Everyone likes to get deals and save money and get cool stuff. Right? Pretty sure I am not the only one who looks through the bargain bins at the comic book shop or cruises down the clearance toy aisle at the department store. So, what if there was a way to get a box full of goodies like that every month or every other month? There is! And so many choices. So, I am here to help give you a rundown of all those choices and look at the good stuff they can give you.
I selected the top box subscription services out there, doing a lot of research and filtering out some that did not really fit the idea of “geek culture”. I sent each of them the same three questions to answer, so you can see how their answers compare. I asked each to tell me how they got started, what makes them unique, and the coolest thing they have put in a box so far. For all companies, I will provide base pricing, frequency of delivery, and any other insights I can provide. Happy hunting.
Loot Crate
Loot Crate is a monthly subscription service that sends out a themed box of collectibles to members. The service has three levels, basically purchasing 1, 2, or 3 months at a time. A three month subscription costs just over $55. There are always some unique collectibles, and each month you usually get either a Funko POP! or Munny figure or an exclusive t-shirt as well as the occasional Loot Crate exclusive edition cover of a comic book.
You can check out our unboxing video of the “Covert” Loot Crate for March 2015 below.
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I did not get anyone to answer my questions for this box, but I did get a stock email back saying that they had met their quota and wanted to thank me for my inquiry. Lots of little things in the boxes, and the cool shirts and toys are great. You can also use a promo code, SAVE3, to save $3 dollars on your first subscription.
Rate-A-Box: 3.5/5
Nerd Block
Nerd Block includes Horror Block, Arcade Block, Nerd Block Jr. and Nerd Block Jr. for girls. So many options. Basic monthly service costs $19.99 plus shipping, although you can get discounted rates paying for up to 12 months at a time. Toys, games, and nerd goodies along with a shirt every month!
Big thanks to Ashely at Nerd Block for getting the answers to my questions.
2) What differentiates you in the marketplace?
We are owned and operated by nerds. Nerd Block knows what people want and only want to give their subscribers the best products out there. Whether it is getting exclusives or working with nerd celebrities like Kevin Smith to curate a block, we are always thinking of what we personally would want. We also always guarantee a limited edition shirt that only our fans can strut their stuff in.
Geek Fuel
Geek Fuel is a box subscription service that provides a “Monthly Mystery Box of Geeky Goodness”. One of the cool things about this box is that it includes a unique t-shirt every single month. Plus, if you sign up through this link you can get a special bonus item!
A big thanks to Kate at Geek Fuel for providing these answers and box for March. You can watch as Two Comic Booked Dudes unbox the March 2015 box below.
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1) How did your company get started?
The Geek Fuel team is extremely passionate about geek culture and we truly love what we do. Because of this, we tried to be as clear as possible with our Kickstarter campaign and be upfront about what we are offering as a company. This really resonated with the geek and Kickstarter community and was the foundation for the amount of support we received.
2) What differentiates you in the marketplace?
Everyone here at Geek Fuel have been fans (and subscribers) of Loot Crate, as well as other subscription services, and we have an insatiable desire to discover more. We don’t look at Geek Fuel as better or worse but instead we consider ourselves different because with the thousands of new items being released each month, we believe that admirers of Geek culture want to be introduced to as many unique products as possible to stay in touch with the sheer abundance of developments in gaming, comics, toys, games, film and television. Also, since we are a smaller company, we are really focused on supporting the small and up-and-coming artists who have amazing products and are looking for a distribution channel to get their items in front of the Geek Culture audience.
3) What is the coolest thing that you have included in a box so far?
We truly love everything in our boxes, that’s why we do what we do. It is nearly impossible to pick an item above another. That being said, we are very proud of our custom, original shirt designs that are exclusive to Geek Fuel.
I was especially impressed with the first box that I received and I would say that this is one of my favorites. There was such great stuff in the box.
