Amazon mystery boxes are gaining popularity, promising a mix of returned items at a fraction of their original cost. But are they worth the gamble?

Jeff Rossen purchased two boxes — a general merchandise box and an electronics box — to find out. The general merchandise box, bought for $100 on eBay, included items like a bizarre panther windshield shade, wall chargers and a dog toy storage container. The total value of the items came to $245, but reselling them would only yield about $123 after markdowns and shipping costs.

The electronics box, also $100, turned out to be a jackpot. It included brand-new AirPods Pro (second generation) worth $250, a wireless microphone set and other useful gadgets. The total value of the box reached $403, making it a profitable find.

While the general me

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