This is our third and final Geek Fuel – at least for the time being – as it is the end of the three-month gift subscription that my cousin-in-law sent to us. Thanks again, Justin and Kate! 😀
It was a pretty cool one to go off on, including a really nice shirt (that I’m totally jealous is in Jason’s size) and a wicked-cool gaming item that has me completely and utterly mesmerized. XD
Only a week after our incredibly late January Geek Fuel arrived…our February Geek Fuel arrived. That’s the Post for you! But at least this one was closer to being on time! lol
The title of this post pretty much says it all. We’ve been enjoying The Collectors Case for nearly a year now, but this was almost definitely the best one yet for us! SO MUCH LOVE!
I used to do a lot of apologizing about late subscription box openings, but I refuse to apologize for this one! (Although it is going up on the blog even later than…you know what? Just shush.) We were quite certain upon opening that this was February’s Geek Fuel, but it turned out to just be an extraordinarily late January box. Fancy that. But did we enjoy it regardless? Watch the video to find out!
This week I have a series of late unboxing videos, owing to the fact that precisely nothing came before I left for out West last month. Starting out of the gates we have the Nerd Block for July 2015, for which the theme was “Humanity’s Last Hope”. Check out the unboxing video:
Right off the bat I’ll go ahead and admit that this was actually a half-decent Nerd Block, as compared to previous boxes. I was not disappointed, is what I’m saying. So let’s go ahead and look at the breakdown:
“Sweep the Leg” t-shirt:
So, I totally didn’t get this, but this shirt is supposed to be a G.I. Joe/Karate Kid mash-up. I figured that it was Cobra Commander, but I really wouldn’t have guessed that it was also supposed to be a Karate Kid reference as well. It’s not really very clever at all, honestly. That said, it’s not a terrible shirt, and I will wear it. One thumb up and one thumb down for this one, and a standard shirt value of $15.
Transformers dangler:
As I said in the video, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these things, and honestly I’m not a big fan of them. I already have a couple from previous boxes and I’ve never used them because, a) my phone doesn’t have a spot to dangle anything from, and b) even if it did I’m pretty sure a dangler would just end up scratching my screen since I keep my phone in my pocket most of the time. These go for about $5.
Iron Man Pocket Pop keychain:
Okay, I’m definitely happy with this particular item. I love Pops, and though I do think that some of their expanded line of products are a little silly, I do like the keychains and will be happy to use this one. It’s Mark 43 Iron Man! I love him! He’s so cute! Okay, okay, hold it together Tracey. It’s all good. These Pocket Pops are a little overpriced, in my opinion; on average they seem to go for about $10 wherever I’ve found them.
Ghostbusters TYVEK wallet:
This item is very deceptive; it honestly feels like you could easily rip it into a million pieces with your bare hands, but it is, in fact, made of TYVEK, which is supposed to be practically indestructible. This is a pretty neat thing to have, although it’s not exactly huge, so you couldn’t fit all too much in it. My husband gave me the idea of using this wallet specifically for nerdy cards and the like (such as our EB Games discount card, for instance), so I’ll definitely consider that. This wallet is a Nerd Block exclusive, but I’ve found similar wallets going for $15.
“Spike” Titan vinyl figure:
Here’s another one that I can definitely say I love. You guys know that I prefer Pops to Titans, but some of the Titans are pretty cool, and the Buffy line falls amongst those. I also love how this little Spike figure comes with Giles’ mug filled with blood; that’s a cute little addition that makes him even more recognizable. Two thumbs up for this one! Similarly to Pops, these Titan figures go for an average of about $12, depending on where you get them.
Mad Max: Fury Road comic:
My brain totally turned off when I came around to this item. As my husband so kindly pointed out, I really could have talked about the movie a bit when this comic came out of the box, but it was like a switch turned off in my brain and I was just done. Anyway, we watched Fury Road not that long ago and I really enjoyed it a lot. It’s definitely over-the-top and pretty silly, but it was tons of fun, so go watch it right now! As far as the comic is concerned, it’s another one to add to the collection, but I don’t have much more to say than that. I’ll give this one a standard comic issue value of about $5.
