint box, but for those who want an ornament to hang on the tree to complete a series or replace a lost keepsake, the box condition is of lesser consequence.

As an example, a neighbor asked me to get an ornament for her, which was listed as mint, but when it arrived, it had pinches on the fold and rubbing wear. I told her it had come in and explained that I would get another – When she saw it, she literally said "That's not damaged."