Nerd Block - November, 2013

All right! We are finally caught up! Today, I will be talking about the most recent Nerd Block. In case you didn't know, Nerd Block is a monthly subscription box and each month, people receive all sorts of products from "nerdy" franchises. Here is some information:

NERD BLOCK

- $19.99 USD plus shipping per month

- $30 CAD total per month in Canada

- arrives around mid-month in Canada

November, 2013

After a great start and a decent second month, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the third Nerd Block. What I expected was the usual shirt, blind box figures, and small doodads. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to get no blind boxes at all and some decent stuff. Here's a list with approximate retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- Adventure Time T-Shirt ($15)

- Nightmare Before Christmas Oogie Boogie Pop! Plush ($12)

- Iron Man 3 Boxos Papercraft Set ($17)

- Super Mario Star Stress Ball ($3)

- DC Comics Originals Little Mates Batman Key Chain ($7)

- Zombie Splat ($2)

I've mentioned before that I'm just a casual fan of Adventure Time, but I really like the T-shirt this month. It's not a particularly clever design or something that will catch the eye of every passing person. But, it's dynamic and the shirt isn't black. Whew! The fit, as before, is great. As a reference, I normally wear Men's Large T-shirts since I'm a 44R. This month's shirt fit me perfectly. Also, the quality is still good like before. I'm glad since I would hate to see the people at Nerd Block start cheaping out on its subscribers.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Pop! plush is my favourite item in the box. I have to say, however, that this was one month too late. I feel that Oogie Boogie would have been perfect for the October Nerd Block since it was Halloween month. But, hey, Christmas is coming, so I'll give the Nerd Block people a pass on this one. The Pop! plush is one of the items this month that varies. My friend Ryan received a plush of Jack Skellington in his Santa Claus outfit. I admit that I'm extremely envious of him for that, but I love Oogie Boogie, so I won't go and try to steal Ryan's plushie. Or, will I?

A couple of years ago, Jess introduced me to the world of papercraft. We bought some card stock, downloaded some very nerdy papercraft patterns, printed them, and then made enough paper creations to fill an entire shelf. We also made papercraft gifts for friends that year. Unfortunately, we never kept up with the hobby since we got extremely busy at work, which is why we were quite happy to receive the Iron Man 3 papercraft set in this month's Nerd Block. It doesn't require printing or cutting. We just have to put the pieces together. Plus, there are so many different items in the set. Jess and I never made scenery or accessories for our papercraft figures since it was very time consuming. We would only make a single accessory if needed, and that's it. The inclusion of so much... stuff!... in the Iron Man set is very much appreciated.

Despite by recent disappointment in the writing coming out of DC Comics, I am still an eternal fan of the Dark Knight (even with the upcoming Batfleck). So, when I found the Batman key chain, I could not help letting out a girlish squeal that I immediately blamed on Jess. (Sorry, honey!) This is the other item this month for which Nerd Block subscribers can receive different versions. I've only seen a Joker key chain on Instagram so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were others. I'm very happy to have gotten Batman, and in "old school" colours to boot! If you have received someone other than Batman or Joker, please let me know in the Comments section. I'd love to see what others have gotten and how common each character is. Thanks!

The Super Mario Star stress ball seems like a cheap item to include, but I personally like it. I've never actually bought a stress ball before, but I have a bunch of free ones. This star is honestly now my favourite stress ball. I guess it wouldn't be as loved by those who are not a fan of the Super Mario series, so to be objective about this item, I'll say that it is definitely a bit on the cheap side. The star is well made, though, and from a famous video game series. So, for a smaller item, it's pretty good.

The final item is Zombie Splat, which is basically a very cheap slingshot toy. Honestly, I am a bit disappointed with this item. I understand it's fun for kids. Heck, Jess and I are going to give it to our niece as a stocking stuffer this Christmas and we are certain she will have a blast. But, it's really, really cheap and the zombies are not really zombies. They're designed more like rag dolls. Personally, I think Toysmith is trying to take advantage of the recent popularity of zombies in pop culture, and it's shame. They could have designed "zombies" that actually look like zombies, but they now have a product that looks more like one of those misnamed knockoffs you find in Chinatown. It's a stupid move by this toy maker and I am surprised Nerd Block actually included it. I would have taken another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rubber pad over this.

Overall, the Novermber, 2013 Nerd Block is the best box to date. Not only did I like most of the items, but I feel that I got more bang for my 30 bucks this time around. I don't expect Nerd Block to keep giving me more and more worthwhile items, but I do sincerely hope they at least maintain this month's level of quality going forward. Now, it's time for me to log off and build some paper Iron Men with Jess!

Stay tuned for Disney Marvel Vinylmations and Jess' first entry!