Disney Vinylmation - Marvel 3" - Series 1

Hey, everyone! Mike here, and thank you for checking out this first "In Box with Mike & Jess" entry about a blind box toy product! Today, I am going to be sharing my thoughts about the relatively new Disney Vinylmation Marvel series. If you haven't heard of Vinylmation, it is a line of vinyl figures by Disney. Each figure is shaped like Mickey Mouse and painted to look like a character from the series it belongs to. They are also able to have their heads and arms rotated.

Since Disney bought Marvel Comics, I have been waiting for a Vinylmation series based on its characters. It took a while, but the announcement finally arrived and I was extremely excited. Well, that was until the launch day here in Canada. A friend of mine showed up at the Disney Store near his house before it was open and there was a huge line outside the door. When the store opened, several people at the front of the line were allowed to buy a whole case of the Marvel Vinylmations each, selling them out in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, my friend didn't get a single figure. What's worse is that those people who bought the cases would stand near the Disney Store afterwards and try to sell individual figures to shoppers at a ridiculous premium. That deserves a huge "WTF?!?!?!" Anyway. my pal soon discovered one store that is out of the way that still had some Marvel Vinylmations for sale and drove out there to get some for himself and for me. (THANKS, BUDDY!)

Okay, on to the review. The first thing people will notice about these new Vinylmations is the box. It's the same height and depth as the old boxes, but it's thinner. Personally, I like this new box because it's less wasteful. Plus, for people who like to display their boxes, these take up much less space. The Marvel box has some really nice art on the sides. One side has Iron Man and the other has Captain America. The back of the box has the usual listing of available figures. As can be seen, this series comes with the following characters:

- Iron Man
- Thor
- Captain America
- Hulk
- Black Widow
- Spider-Man
- Vision
- Black Panther
- Doctor Strange
- Spider-Woman
- Nick Fury

The Chaser Figure for this series is (SPOILER) Ultron. There are also a couple of variants. The first one is a bearded Thor and the second is a translucent version of Vision.

So, which Marvel Vinylmation figures was I lucky enough to get? Captain America and Vision! I was thrilled when I opened my first box and Cap's shield fell out. He's one of my faves and getting him made my day. The figure itself is very well designed. I was a little sceptical about the Mickey ears at first since I felt that they should have been painted with the feathers from Captain America's helmet/mask. However, seeing the figure in person, I think the "explosions" work. Vision is also designed quite well. He even has a cape on his back, adding to his really cool look. My brother-in-law drove out a few days after my friend did and got himself the Variant Vision and now I'm envious. It looks a lot cooler than the original. But, hey, getting ANY Marvel Vinylmations is a good thing, so I'm not going to complain about what I got.

As for the rest of the figures, I only question the decisions made on one of them - Spider-Man. Of all the version of his costume Disney's designers could have picked, I think the Future Foundation version was one of the worst. I didn't hate it too much in the comics, but as a Vinylmation, it just looks cheap. Plus, there's no Variant with the Classic costume, making the FF version the only version at this time. It's truly a shame. The least they could have done was given us a Variant with the Iron Spider costume or Spidey's stealth outfit. But, no. Disney went with only one costume. Well, here's hoping we get Classic Spider-Man in Series 2.

I honestly really like the new Disney Vinylmations Marvel series. The designs are fantastic, the selection is great, and the figures are also very well made (unlike series such as Robots 2, which seem to be on the cheaper side). If you actually find some Marvel Vinylmations, I highly recommend you buy a figure or two because, even now, they are selling at insane speeds. Don't miss out on this awesome set, True Believers!

~ Mike

Nerd Block - December, 2013

Hey, everybody! Mike here and I received the latest Nerd Block from Canada Post yesterday, which is very strange since we don't normally get mail on weekends. But, hey, I'm not going to complain when something awesome is left at my door! 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

December, 2013

I was very excited about this month's Nerd Block since I got an e-mail not long ago saying there would be a "high value item" that "retails over $45". Plus, it's Christmas / Holiday season, so I figured there would be some awesome, gift-worthy items. Well, let's see if Nerd Block's claim and my own expectations were met. Here's a list of what was in the box with approximate retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- Legend of Zelda Triforce T-Shirt ($15)

- The Hobbit Gandalf Pop! Figure ($10)

