Tag: exclusive

More Gift Boxin’ with The Border Geek!

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This appears to be turning into some kind of regular event! We’ve got another gift box from our buddy Derek, The Border Geek, and it was PACKED with awesome items from TMNT, Harley Quinn, Red Sonja, Marvel VS Capcom, Power Rangers, Butchovision, and a super-special EXCLUSIVE item that I guarantee you we will be the one-and-only owners of. XD

Loot Crate Unboxing and Review for 2015

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It’s nearly the end of the year, but there’s still a nerdy subscription box to get out of the way! This is the Loot Crate for December 2015, for which the theme was “Galaxy”.


Galactic-themed “Ugly Holiday” shirt:
This is the second piece of “ugly Christmas” apparel that I’ve gotten in my subscription boxes this year, but unfortunately this one came a bit too late. You can’t even really blame me for waiting to open it, because the box didn’t actually arrive in my mail until the day before Christmas Eve. That would have given me 2-3 days to make use of the shirt even if I’d opened the box right away, so that’s a bit bothersome. That said, I do think the design is cute, so I’ll try my very hardest to remember that I’ve got it when next Christmas rolls around.
Approximate value: $15

“Halo 5” lunchbox:
There are certain items that – when they show up in my subscription boxes – make me wonder what the team in charge of the box was thinking. A tin lunch box? Really? It’s not that it’s a horrible item, and I’m sure some people certainly thought it was awesome, but a lunchbox is just one of those weird items that’s only going to appeal to a certain kind of person, and I’m not one of them. It’s effectively a storage container, so I’m sure I’ll find something to put in it, but it’s definitely not the kind of thing I look forward to finding in my subscription boxes.
Approximate value: this item is exclusive to the box, but based on similar items I’m guessing its value is about $15

“Halo 5 Req Pack” redeemable code:
My feelings are a bit mixed on this one. It’s a nice little addition to the box for someone who has Halo 5, but it’s a total bust if you neither have nor plan on ever having the game. I also just personally think that a download code for a game (even if it’s a smaller, cheaper game) is way cooler than a code for an add-on to a game. All that said, we will probably wind up picking up Halo 5 at some point, so this code isn’t likely to go to waste.
Approximate value: I’m not 100% certain that I’m looking at the right thing on the XBox Store, but I believe this item is worth $3

“Galaxy Quest” patch:
I’ve got nothing against Galaxy Quest (in fact, I rather enjoyed it), but I do feel like this is a junky filler item. The only time I tolerate patches is when they’re a special-collectible-in-every-box kind of thing, like what the Collector Corps and Smuggler’s Bounty boxes do, and even then I’m not the biggest fan. Patches just aren’t my thing, sorry. That said, this is supposed to be an authentic prop replica, like the patches on the uniforms in the movie, so there’s something to be said for that.
Approximate value: this is another exclusive item, so although I usually assign patches a base value of $5, I’ll bump it up to $10 for the exclusivity

BB-8 “Star Wars” socks:
Now here we go. I can definitely get behind these cute white-and-orange socks that feature the cute, round droid from The Force Awakens. Who couldn’t use socks, right? And I’m a huge Star Wars fan, so these are extra cool/lame. Love them!
Approximate value: $6

“Han Solo (Snow Gear” exclusive Funko Pop:
And here we have the item that really turns the tide. I was certain that there was supposed to be a vinyl figure in this box, but I wasn’t positive that it was going to be a Funko, so I was very happily surprised by this awesome exclusive. I love what they’ve done to make Han look nice and old, and the “snow gear” is a change from the usual get-up that we usually see Han in. I genuinely love this Pop, and I’m very excited to have it.
Approximate value: $20

Approximate value of box: $69
Approximate cost to me: $40

So, first things first, although some of my numbers might not be absolutely accurate (it’s always fun guessing the value of exclusive items), we can see that the value of this box is way up there with some of the highest I’ve ever gotten, and that’s always nice to see. Personally I feel that the number is a little inflated because a couple of these items are all but worthless to me, but it’s still nice to see that number be on the higher end.

The box itself definitely wasn’t the best Loot Crate I’ve ever gotten, but it was still pretty good. The lunch box and the patch aren’t my cup of tea, and the shirt is something that’s more or less worthless until next year, but the exclusive Pop and the BB-8 socks make up for those item, and the Halo 5 code will be used at some point. All in all, as I said in the video, I have to give it one-and-a-half thumbs up. I love the two Star Wars items enough to overlook the other stuff.

What did you guys think of this, the last Loot Crate for 2015? Was it a hit or a miss? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? If you’re a subscriber, did your box come in time to actually wear the shirt for the holidays? Please share!

