Loot Crate July 2015 Review - "Heroes 2" Box

Today I received this month's Loot Crate, and it was a little worse for wear.

Ouch.

It's a beautiful day outside, so I sat on my porch to see what treasures the box held. The theme this month is "Heroes 2," which is a sequel to last August's "Heroes" crate.

Loot Crate Exclusive TV Series Batman Figure (Q-Pop) - This is the centerpiece item of the box. It features Batman, Adam West style, perched on a gargoyle, batarang in hand. It's a pretty solid weight, with a round base that means it's definitely for show, not for play. The box also includes a small speech bubble and dry-erase marker so that you can set up your own comic book scenarios...

...like this (featuring the inside-out box).

Value - $19.95 (from QMx's website)

Batarang Keychain/Multi-tool (Paladone) - In keeping with the Batman theme, there's this pretty awesome keychain that includes a bottle opener and two separate screwdriver heads. It's pretty heavy and a little pointy, so I wouldn't suggest taking it through airport security!

Value - $8.83 (on popcultcha.com)

Loot Crate Exclusive Hardcover Book (Quirk Books) - This was the item that I was most excited for. I love reading, and when the Loot Crate emails promised their first ever hardcover book, I was all over that. The book seems to include superheroes from the ages that the world tried to forget (until they could remember them in this hilarious book)

Value - $12.79 (on Amazon)

Wonder Woman Poster (DC Bombshells)- It's not very big (maybe 9x9 inches), but the print is nice quality, and if you like DC superheroes and WWII propaganda posters, this is for you.

Value - $5.00 (estimated - larger verions sell for $14.99 on ThinkGeek)

Star Trek Vanilla-Scented Air Freshener - This one has me really torn. As much as I love Star Trek, and it would be great to remember the great Leonard Nimoy every time I drive to work, I'm not a big fan of air fresheners on principal. My car still has that beautiful new car smell too, and I'm not in a hurry to get rid of it.

Value - $1.50 (you can get a two-pack for $3 here)

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Loot Crate Exclusive Legend of Zelda Sweatband (Bioworld) - Not going to lie: I've never really understood the point of wrist sweatbands. Maybe it's because I don't exercise all that much? Anyway, this is a LC Exclusive item made by Bioworld, which seems to make quite a few of their exclusives. Seems to be good quality, as sweatbands go. I was hoping for something a little more exciting when the emails promised a Legend of Zelda wearable.

Value - $4.99 (comparable items sell for this price)
 

Brawlhalla Game Code - I've never heard of this game, but I believe it's free to play and accessible through Steam. The code on the back of this card promises skins and items to be used in-game.

Value - ???

And that's it! Due to the damage to the box, I didn't receive this month's commemorative button, which is a bit of a bummer. The total estimated value of the "Heroes 2" crate is $53.06, which while more than the box's price of $13.95 + S&H, is less than some of the more recent boxes. I also received last summer's "Heroes" box, and I feel like this one made the same mistakes that one did - having the centerpiece items limited to one or two heroes, and leaving everyone else with "paper filler." Still, I don't mind that so much this time around, because who doesn't love Batman? 

Help a Sister Out

If you'd be so kind, that is. You see, one of my really good friends from college is part of a Kickstarter campaign called "Beyond the Breach: A Pacific Rim Fan Book." Now, if you're looking at this blog, you're probably nerdy, and if you're nerdy, you've probably heard of Pacific Rim. And if not, a quick summary: it's a movie by Guillermo del Toro about giant robots fighting giant monsters. It has great visuals, excellent characters, and an emotional storyline that has drummed up a sizable fan base.

Some of those fans got together to create this book, which, if I understand it correctly, is a compilation of artwork and creative writing inspired by the movie. The campaign ends in three days, but it still needs $500 more to make its goal. That is where you, my readers (wherever and whoever you are) come into the picture. If you have a few bucks to spare, maybe throw some of it towards this project. $5 gets you a digital copy of the book, $20 gets you a hard copy, and there are plenty of tiers after those.

 

If you want to donate, click here.

Loot Crate April 2015 Review - "Fantasy" Box

I've known about Loot Crate for a little under a year now, but being overseas has prevented me from reviewing any of the previous boxes I've received. That's why, when I learned the theme for April's crate, I was doubly excited: not only would I have a (hopefully) useful article for you, my maybe-existent-readers, but fantasy is my favorite genre.

