Earlier this evening I was browsing through a Michael's Craft store in search of some heavy card stock paper when I happened upon three different sizes of nice wooden boxes. They were manufactured by Artists Loft, which I understand is a line that is exclusive to Michael's stores. Not being very good with English measurements, I guessed at the metric measurements of each box and then converted them to the English equivalents. Because of that, the measurements are close enough to give you and idea of the size of the boxes, and are not exact.

One box was about 1.5-ft. long, 6-8 inches wide and about 1 inch deep. It hinged open at one end, and was hinged (internal hinges) on the lid near the opposite end. When the box is closed, the top is flat and smooth. Not sure if anything inside was made to be removeable, but this box has possibilities. This is their Watercolor Storage Box, pictured in the link below, and ran for about $15/USD.

http://vancouver.flyerland.ca/products/m......13732525

The next size up was about 12in. x 16in. by about 1.5in. in depth. Inside was three or four slats of wood that were in a fixed position, but I am sure with a little care they could be removed completely, or removed to make them re-positionable. This one ran about $25/USD. I cannot find a photo of this online and if anyone can, please post a link below.

The third box was larger still, measuring about 14in. x 18in. and about 2-2.5in. in depth. The top is smooth and flat. Inside there is a removeable tray (lifts out) with re-positionable slats, and underneath were 4 or 5 more wooden slats that were also removeable. This particular box comes with a wood palette, for whatever use you can make of it (or not, but I can think of plenty!) This one ran about $35/USD. I also could not find a photo online for this box, but again, if anyone can, please post a link below.

All the boxes are the same color as the one in the link above, the ones that I saw had a nice glossy finish on them, they all have a nice stitched leather handle, brass hardware and they are kept shut with a clasp-type 'lock' (not sure what they are called, but they work!). Overall, these were well put together and the edges were neat, the seams were flush and they look very nice. The wood used to make the boxes and the slats were all at least 1/4 inch - 1/3 inch thick so they are not flimsy boxes, but they are still quite light.

I thought I would list these here because these would make a decent close-up case that would look nice and maybe even classy. If you line the inside of the boxes with velvet or felt, that would add to the protection of your props and would also make for a great storage case too. They may not be the best option out there, but they would get the job done and they are not too expensive. Check your local Michael's store in the area where they sell the artist's easels and paint brushes - that is where I found them in my local store.

The one looks a little shallow for a chop cup or anything of that size. The largest is still only 2 1/4 inches deep.

The first box is too shallow for chop cups, but it is ideal for smaller, flat objects like a couple decks of cards, coins, wands (wands like the Telic might even actually fit in the pre-drilled holes meant to hold paint brushes), markers, etc.

The other two boxes would make for nice storage cases for plenty of other props besides a set of cups. To me, if I am going to store a quality set of cups in a box, I am going to spend more than $35 on a nice lined and padded box to protect the investment.

Denis - have you been able to locate the boxes in a store near you? I ask because I have talked to a few people that have read this thread and they cannot find them in their local Michael's at all.

That was my thought. They look nice, but seem too shallow. Michaels is a great resource for many things.