- Samurai Inferno Watch ($25)

- Gogo's Crazy Bones Series 1 Pack ($2.50)

- Monster Marbles Pack ($2.50)

- Marvel Grab Zags Pack ($1.50)

T-Shirt

I absolutely love the T-shirt that came with this month's Nerd Block. I admit that I'm not as big a fan of the Zelda games as most of my friends are since I have never actually beaten a single one of the games in the franchise (blasphemy, I know), but I can't help but appreciate the fantastic design of the shirt. As with the previous months, the shirt is well made and fits me perfectly. Plus, the shirt is navy blue, putting it in the "not black" category. This is good since, as you may remember, I had been worried back in October that Nerd Block would be sending more black shirts than other colours. But, it seems we will be getting a good variety. Here's hoping next month's T-shirt will not be black or a shade of blue. :p

Gandalf Pop! Figure

Over the past year or so, I've become quite a fan of Pop! Figures. I don't have that many, though, so I'm happy Nerd Block is helping me expand my collection. This month's box has a figure from The Hobbit and I received Gandalf. I am so happy Jess wasn't home to see the nerdy dance I did around the living room when I saw the figure. Gandalf is my favourite Tolkien character, so getting a Pop! Figure of him is a real treat. My friend Ryan received Invisible Bilbo, which looks pretty awesome. There are other figures in the series, but I'm not sure if Nerd Block included them as well. If you received someone other than Gandalf or Invisible Bilbo, please Comment. I'd love to hear what you got. Thanks!

Samurai Inferno Watch

This is the big one! This is the highly anticipated "high value item". Guess what? Nerd Block wasn't entirely honest. The Samurai Inferno Watch is a LED wristwatch from the peeps over at Gadgetsandgear.com. It's made of a metal-like material and has a face that shows the time or date in red LED lights when a button is pressed. If you go to Gadgetsandgear and look up the watch, the suggested retail price is $49.95. However, right now, it is selling for $24.95. Some of you may point out the fact that the watch is on "Cyber Sale", so normally, it would sell for "over $45". BUT, WAIT! Have you tried looking at Amazon.com? No? Well, you should, because the watch sells for a whopping $10.99... Now, I'm going to be fair about this watch. It looks pretty awesome, is solid, and I'm actually wearing it right now. I love it. So, I'll go with the Cyber Sale price from the manufacturer as the true value. It's definitely NOT the "over $45" claimed by Nerd Block, but still good enough for me.

Gogo's Crazy Bones

I've seen Crazy Bones on shelves at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us for quite a while. Kids seem to really like these. In fact, there are web sites dedicated to people's collections of these things. Personally, I have very little interest in them and this single pack of 3 Gogo's Crazy Bones is the only one I'll ever own unless Nerd Block sends me more. However, they're a popular toy and I'm sure that it would be more appealing to other subscribers. Hmmm... Is that a toy drive across the street? ;)

Monster Marbles

Prior to this month's Nerd Block, I had never heard of Monster Marbles. After receiving a pack, I decided to look it up. Basically, Monster Marbles are collectible monster figures that roll around on metal ball bearings. Normally, you purchase a box that contains 3 single monster packs and a stick of chalk. You draw the suggested designs on pavement and then play various games with the monsters. The idea is that the monsters are supposed to take the place of traditional marbles in old-school schoolyard marble games. I've been able to find a small number of YouTube videos reviewing Monster Marbles and a few posts here and there talking about them, but nothing more. Their inclusion in Nerd Block is definitely a method of spreading the word and considering how much research I've done since getting a pack, I think it's kind of working.

Marvel Grab Zags

Now, we come to the seemingly obligatory super-cheap item in the box. Marvel Grab Zags are blind packs that come with a mini figure, a mini pen, or a mini light-up projector. I'm a huge Marvel fan, but this item is definitely not for me. It's a great little treat for kids, though, which is why my niece will be getting my Grab Zag pack in her stocking this Christmas.

