Loot Crate - August, 2016 - Anti-Hero

Hey, everyone! It’s almost October and I just received my August Loot Crate! Yes, you read that right - “August”. While Americans have already received their September Loot Crates, we up here in the Great White North are finally getting a partial reprieve from our tears shed after having the Anti-Hero items rubbed in our faces online. You’re probably wondering why it’s taken so long for us in Canada to get our Crates. Well, we have something called “Canada Post” and they hate us. All of us. They enjoy making us wait ridiculous amounts of time for everything and are powered by tears, especially those of children. Damn you, Canada Post. Damn you to Heeeeeelllllllllllll!!!

Oh, and here’s a video showing me unboxing my Crate:

And, here’s a photo of everything together, marking the true beginning of this blog entry:

For those of you who aren’t familiar of Loot Crate, it’s a monthly subscription box that caters to "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 4 to 8 items. There are several different subscription options you can choose from. Here's a breakdown with shipping to Canada included:

1 Month Plan - $29.95 USD / $41.00 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $84.00 USD / $114.00 CAD per 3 months

6 Month Plan - $162.00 USD / $219.00 CAD per 6 months

1 Year Plan - $312.00 / $423.00 CAD per year (includes Bonus T-Shirt)

As some of you who have read this blog in the past have probably noticed, the cost for this program has gone up significantly for Canadians, due in part to our weak dollar at the moment. Regardless of the reason, this hurts. One can only hope the items are still worth the price tag.

AUGUST, 2016 - ANTI-HERO

When I received my Crate, I had waited so long for it that I had honestly forgotten what the theme was. Before making the unboxing video, I actually had to Google it! I also have no memory of what I felt when I first heard about the theme back in July. So, I’m just going to jump right into listing the items in the box with approximate Canadian pricing noted:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($2.50 CAD)

- Archer T-Shirt ($18.00 CAD)

- Hellboy Money Bank ($20.00 CAD)

- Kill Bill Socks ($10.00 CAD)

- Harley Quinn Q-Fig ($20.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Custom Box

This is by far one of the best custom box designs I’ve seen from Loot Crate. I love how much fun it is! Plus, look how badass it makes me look! :p

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

This month’s magazine is packed with great articles, like “What’s the deal with Hellboy’s Hand?”, “History of Harley Quinn”, and “Favorite Running Gags From Archer”. There’s even a recipe!

Loot Crate Theme Pin

I used to play “World of Warcraft” quite a bit, but have been away from it for a long time. Still, I appreciate this month’s pin and am in awe at how detailed it is.

Archer T-Shirt

This is a very appropriate t-shirt since it’s the US Presidential Election this year. As a fan of “Archer”, I love the design.

Hellboy Money Bank

This Loot Crate Exclusive is fantastic! Detailed, sturdy, great for displaying on a shelf, and perfect for saving money to take Jess on a trip to Europe. I have lots of love for this piggy bank!

Kill Bill Socks

I wear colourful socks almost every day. What’s better than colourful socks? Colourful socks featuring nerdy things that I love. These “Kill Bill” socks are going to be on my feet over and over again.

Harley Quinn Q-Fig

This is by far the best Q-Fig I’ve seen. Harley’s pose is quite fitting. The details are off the charts. The paint job is nearly perfect. I can’t wait for people to see this little statue on my bookshelf. This is definitely my favourite item in this Crate.

OVERVIEW

Loot Crate has done it again! Phenomenal items, amazing value, fantastic theming, and top marks in the fun department make this one of the best boxes they’ve ever put together. It makes me incredibly excited for the September Crate, which will hopefully arrive soon.

It you’re interested in Loot Crate or want to sign up, head over to their web site HERE. Use code SAVE10 for 10% off a new subscription.

And, that’s a wrap. More unboxings and reviews are coming soon, so stay tuned!

~ Mike

Transformers Alt-Modes

Hey, it's Mike and today I'm bring you a video review of the Transformers Alt-Modes figure I picked up from Walmart. Usually, I try to be somewhat serious, but today things get a little goofy. I hope you enjoy watching me be a total dork. ^_~

More reviews are coming soon, so stay tuned. And, as always, thanks for dropping by!

~ Mike

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera

Hey, everyone. Mike here, and I am super excited to be bringing you all another In Box video! This time around, I unbox and review the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera. Yay, polaroid photography! ^_^

I hope you enjoyed that. Stay tuned for more In Box coming soon!

~ Mike

Steven Universe Mystery Minis

Hey, everybody! Mike here, and today is my 5th Wedding Anniversary with Jess! For this momentous occasion, Jess gave me a Steven Universe Mystery Mini by Funko. Want to know what I think about it? Hit "Play" on my video review to find out!

I hope you enjoyed the vid. Stay tuned for more In Box, coming soon!