Total approximate value of box: $62
Total cost to me: $41
So there you go… Honestly this box was pretty good, especially compared to other recent boxes. The big problem with Nerd Block is that the cost is way too much considering that you’re not likely to be happy with every single item, and the reason the cost is too much is because of the shipping. The base price of $20 for a Nerd Block is completely acceptable, but you end up doubling that price by the time the shipping is added. Comparatively, Loot Crate is a base $30, with the shipping automatically worked in there, so it ends up being cheaper than Nerd Block by a few dollars and is consistently more enjoyable.
So that’s the main reason why I’ve decided to finally cancel Nerd Block. Perhaps I might consider resubscribing in the future, but I don’t think it’s very likely any time soon, unless the Canadian dollar comes back up considerably.
What did you think of Nerd Block for July 2015? Did you receive one? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? What do you think of the cost issue? Please share!
Okay, so we’re well into the fifth month that I’ve claimed I was going to cancel Nerd Block and then didn’t. The problem is that they keep throwing out themes that sound interesting, and I’m weak! So with that thought in mind, check out the unboxing video for the “Ani-May” Nerd Block:
What did you think? Let’s just say that I’m not terribly disappointed that I stayed on for yet another month. Let’s look at the breakdown:
Mobile Suit Gundam t-shirt: Though I didn’t get this shirt in my size, I’m still pretty impressed with it. It’s a nice, standard design without a bunch of useless flair, and the fact that it’s an older show that I actually used to watch is definitely a plus. My hubby will be the one wearing it, but even so I’m pretty happy with the shirt this month. Giving this item the standard t-shirt value of $15.
“Freiza” Funko Pop: It is terribly unfortunate that they chose to send a Dragonball Z Pop in the anime-themed box, since I already have almost all of them. I can appreciate the fact that it was a good choice for the anime-themed box, but it’s just too bad that they didn’t send something from one of the lines I don’t have. Regardless, I’ll give this item the average value that Funko Pops tend to cost around my neck of the woods, which is approximately $13.
“Cowboy Bebop” Convertible Bandana: Although I’m not really sure how I’m going to use it, I have to admit that this item amuses me a bit, because it’s something different. The fact that it’s Cowboy Bebop helps, because that is definitely one of the greatest anime shows of all time. Maybe I’ll use it to keep my hair back when I’m gardening. 😛 Regardless, based on similar bandana products, this item is worth about $10.
“Neon Genesis Evangeleon” manga #1: Now we’re talking. Although I don’t read manga nearly as much these days, I still appreciate it, and it’s awesome that this is the anime they chose. NGE was one of my favorite ones when I was younger, and yet I don’t have a single one of their manga, so this is a nice book to get for sure. I definitely approve of the choice for this item, and since manga go for about $12 each, it’s a nice value to the box as well.
“My Neighbor Totoro” pins: Yeah yeah, I’ve never seen it. I’m sure there are lots of nerds out there right now screaming internally, because Totoro is supposed to be a classic. Despite my ignorance on these matters, I can appreciate these cute little pins, especially the one with Catbus on it, because I find that ridiculous and funny. Based on similar pins this four-pin set would go for about $6.
“Attack on Titan” drawstring bag: This is another show I haven’t seen, although I’ve heard lots and lots of good things. It’s also an item that I’m not terribly fond of, because I find these vinyl drawstring bags look pretty cheap. That said, it is a bag, and everyone sometimes needs a bag, so I’ll take it. These types of bags retail in at about $10, which – just for the record – I would never pay for one of these.
Total approximate value of box: $66
Total cost to me: $37
So right off the bat, the first thing that I want to point out is that this is the first themed Nerd Block for which every item in the box worked perfectly with the theme. In the previous themed boxes there was at least one item in every one that had absolutely nothing to do with the theme, but for this month’s box every item was definitely anime-themed. That makes me like it automatically, because what’s the point of a theme if you don’t stick to it, right?