For those of you who don't know, Loot Crate is a monthly themed subscription box that always contains 6-8 delightfully geeky items valued at $40 or more. It costs $13.37 a month + $6.00 shipping, although the price drops if you sign up for a multi-month plan, and they always have coupon codes available. Click here if you're interested in subscribing!

(I should mention that this is not a promotional crate. I bought it myself - this is an independent customer review.)

The spoilers for this month promised exclusive and wearable items from Game of Thrones, Dungeons & Dragons, and The Princess Bride, while later emails also added Harry Potter to the list.

Well, without further ado, the review!

The box this month is small, but with enough weight to it that it promises not to be a lot of paper goods.

The magazine includes articles about D&D history and fantasy TV shows to check out. Also pictured is April's collectible "fantasy" button.

Dungeons & Dragons T-Shirt (by Wizards of the Coast and Loot Crate Labs) - As a big D&D fan, this shirt is a big hit with me. It's very soft pre-shrunk cotton. I'm also happy to see a t-shirt in a color other than black. The above pictured shirt is a women's small.

Value - $12 (estimated)

Inflatable Crown (by Loot Crate Labs) - The spoilers promised wearables, and this is the second. It's silly but fun. The material feels sturdy and it's neither too large nor too small. I was able to blow it up in less than 15 seconds. It definitely fits with a medieval fantasy theme.

Value - $6 at Urban Outfitters

The Princess Bride Playing Cards (by Albino Dragon) - Not going to lie, but seeing The Princess Bride as part of the advertising is a big part of why I signed up for this month's crate. I feel like for such a well-loved movie there's not a huge amount of merchandise available. The cards are nice quality. The face cards show different characters with some of their most famous lines (although to be fair, it's inconceivable to think that a single line from the film isn't famous).

Value - $9.99 at Vat19.com

RPG Bow Tie (a Loot Crate exclusive by Black Tie Geek) - Now, I've never had much need for a bow tie, but seeing as my ideal future spouse will be as big a D&D nerd as me, this seems like a good thing to hold on to. It's pre-tied with an adjustable strap and a hook-and-eye latch.

Value - $10 (estimated, based on other geek-themed bow ties like those found in Hot Topic)

Harry Potter Bag Tag (by Bioworld) - As a Harry Potter fan of roughly 16 years and a world traveler, I can't think of a more useful item to find in my Loot Crate. It appears to be made of rubber or some similar material, and it feels solid and well-made. I'll be attaching this to my suitcase as quick as a Quidditch player.

Value -  $12.99 at Kohl's

Game of Thrones USB Flash Drive (a Loot Crate exclusive by CustomUSB) - This 4GB Stark direwolf might have been my favorite item, mostly because I've been in the market for a new nerdy thumb drive. I only wish it had a keychain component so I could make sure not to lose it as fast as Catelyn loses her children. (Too soon? Yes, too soon.)

Value - $10 (estimated, based on the cost of other licensed flash drives)

  
Game of Thrones Magnet Set (by Dark Horse) - I've been slowly amassing fridge magnets for my new apartment, so these came at the perfect time. There are actually 5 magnets in the set: the four house sigils and the show title at the top. I don't predict that they're very strong, so they'll definitely be more for decoration than for holding anything up.

Value - $6.00 (estimated, based on it being smaller than a similar set selling for $11.99 on the HBO website)

This month's box is reversible, which makes me want to go back and check if any of the others are. 

The collection.

The fully inflated crown.

 The verdict - I am very pleased with Loot Crate's "Fantasy" box. With the exception of the crown, everything in the box is useful to me in some way (and who knows, I might find a place for the crown too). I haven't gotten any crates since September's "Galactic" theme because I was disappointed with the overabundance of paper goods and kiddy stuff, and a lack of item variety. I thought this month was excellently curated and not overhyped, with nice quality items. If Loot Crate ever does another fantasy-themed box, though, I would love to see something Tolkien-related.

For $16.37 (after using NEWS3 to save $3.00), this box has an estimated value of $66.98, which seems like a good deal to me!

Hope you found this review helpful. Check back here soon for more nerd-related reviews and commentaries.