I remember the 688 came in cardboard, inside anither cardboard box. The middle was supported with an extra block of the foamy type stuff, not the hard polysterene stuff that crumbles into those little beads. The 688 was heavier and wider, so the support in the middle was enough.
Both me and a friend had 388's and they had cardboard boxes. Maybe they shipped box in a box but not how we got them from the store. I remember how sketchy it was transporting them in the box.