~ Mike

Loot Gaming - August, 2016 - Mecha

Hey, everyone! Mike here, and we have a brand new feature here at In Box! In our last entry, we did a video review using a GoPro and got some really good feedback. So, today, we are happy to bring you our very first video unboxing, featuring the August box from Loot Gaming!

As mentioned in the video, we are going to continue with our usual written review, so here goes!

In case some of you haven't heard of Loot Crate, it’s a monthly subscription box that caters to "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a box of items that match the announced theme. Loot Gaming is the video game version of Loot Crate and caters to gamers. Like its parent program, Loot Gaming has different subscription options. Here's a breakdown with shipping to Canada included:

1 Month Plan - $34.95 USD / $47.00 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $101.85 USD / $138.00 CAD per 3 months

6 Month Plan - $197.70 USD / $268.00 CAD per 6 months

1 Year Plan - $383.40 / $519.00 CAD per year

If you've seen the pricing for Loot Crate, you will notice that Loot Gaming is more expensive. Plus, the conversion to Canadian Dollars is pretty painful, probably due to the weak dollar over here. One can only hope the items are still worth the price tag.

AUGUST, 2016 - MECHA

It's September, but I only just received my Crate. As mentioned in our previous Loot Gaming review, this program ships later than Loot Crate, so Canadians will generally not be receiving their boxes until after the intended month. I'm personally okay with that, but I can understand if some of you aren't.

Of course, at the end of the day, what matters is what items are included in the box and whether they are worth it. Let's start having a loot at that with a list of what I got:

- Loot Gaming Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Gaming Theme Pin ($2.50 CAD)

- Destiny T-Shirt ($18.00 CAD)

- LawBreakers Cap ($15.00 CAD)

- Bioshock Patch ($10.00 CAD)

- Deus Ex Figure ($18.00 CAD)

- Borderlands Bottle Opener ($15.00 CAD)

Loot Gaming Custom Box

A while back, Loot Crate started to provide a custom design inside the box every single month. Now, there are a lot of spin-off Crates, each with their own box designs as well. Eventually, a somewhat lazy design will pop up, and I feel this is one of them. This armory design does not fully fit the "Mecha" theme this month. I mean, it's still kind of cool and I can somewhat understand how this is considered "Mecha", but I feel like the designers could have come up with something better.

Loot Gaming Mini Magazine

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love the mini magazines that Loot Crate provides. This thing is packed with content, including a great interview and an article on Transhumanism. A great read.

Loot Gaming Theme Pin

I am loving these new metal pins. This month's design features a cyborg hand. Very fitting for the theme.

Destiny T-Shirt

There was a period of 3 months a while back where I played "Destiny" exclusively. I love that game and still don't know why I stopped playing. This shirt featuring character designs from the game is really nice. Not only do I love the design, but I am also impressed with the soft, stretchy fabric of the shirt itself. This is top quality material Loot Crate is using and I appreciate it.

LawBreakers Cap

I have honestly never heard of the game "LawBreakers", so I can't tell whether it is considered "Mecha" or not. But, I like the design of this cap and will definitely wear is from time to time. Alternatively, I may give it to my best friend, who I feel this design represents quite well. LOL

Bioshock Patch

I love Bioshock and was very excited to pull this Big Daddy patch out of my Crate. The details are amazing and the large size of the patch itself really impresses. This is definitely a keeper!

Deus Ex Figure

I've only ever played one of the "Deus Ex" games for a short amount of time, but it was fun and I definitely want to give it another shot. This figure from "Mankind Divided" has a detailed chibi design that looks fantastic on display. My only complaint is that my figure seems to be leaning back just a bit. Thankfully, it still stands. I just have to be careful not to bump whatever shelf I'm putting it on too hard.

Borderlands Bottle Opener

This is by far one of the best items I've ever received from Loot Crate and Loot Gaming. I love this metal Claptrap bottle opener! It's sturdy and looks amazing. Plus, it has magnets on the back so I can stick it on my fridge. NICE!

OVERVIEW

All in all, I think this was a good Crate. It had fantastic items that were well worth the subscription cost. I do have to question the thought put into the theme, though. I'm not fully convinced that "Borderlands" and "Bioshock" can be considered "Mecha", though Claptrap is certainly a robot. Does a robotic element in a generally not-very-mecha series count? I'm not 100% sure. And, then, there's the box design. An armory is not exactly very "Mecha". Still, taken as a whole, there's more "Mecha" than not, so I feel Loot Gaming has still succeeded. And, did I mention the items are great?

If you're interested in learning more about Loot Crate and Loot Gaming, be sure to check out their web site HERE. And, if you enjoyed our new video unboxing feature, please let us know. We would also appreciate any advice on how to improve our videos since we're very new to this kind of thing. Thanks!

And, that's it for this entry. Stay tuned for more In Box, coming soon!

~ Mike