Overview

Okay, so the December Nerd Block definitely had no holiday feel to it. I'm a tiny bit disappointed, but I understand. Christmas is not for everyone. I won't fault Nerd Block for that. What I will comment on once again is the watch. They hyped up this item quite a bit and, as it turned out, their claims were off by quite a bit. Honestly, Nerd Block needs to do their research before making claims in their e-mails. I mean, come on! The price is wrong and, aside from the name, the watch isn't even nerdy! Sure, I love the item and am thrilled to have received it, but that doesn't mean I am okay with exaggerated claims. But, it is what it is and, in the end, this month's Nerd Block was still worth the price of subscription. Will I continue with this box? Yes, I will, but with a new wariness when it comes to e-mails and Facebook posts by Nerd Block's staff.

And, that's it for this month. Stay tuned for more posts from Jess and my Marvel Vinylmations post!

JULEP - November, 2013

My first monthly subscription box! So exciting! I have been intrigued by this idea since Michael got his Nerd Blocks and, when I went looking for one I could order (as a nerd, I love the idea of the Nerd Block but there is no point in ordering two) , found out there was the same concept out there, but for beauty products! I am what Jenna Marbles would call a Goo Hoarder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1usT9C04Foc *WARNING* Swearing*) so this whole idea was magical to me. Plus, I am not an expert in makeup, just the basics, so I thought this might be a good way to find new products and therefore new techniques. Anyway - to the box! This box is from Julep.com. When I signed up for their monthly subscription box (Which costs $19.99 US including shipping) I used a code to get an intro box for free! (current code FREEBOX). Already love the company just for offering a great deal right off the bat.

So this is the intro box I received, which took around 6 business days to arrive.

I took their intro quiz and they told me I was "Classic with a Twist". Now, if you don't like the style they give you, you can choose another one if you want to and have the option to change your style every month but I really liked the "Classic with a Twist" box.

I received two polishes - Myrtle  and Zora. I really like both colours. All Julep nail polishes do  "not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP" which I'm guessing is a good thing. They are also made in the US which I like. Both polishes are $14 or $11.20 Maven Price, which is the 20% discount they offer to subscribers.

I also received Luxe Repair Skin Serum ($28 / $22.40 Maven Price). I tried it last night and it went on nicely and didn't burn but there was a slight tingle. I can't say for certain after only one use but my skin did seem nice and fresh in the morning.

(Update: Have used this a few times.  No adverse skin reactions, and, maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like my skin looks tighter [in a good way] after using this at night. I have lines on my forehead and between my eyebrows from frowning/squinting and they seemed a lot less visible after using this)

Julep also offers add-ons at checkout on any order for a discount so I ordered their Freedom Polymer Top Coat ($18 / $14.40 Maven Price) and  Julep Acetone-Free Conditioning Nail Polish Removal ($14 / $11.20 Maven Price). I got both for $4.99, a pretty great deal! 

I liked the remover, it worked well and not a strong scent but I found the dispenser a little finicky.

(Update: Really like the nail polish remover, and the dispenser is actually really practical. Its worked pretty well so far and I even used it to take off glitter polish [it took some work but I did it], so I'm very happy with this)

The top coat is supposed to work like a gel but goes on like a polish and using only natural light. I don't have any experience with top coats except at the Nail salon but I think it works pretty well. My nails really shined after application. They did chip after a few days but  only slightly. I didn't use a base coat and don't have the best application techniques yet so I'm not going to hold against the top coat just yet. I'm going to try a few more times and see.

So, I'm really happy with my first Julep box. I paid $12 and received a box worth  $88 or $70.40 Maven price. Julep also threw in a small reusable shopping bag as a bonus. Not bad! I'm excited to use what I got more and see what I get in my first actual monthly Julep box.

If you would like to sign up for your own Julep box, please consider using my referral link: http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/442026/ and don't forget to use the code FREEBOX to get your intro box free!

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!

