Shockboxes are pretty nice. Nearly all the MVS I own are inside a shockbox, with art. Not quite what I would call a "poor man's homecart", especially sonsidernig what the boxes cost, with art, shipped. You add about another $10 to the price of a cart by having a shock box!
I place mine in shockboxes to keep them clean and safe, I think it looks better than a stack of MVS carts, and it also makes it easier to locate games, especialy those jap carts!