A lot of woodworking hobbyists use them to heat their workshops. I need mine more in the living room, so I bring in scraps of leftover wood from my woodworking projects and keep them in a brass bucket next to the stove to use as needed. I'm also using up branches from our Christmas tree bit by bit as convenient, fast-burning kindling. They give off a nice smell, but I suspect the creosote deposits they leave behind will eventually be a problem. My wife is on a recycling kick, which fits right in, since all the cardboard and paper she wants to recycle goes right into the stove as well.
When I bought mine at Tractor Supply Company a few years ago the price was very reasonable. For reasons which are unclear they've gone up in price considerably since then, but they are still well worth the investment and I've seen them on sale recently at Harbor Freight. Of course, there are a few caveats. If you buy one you are likely to also want to buy a grate to go in the bottom so that your fires draw better and the ash is easier to clean out. You'll also want to buy a magnetic thermometer to put on the top to keep track of the temperature. You'll also want a brush and an ash bucket to periodically clean out the ash.
The stove draws best when it's kept running at a fairly high heat and you need to be prepared for a new stove or one you're just starting up to give off a little bit of smoke. Not a problem in a large space like a living room. If you have a setup like mine or if you don't have a fireplace and want to vent the stove through the wall, be prepared to lay out some money for a vent pipe. Even the cheap galvanized stove pipe is fairly expensive, but I went with the more attractive powder-coated black pipe and I think my five feet of pipe with two bends cost almost $100.
A boxwood stove is a practical item for many homes, but that doesn't mean it can't still be fun. It has a lot of old fashioned charm, and the front door does open if you want to watch the fire and maybe even give the kids a chance to roast some marshmallows. Plus, when society falls apart it may be all you have to keep warm with.
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