Nerd Block - October, 2013

Welcome back for another entry. Mike here and today I'm going to be talking about Nerd Block's October, 2013 box. 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

October, 2013

In September, we were told that the October Nerd Block would be "killer". My buddy (and fellow subscriber) Ryan and I both thought they meant something along the lines of giving us horror movie products. However, when the box arrived, we were wrong. "Killer" just meant the products would be pretty good. Well, let's see if the claim turned out to be true. Here is a list of the Nerd Block contents with approximate retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- Star Wars Darth Vader T-Shirt ($15)

- Portal 2 Sentry Turret Figure ($7)

- DC Universe Mystery Minis Vinyl Figure ($7.50)

- Spawn Mini Trading Figure ($7.50)

- Adventure Time Finn-Ominoes Game ($7)

- Marvel Erasers Series 1 Spider-Man ($1.50)

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pad ($1.50)

I absolutely LOVE the T-Shirt. The Darth Vader design is fantastic. I wore it the day I received my Nerd Block, and when I visited Ryan, he very nearly had his on, too. But, the man was smart. He knew I'd be wearing it and decided against a "Who Wore It Better" situation. :p I didn't mention this regarding last month's box, but the T-Shirts have both been very good fits for me and of good quality. I would like to emphasize the second point since I occasionally buy shirts from "Design a Day" web sites and some of them print onto shirts I can find for a buck or less in Toronto's Chinatown. So, to have a nice quality T-Shirt sent to me by Nerd Block is a huge plus.

My wife bought me a Portal Sentry Turret blind box figure last Christmas as a stocking stuffer and I found myself taking photos of it in funny situations for weeks afterwards. So, when one showed up in my Nerd Block, I was thrilled. These figures are based on the Sentry robots from the sci-fi puzzle-solving video game "Portal", which I highly recommend. Each figure has a fun design and comes in "open" or "closed" position. The figure I got has a neat orange-red design that I think will look great on the dining table this Christmas... if

Jess will let me put it there. You will, right, honey? Please?

The DC Universe mystery figure was a bit of a surprise since I never knew this series of toys existed. I was really hoping to get one of the various Batman figures, but I got the Penguin instead. I really like the figure, which is quite solid and has a good paint job. My only complaint about the Penguin is that he looks... kind of Asian. I know it's a strange thing to get hung up on, but every time I look at my figure, all I can see is Ken Jeong from "Community" in a Penguin costume... Well, he'd make an interesting Penguin. He'd certainly pull off the nasally voice. Yeah... MOVING ON!

I didn't take a photo of the Spawn figure, but I really, really didn't like the figure I got. The series has quite a few designs and the only ones I would have wanted are all of Spawn himself. But, even if I did get a Spawn, I seriously would not have been happy since I just don't like this series of figures in general. I can't give my figure to my niece since she wouldn't know what to do with it. I can't trade with Ryan since he got a figure he likes. And,

I doubt I can sell the thing since it's so darned ugly. So, I'm stuck with a... demon... knight... thing? Just look up a picture of the back of the box, look at Row B, and it's the furthest one on the right. Anyone want to give me a quick synopsis of Spawn? I've only seen the movie.

Finn-Ominoes looks like a fun little game, but I'm going to give it away as a gift to my niece or a friend who likes Adventure Time. I have only watched a couple of episodes, and although I liked them, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the show. I do know that there are a lot of hardcore Adventure Time fans out there, especially after seeing the number of people in Finn or Jake costumes this Halloween, so I think the inclusion of Finn-Ominoes was a good idea.

The Spider-Man eraser is cheap. Very, very cheap. But, I'm both a Marvel fan and a Spidey fan, so I was all smiles when I saw the eraser. My Friendly Neighbourhood Mini Spidey is now sitting on my desk ready to take on the endless hordes of the Pencil Mistakes army. :D

Finally, we have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... What on Earth is that? A coaster? One of those sticky pads you put on your dashboard to hold your phone in place? A decoration? A wrist rest for when you're using a mouse? Who in the bloody heck thought it was a good idea to include a flat piece of rubber that says "NYC Sewer" on it? Technically, there's no indication that it's even a TMNT product. But, judging from the ooze-like design and the somewhat turtle-shell-

looking design of the sewer lid, it must be from TMNT. I've been using the pad as a coaster, so I guess in the end, it was a good idea after all, right?

I felt that the October Nerd Block was definitely a weaker showing than the September box. Although I like what was included overall, I would never have bought most of the products had I seen them in stores. Actually, I wouldn't have bought any of them except the Sentry, and even then, I already had one, so I would have bought none of these items. Having received them in my Nerd Block, however, means I "did" buy them, and to be honest, I don't regret it. That is why I didn't cancel my subscription. I did, however, tell myself that if things don't improve in November, I'm done.

To find out about the November Nerd Block, please stay tuned. It's coming soon!

~ Mike Chan