Loot Crate - July, 2016 - Futuristic

Hey, everyone! Mike here, and yes, you read the title right. I am a Looter once again! For how long, I do not know. What I do know is that I was overjoyed to receive a Crate this month. Here it is in all its glory:

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 themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. 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, probably due 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.

JULY, 2016 - FUTURISTIC

This is the first time since getting into subscription boxes that I didn't know the theme of a box beforehand, so I honestly didn't know what to expect. Upon opening my Crate, I was greeted with what seemed like Sci-Fi items. As it turned out, the theme was Futuristic, so I wasn't far off the mark. Here's what I got, along with approximate Canadian pricing:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)
- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($2.50 CAD)
- Rick and Morty T-Shirt ($18.00 CAD)
- Star Trek Decal ($5.00 CAD)
- Mega Man Kidrobot Figure ($11.00 CAD)
- 4001 AD #1 Comic ($5.00 CAD)
- Futurama Ship Model ($20.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Custom Box

Custom box designs have become the norm for Loot Crate, and one of the things I've been wondering is when they will run out of good ideas. Based on this month's awesome ship hanger design, the answer is "not just yet".

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

The cover design for the mini magazine is lackluster, but the contents are phenomenal. For example, there is a fun article that ranks the Star Trek captains, a 2-page Rick and Morty spread for you to colour in, and a list of times Futurama made people cry.

Loot Crate Theme Pin

My favourite "new style" pin so far. I think it's absolutely fitting for this month's theme. Plus, this is the first Loot Crate pin I've received that I feel truly doesn't scream "Loot Crate". Only people "in the know" know where I got it and that's something I appreciate.

Rick and Morty T-Shirt

I'm a huge fan of Rick and Morty, so it should come as no surprise that I have already started wearing this awesome shirt that features Rick's portal gun. Sweet!

Star Trek Decal

I love Star Trek: The Next Generation, but this item is kind of lame. I guess I'm just not that big a fan of decals.

Mega Man Kid Robot Figure

Although I haven't opened this Mega Man blind box yet, the mini magazine has noted that what's inside is the red and white Mega Man. As I'm not a particularly huge fan of the video games, I'll either give this away or open it sometime in the future. Still, I'm pretty sure fans of Mega Man would love this item.

4001 AD #1 Comic

Prior to receiving this comic, I had never heard of 4001 AD before. I really appreciate receiving the first issue so I get to start at the beginning. Thanks, Loot Crate!

Futurama Ship Model

This!... THIS! Man, THIS is why I love Loot Crate. Such a fantastic item. Now, if only Jess and I can find some shelf space for it... LOL

OVERVIEW

I can honestly say that I am very happy to be back with Loot Crate again. This box was wonderful! Great items, phenomenal value, and definitely a lot of thought put into the theme. See, this is why Loot Crate is the best nerdy subscription box out there and also why I can recommend it without any hesitation.

Want more info? Check out their web site by clicking HERE and use code SAVE10 to save 10% on a new subscription.

And, that's all for this month. Stay tuned for more In Box in August!

~ Mike

In Box Special: Carylday Cake

Hey, peeps. Mike here, and welcome to the first ever In Box Special! Recently, it was our good friend Caryl's birthday. If you don't already know of her, she has an awesome web site called Brunchosaurus. My fave section is the Wine one, where she has a fantastic wine review series called "Wednesday Wine". As a surprise, I filmed a review of her birthday cake in the same style as her wine reviews, roping in our pal Dan Q as a special guest.

I hope you enjoyed that. If you want to visit Aida's Pine Valley Bakery, they are at:

830 Rowntree Dairy Rd, Woodbridge, Ontario

And, that's a wrap for our first special! Stay tuned for more In Box coming soon. ^_~

~Mike

Captain America: Civil War Mystery Minis

Hey, peeps! Mike here, and now that Jess and I are back in Canada, it's time to get back to reviewing things in boxes. ^_~

So, I was at Silver Snail Comics in Toronto just the other day when I happened upon a case of Mystery Minis featuring characters from "Captain America: Civil War". As I was quite blown away by that movie, I just had to pick up one of these blind boxes!

On the back of the box were the possible characters I could get. 

I really wanted Black Panther, Winter Soldier, or Agent 13 and quickly opened the box to see who I got.

What I found was the black packaging shown above. I think it's there to protect the figure's paint job, which I appreciate. So, who did I get once I opened the bag?

Oh, phooey! It was Iron Man. Here's a closer look.

First off, the figure looks great. I love overall "chibi" design of it and the pose is classic Iron Man. The plastic has a sturdy feel to it and the paint was applied quite well. I didn't find any misaligned paint anywhere on the figure. The head is attached via a spring that isn't easy to pop off the body. My only criticism is that if you turn the head, the spring "pops" from position to position instead of allowing for a smooth turn. This is a little annoying because when I tried to align the head to an angle I liked, it took turning it around over and over and over again until finally, after about 5 minutes, I got it just right.

Overall, despite not getting any of the figures I wanted, I was still quite impressed with the quality of the one I got. I can definitely recommend picking one up if you're into Mystery Minis.

~ Mike