Marvel Collector Corps Unboxing and Review for April/May 2015

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Ladies and gents, fellow nerds and geeks, this is the box that I have been waiting for. In the past year I’ve become a little more than obsessed with subscription boxes, but this is the one that I’ve been most excited about because it seems like it was designed for me. This 6-boxes-a-year box is co-founded by Marvel and Funko – two of my favorite things – and is full of Marvel-themed awesomeness. The boxes are also themed, and the very first theme was “Age of Ultron”, which corresponded with the movie, which I was also super-excited for. Can you feel the joy through my words? Then imagine the joy you’ll feel through the video:

I will readily state right now that I was more than happy with this, the first ever Marvel Collector Corps box. Let’s go right ahead and check out the breakdown:

“Collector Corps” pin: This little pin features an old-school-looking Captain America’s head with the words “Collector Corps” written around it. I’m thinking that this is a “first ever box” kind of addition, and I’m okay with that. It’s a cute little badge to commemorate being one of the first ever subscribers to this brand new box. It’s difficult to put a value on such a thing, especially given that it’s obviously an exclusive item, but since it’s just a little pin I’m going to say it’s maybe worth about $2.

“Collector Coprs” Ultron patch: Okay, so I’m not the kind of person who puts patches on, well…anything, but I’m telling you right now that I will find a use for this patch. It features Ultron’s snarling face, also surrounded by the words “Collector Corps”, and it’s just a nice-looking little addition as well. I’m wondering if each box is going to include a similar item with an image that refers to the theme. If so, I’ll be okay with that. If not, I’ll treasure this one because Ultron is awesome. Patches aren’t exactly a big ticket item either, but I’m guessing a value of about $5 for this one.

“Iron Man VS Ultron” t-shirt: Every Collector Corps box is going to include a t-shirt, and what was cool about this first one was that you actually could have gotten one of four different designs. They all look like old-school fight promotion posters, and each one features one of the four main Avengers – Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, or Hulk – against Ultron. It’s a bit of a busy design for my liking, but still pretty cool, and I’m happy to have gotten the Iron Man version because I think it’s the nicest-looking, myself. As with other subscription boxes, I’m going to assign the shirt a standard value of about $15.

Exlusive “Ultron” Dorbz figure: So far, everything in the box was made specifically for the box, and this item is no different. Dorbz – super-cute characters with adorably happy expressions on their faces – are one of the newest items from Funko. The one included in this box is an exclusive super-happy little Ultron figure, which I just love to bits. I don’t see me actively collecting Dorbz because they’re less than half the size of a Funko Pop for the same amount of money, but I’ll definitely accept them as part of my Collector Corps because they’re SO CUTE. Dorbz retail at about $9.

Avengers “Guardians Team-Up” #1 comic with Exclusive Variant Cover: As I said in the unboxing video, I would have prefered a comic of the classic Avengers rather than the new ones with Falcon as Captain America and the female version of Thor, but I’ll accept it none-the-less. It’s a neat item to have in the box because it features so many amazing Marvel characters, and though I don’t normally collect single-issue comics, it’ll still look pretty awesome on my shelf. Giving this a standard comic issue value of about $6.

“Hulkbuster” 6″ Exlusive Funko Pop Vinyl: And I save the best for last, because he is awesome and he makes me so happy that I decided to sign up for this box. The Collector Corps exclusive Hulkbuster Pop is an amazing collectible, especially if you’re obsessed with Pops like me. It’s a beautiful mold with tons of detail, a gorgeous shiny paint job, and the thing weighs a ton compared to other 6″ Pops. He is officially one of my favorite things ever, and I’m super-excited to be able to add him to my collection. As a 6″ Pop, my Hulkbuster is worth about $25.

Total approximate value of box: $62
Total cost to me: $39

So right off the bat, what I have to mention is that this box costs me approximately the same per box as a Nerd Block or Loot Crate subscription. It actually starts at $25, but once you add in the (ridiculous) shipping to get it to Nova Scotia, the cost explodes a bit. However, the value of the box is definitely there, which softens the blow of the cost a little. Plus, since this box only comes every two months, the cost is softened further because I’m not paying it every 30 days.

As for the box itself, in case you hadn’t guessed I was more than happy with it. The Hulkbuster was, of course, the big thing for me, and the box would have been worth it for him alone, but I enjoyed the other items as well. The exclusive Dorbz was a pleasant surprise that I rather love, the shirt is quite nice, if not a little busy, and the comic is a cool item to have. The pin and badge aren’t exactly gamechangers, but they’re both cute and enjoyable none-the-less. Plus, every single item it the box was exlusive to subscribers, which is pretty amazing, honestly.

All in all, I’m very happy with the entire thing, and if this first box was any indication I’m sure I’m going to be enjoying this particular subscription box for quite a while.

What do you think of Marvel Collector Corps? Did you sign up yourself? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? Did you sign up for the “Founders” program, in which you recieve a special gift after a year of subscribing? Please share!