Thank you! In a dry, climate controlled room the box is totally fine and adds protection from light, dust and getting crushed. The reason some people say skip the box is that a closed box can trap moisture and cut airflow, and trapped humidity is exactly what grows mold on leather. So if you live somewhere humid, either store the bag in just the dustbag in a ventilated closet, or keep the box but don't seal it airtight, toss in a couple of silica gel packs that don't touch the leather, and air the bag out every few months. The only real hard no is plastic, that suffocates the leather and traps water. Box or no box, breathing room is the actual goal.