The second thing I have to mention, of course, is the fact that the Funko Pop was one that I already have. That sucks – it really does – but it was bound to happen eventually and I can’t really down-rate the box because of it.
The third thingI want to mention is that while I’m not on the up-and-up with Nerd Block’s new desire to put books in all their boxes, I do appreciate the manga that was in this one. For one thing, it’s an excellent story. For another thing, it adheres to the theme, which is something the previous books didn’t really do. So two thumbs up for that one.
In conclusion, it was actually quite a good box. The shirt was a good one, the Funko would have been awesome if I didn’t already have it, the manga was a perfect choice, and the other two little items were cute additions. All in all, I have to say that I was pretty impressed. The overall cost to have a Nerd Block shipped to me is still pretty painful and makes it less worth getting, but it’s nice to see a box that was straight-up good.
The question now, of course – as I mentioend in the video – is whether or not I’m going to continue on for next month. I had planned on cancelling after May’s box anyway, because the cost of it is just not okay with me, but then they threw out that “British Invasion” theme, and I’m torn. What if there’s a super-cool Doctor Who item in there and I miss it because I cancelled? Rawr. This is the problem with these subscription boxes!
So, as I said in the vid, I’m looking to you guys for advice. Do you think I should hold on for another month, or should I finally do what I’ve been saying I was going to do since Christmas and cancel my Nerd Block subscription? There’s only four days left to decide, so vote quick!
I do so love doing these super-late unboxing-and-review posts, but until I can convince all of the subscription box companies to ship around my work schedule, this is what we’ve got to deal with.
Today it’s the Horror Block for April 2015, and it wasn’t half bad if I do say so myself. Why not check out the unboxing video?
Not too shabby, right? Let’s go to the breakdown:
I <<Whatever>> Evil shirt: As I’ve mentioned, the hubby and I haven’t been terribly impressed with lots of the Horror Block t-shirts, but this one isn’t too bad. Evil Dead is one of my hubby’s favorite horror movie series, so you can’t really go wrong. Assigning this shirt my standard value of $15.
“Dr Peter Venkman” Funko Pop: Ya’ll know I loves me my Funko Pops, and though I do already have a Venkman Pop, I will happily accept this one as part of my Horror Block since it’s technically different from the one I have. The price of Funkos can be pretty random depending on where you’re getting them and how rare they are, but as this is a common Pops I’m going to assign it the value that it usually costs me to buy Pops when they show up at the local shops: approximately $13
“Killer Shots” Skeleton shot glasses: These are actually super-cute, and it’s always nice to get something in these boxes that is useful. That’s not to say that I use shot glasses on a day-to-day basis, but it’ll be fun to make some bright white shots in these glasses when we have friends around. Two thumbs up, Horror Block. You can get a four-pack of these little guys for about $14, so I’m calling to the 2-pack worth $7.
“Bates Motel” mug: Sometimes getting mugs in these boxes is cool, but I’m not terribly impressed with this one. It’s pretty plain, and actually kinda looks like something someone would make on CafePress using a stock image. Couple that with the fact that we just have so many mugs already, and I’m not horribly happy with this item. I half-heartedly allow it a standard mug value of about $10.
“Overlook Motel” coasters: I’ll admit it…these are kinda funny. It would be interesting to just throw them down during a party and see if anyone realizes what the pattern is that’s holding their beer. But they’re not exactly a game-changing addition to the box. Just a junky little thing that’s kind of amusing. I can’t find these online, so I’m estimating based on the fact that they’re paper coasters, and come in cheap plastic packaging. Let’s say…$3.
Rue Morgue magazine: Finally, as always, the magazine that I never read. Maybe someday when I’m bored I’ll actually take a look through some of these magazines, but for now I personally see them as an item that could be something a lot cooler for the same value. These go for $10 a piece.