Rate-A-Box: 4.5/5
My Geek Box
Geekdom is worldwide, and nothing proves that more than a UK-based box subscription service. My Geek Box is an awesome looking service shipping worldwide and UK customers get free shipping, which is an amazing bonus. Toys, t-shirts, and collectibles on a monthly basis and each box is themed. Lots of cool stuff. Each month is priced at around $24US a month plus having to pay the shipping if you live outside the UK.
1) How did your company get started?
Gizmo Crate
Gizmo Crate is just that, a box of gizmos. More specifically, the folks at Gizmo Crate focus on providing some of the coolest electronic and household gadgets around for a low monthly subscription rate. The base rate for this subscription is $59 plus shipping for just one month. Boxes have included movies, watches, remote control cars, and snacks. All the stuff to keep the geek in you satisfied.
A big thanks to the Gizmo Crate Team for answering my questions.
Comic Bento
Comic Bento is a box subscription service that provides a selection of graphic novels in each box. Base price is $20 per month for $60 worth of graphic novels. They are themed each month, which is pretty cool, not just random stuff, and it can be from all the major, and some minor, publishers. For comic book lovers, this is a great option.
Check out this note Jeff Moss, Director of Communication:
What differentiates Comic Bento from most blind-box subscription services is first, as far as I now, we are the only ones doing it with Graphic Novels. We pick a theme each month (January’s was “It’s All Criminal” and February’s is “Feminine Mystique”) and then hand-pick books that fit that them. Second, a lot of blind-box services pack their boxes with “things” and while there may be some neat stuff, it’s not quite as engaging as a set of graphic novels. You have to read and get into each book to discover how you feel about it and that adds to our growing community as people discuss what they got in YouTube videos, on Twitter and Facebook. All of us here at Comic Bento have a life-long love of comics and so to be able to share books that we think are cool and are a little bit outside the box (no pun intended) is the best part of putting together a service like this.
Marvel Collector Corp
Newly announced, the Marvel Collector Corp is a partnership between Funko and Marvel that will provide a box of goodies every other month. This box will be themed around the Marvel movie properties. The first box will ship in April and will be themed around Avengers: Age of Ultron. The June box will be themed around the upcoming Ant-Man film. The basics are the boxes will contain 1 figure, a shirt, and some other premium collectibles. Base price for this service is $25 for a box every other month beginning in April 2015.
Big thank you to Chris Lye, VP of Marketing at Funko for answering my questions and to Jeff Klein and Allison Nehls for getting me setup to be able to do upcoming “unboxing” videos on our YouTube channel.
1) How did your company get started?
Funko was founded as a Bobblehead company in 1998. In 2005, Brian Mariotti purchased the company and set his sights toward rapid growth in the licensed collectibles world. We’re probably most famous for our line of Pop! vinyl figures that span over 150 licenses. When Marvel approached us about collaborating with them on a subscription box focused on Marvel fans it seemed like a natural fit!
2) What differentiates you in the marketplace?
What differentiates Marvel Collector Corps in an admittedly crowded subscription box marketplace is FOCUS. Firstly focus exclusively on Marvel– when customers receive their box they know it’s going to be based on something in the incredibly rich Marvel universe. Secondly focus on 100% exclusive collectibles, apparel and accessories. We think these two things are a winning combination for the diehard Marvel fan.
3) What is the coolest thing that you have included in a box so far?
Well we’ve only revealed one thing in the box – the 6” Hulk-buster Pop! vinyl collectible – and most of us think it’s pretty awesome. The rest of the box’s contents are a secret for now.
Check out more here and get in on this cool partnership between Funko and Marvel. This box is a bi-monthly shipment, and exclusive Marvel collectibles, so maybe not for everyone, but definitely to see high demand with the popularity of the Marvel cinematic universe.
Rate-A-Box: 4/5
There are some really awesome companies out there that were very responsive and others that were not so responsive, but I hope that you have learned some things that can help you make your decisions. Every box has their benefits and it really just depends on what you are looking for. Random or themed? Comic or gadget? There is something for everyone.