Total approximate value of box: $58
Total cost to me: $38
So a couple of things… One, the value wasn’t too shabby. There have been a couple on the low end the past few months, so it’s nice to see that number work its way back up a bit. Second, though I technically don’t much care for the last three items in the box, the first three make up for it. Every box with a Funko is an almost instant win for me, and the shot glasses might not be a high value but they’re still pretty awesome. Couple that with a t-shirt that might actually get worn around here, and I’m happy.
Unfortunately, when you take those three items that I like and combine their values, you’re hardly getting what I paid for the box, which is a big downer and the main reason that I’m going to be cancelling Horror Block. I’ll be getting the box for May (probably sometime after I’ve gone out West), but that will be the last one because I just can’t justify the amount of money I’m spending for the number of cool items I actually end up getting.
Impress me in May, Horror Block. It’s your last shot.
What did you think? Did you receive a Horror Block for April 2015? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? Do you feel the cost is worth it? Please share!
Now that we’ve gotten the outrageously late Horror Block out of the way, it’s time to move on to the only a little bit ridiculously late Nerd Block. I had actually cancelled Nerd Block before April, but when my husband and I saw what the theme for April was we decided to resubscribe for at least one more month.
Check out the unboxing video!
Awesomesauce, right? To the breakdown!
“88 Miles Per Hour” t-shirt: I have to be honest, I’m a little amazed that I got two nice shirts from the Nerd Block family in one month. This shirt, which features the DeLorean from “Back to the Future” and just screams the 80’s, is pretty rad, I have to say. To it I assign my usual t-shirt value of $15.
Exclusive “Ecto-1” vinyl collectible from Titan: When I heard that there was going to be a Ghostbusters vinyl collectible in the April Nerd Block, I assumed it would probably be a Funko, but I’m definitely not disappointed. This little vinyl Ecto-1 is awesome, and will make a welcome addition to our nerd shelves. Since it’s an exclusive item for Nerd Block, it’s difficult to put a value on it, but based on the cost of similarly-sized Titan collectibles, I’m assigning it a value of $15.
Pac-Man heat-change mug: Who doesn’t love a cool heat-changing mug, and who doesn’t love Pac-Man? Honestly, the last thing in the world that my house needs more of is mugs, but I can’t complain about this one. When empty it looks like a blank Pac-Man stage, but when filled with hot liquid Pac-Man, the ghosts, and the dots and fruit magically appear. Too cute, and you can pick up your own online for about $10.
“Tough Sh*t” by Kevin Smith: Continuing on with their new habit of including books in their blocks, this month Nerd Block gives us Kevin Smith’s autobiography. I can’t say that I’m necessarily on board with the book-in-the-block thing, but if they had to give me one, this was a good one to pick. Knowing Kevin Smith, I’m sure it’ll be a humorous read. This book goes for $7.
Nerd Play trading cards: UGH. Nerd Block, why did you do it? You had an excellent box going, and you had to muck it up with more of these silly trading cards. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Nerd Play people are awesome at what they do, but trading cards of cosplayers. Arg. Anyway, I can’t remember what I valued these at last time, but based on other packs of trading cards, mixed with the fact that I’m sure these will never be worth anything at all, let’s say…$2.
Total approximate value of box: $49
Total cost to me: $37
Okay, so this box is proof that overall value does not necessarily equate to enjoyment. This is one of the lowest value boxes I’ve gotten from Nerd Block, but I’m actually not upset about it. It was a good box. The Ecto-1 collectible is awesome, the shirt is actually a decent one, and the Pac-Man mug is very cute (and useful). The book isn’t something I would have necessarily pickd up on my own, but it’s still not a bad item, meaning that the Nerd Play cards are the only thing I don’t enjoy from April’s box. I’d say that’s pretty decent overall.
The only thing, which I have to mention, is of course that the cost of the block is still a frustrating. Compared to other boxes, which are both cheaper and consistently more enjoyable, it’s hard to justify spending the money on Nerd Block, especially when so much of the cost is a ridiculously huge shipping fee. If it weren’t for that, I would never complain, because the boxes are definitely worth the base cost.
That said, I was planning to cancel again immediately after this box, buttttt….(yeah, you knew the ‘but’ was coming, didn’t you) then we found out that the theme for May is ‘Anime’ and that there’s going to be a Funko in it. So yeah. Stop judging me. Rawr. ^_^
What do you think? Did you recieve Nerd Block for the month of April? What was your favorite item? Least favorite? Were you able to fully enjoy the theme as a child of the 80s? Please share!
In the realm of ridiculously-late unboxing videos, I have for you today the Horror Block for March. As with February’s Block, this one came while I was out West, so I didn’t even get to open it until mid-April, and as mentioned in yesterday’s post I didn’t want to do any of these unboxing posts until the A to Z Challenge was over. Thus we have a two-month-late unboxing. But I’m going to share it with you today anyway, because why the hell not?
As always, first check out the unboxing video:
Breakdown time!
“Dixon Motorcycle Repair” t-shirt: Okay, right off the bat I have to say that I had a mental sigh of relief when I saw this t-shirt, because the past several Horror Block t-shirts have not been good ones, in my opinion. This is actually a pretty decent shirt. It’s a clever design, not too busy, and doesn’t have any enormous, creepy-ass faces plasted all over it. Unfortunately I still haven’t actually watched ‘The Walking Dead’ (I know, I know!) so that appeal isn’t there, but it’s still a nice shirt and will likely get worn. As usual, I’m giving this item my default shirt value of $15.
Walking Mummy Puzzle toy: I haven’t actually put this together yet, so I can’t really comment too much, but it’s kinda cute. I’ll probably make it a mini-project to do with my daughter some day; I imagine she’ll get a kick out of winding him up and watching him walk. This little “puzzle” toy can be found online for about $5.
Creepy Face key cover: I don’t know what else to call this thing other than “creepy face”. I saw some other unboxings and saw that there were a couple of other faces you could get, none of them any less creepy. I definitely wouldn’t mind some nice key covers, but I can honestly say I won’t be using this one because it’s kinda ugly. This is a Horror Block exclusive, but similar things go for about $5.
Walking Dead drawstring bag: Since it has two strings for your arms I guess this is technically a backpack, but it’s kinda flimsy so I don’t really think I would definite it that way. This is basically one of those vinyl bags with a drawstring close, with Daryl Dixon printed on the front. It’s interesting, that’s for sure, but I probably wont’ use it for too much because I just don’t use these kinds of bags. Surprisingly (considering that it looks super-cheap) similar bags with licensed characters on them go for about $10.
Pinhead canvas print: This one really surprised me, I have to admit. I’m used to getting mini-posters in some of these subscription boxes, but to get a canvas print? I’m sure it must be made of some material that’s cheaper than canvas, because that stuff is not cheap. To get a real canvas print this size you’re looking at a good $30. Since I refuse to believe that this particular print is actually worth that much I’m going to split it and graciously assign this item a value of $15.
Rue Morgue magazine: And as always, a magazine, this month Rue Morgue. I can’t say a whole lot about this item since I never really read the magazines, but as usual I’ll let you know that if you enjoy these magazines they really help make the box worth the cost, since they retail for about $10 a pop.
Total approximate value of box: $60
Total cost to me: $37
So, this is actually one of the highest value Horror Blocks I’ve gotten yet, but I do have mixed feelings about it. The t-shirt is nice, there’s no denying that. The bag is kinda neat too, but it really does feel quite cheap, and I don’t think it’s worth what it costs. The key cover might be neat if it was a character I know, but this weird ugly face just doesn’t do it for me. The mummy ‘puzzle’ is kind of cute, but it’s not exactly a show-stopper. I can honestly say that I’m amused by the Pinhead print; it will probably go in our “horror room” with all our movies and figures, so that’s cool. And of course, the magazine is exactly what it ever is, which is basically a reminder that I really should get around to reading some of these magazines.
All in all I guess I think it was actually not that bad of a box, but not super exciting either.
What do you think? Do you subscribe to Horror Block? What was your favorite item in the March 2015 box? Your least favorite? Did you hang that Pinhead print anywhere? Please share!
From one geeky subscription box right into another, this is the Loot Crate for February 2015 (again, better late than never, right?)
As always, check out the unboxing video first:
So here’s how the breakdown goes:
Hexbug Ant: I didn’t realize until I went looking for pricing info that this little dude is supposed to be an ant, so I’ve learned something new today. Anyway, it’s a cute little toy that my daughter gets a kick out of, but little things like this always annoy me a little when they come in my nerdy subscription boxes because they’re not really nerdy at all, and also you can find them in the toy aisle at any Walmart for $12.
Superfight Deck: I haven’t gotten around to looking into how to play this just yet, but from what I see on the website it seems I may have been pretty close in saying that it’s similar to Cards Against Humanity. What I wasn’t expecting is that there are a bunch of different decks and expansions that you can buy, and that they go for around $15 each. If anyone has played this game, please let me know if it’s any fun, okay? 🙂
Munny World blank “Munny”: I’m sure this is really neat to the right person, although personally I prefer my pre-made Funkos. That said, after making the video I started seeing a lot of designs for this little dude popping up on Instagram and now I’m kind of interested to see what I could make. Munnys also, apparently, come in different shapes and sizes, if you’re interested. The one we got in Loot Crate is a “mini” Munny, which I can’t find on their website, so based on the price of the larger regular Munny, I’m assigning this a value of $10.
Ready Player One novel: As mentioned in the video I had heard about this book but never really knew what it was about, and after reading the back cover my interest is actually pretty piqued. It goes for about $13, which is standard price for a book of this size.
PacMan mini poster: I’ve gotten these mini posters in Loot Crates before and they tend to be little exclusives with no cash value that I can find, so I’m going to go ahead and give it a value of, let’s say, $2.
Firefly Online gun download code: Upon the writing of this review I was unable to get the Firefly Online website to load, so I have no idea what this is worth, but based on other download codes I’ve gotten for similar games through these subscription boxes, I’m guessing that it’s not worth much if anything. I’ll say $1 just to say something.
Rock Paper Scissors dice: Since these dice are meant for the little bonus board game that Loot Crate made their box into this month, it’s difficult to really assign them a value. They won’t work with most traditional dice games, so it’s unlikely that they’ll ever really be useful for anything else. I’m going to give them a value of about $2 just because they could come in handy somewhere, somehow.
Total approximate value of box: $55
Total cost to me: $38
So as you can see the value of the box is pretty similar to other Loot Crates I’ve received, although that value is skewed a little by the fact that the Canadian dollar has caused the cost of the box to rise a few dollars. It’s still a value if you enjoy the stuff you get, but that’s the real rub, isn’t it? For my part, I expect that I’ll enjoy the book, and I’m going to give the Superfight deck and the Mini Munny a try. Everything else is pretty much just fluff, and that poor Hexbug just can’t hold up to anything other than a perfectly pristine floor. All in all, as I said in the video, it wasn’t a bad box, but it was definitely amongst the worst ones I’ve gotten.
Do you subscribe to Loot Crate? What did you think about February’s box? What was your favorite item? Please share!
Also, a reminder that I am running a contest throughout the month of March. For each comment you post on my blog throughout the month, you will receive one entry toward a draw for a hard-copy of my zombie apocalypse novel, “Nowhere to Hide”! Please note that in order to accept the prize, I will need you to give me a mailing address where I can have the book sent. If the winner drawn did not intend to enter the contest and/or does not want the book, I will draw another name. Please also note that obvious spam/duplicate comments/etc. will not be counted toward an entry…play fair! And good luck! ❤
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