Loot Crate - May, 2015 - Unite

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and yes, I'm on time with my Loot Crate review this month! To be honest, I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to post until June since nothing had arrived yet as of Tuesday. Luckily, my box finally showed up yesterday, so here I am!

For those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "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:

1 Month Plan - $19.95 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $57.75 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months

6 Month Plan - $113.70 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

1 Year Plan - $215.40 / $312.00 CAD per year (includes Bonus Gift)

MAY - UNITE

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is one of my favourite things ever, so when I first saw the announcement for the May theme for Loot Crate, I was ecstatic. Power Rangers and Marvel in the same box? Heck, YES! Now that I have my box, did the theme live up to my self-produced hype? Let's find out! Here's what I got:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Power Rangers T-Shirt ($15.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Exclusive MAD Magazine ($5.00 CAD)

- Rick and Morty Puzzle ($5.00 CAD)

- Team Fortress 2 Buttons ($10.00 CAD)

- Bravest Warriors #1 ($4.50 CAD)

- Avengers Decal ($3.00 CAD)

- Marvel Shoe Laces ($5.00 CAD)

- Marvel Ice Tray ($12.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Custom Box

I don't think it's a surprise anymore that Looters receive a custom box. This month, we got a creative locker room design, complete with a bench you can cut out of the cover flap. Oddly enough, despite its simplicity, it's one of the better designs to date in my opinion.

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

This month's mini magazine has a so-so cover design, but a really good article inside about comic book teams. A nice, much appreciated read.

Loot Crate Theme Pin

Okay, so I've been calling this a pin every month. Do you call this a pin or a button? Bah, who cares? It's neat getting one of these every month. I just wish this particular pin had a nicer design. Props for being thematically good, though.

Power Rangers T-Shirt

Wow! What a design! I love this Tommy Oliver shirt! I'm definitely going to wear this very often.

Loot Crate Exclusive MAD Magazine

You know I love the mini magazine. Well, this exclusive MAD Magazine should start becoming a monthly perk. Awesome!

Rick and Morty Puzzle

Do you remember when Kinder Eggs used to have cool toys you could build? Do you remember the disappointment you felt when they started putting those stupid puzzles in their eggs? That's NOT how I felt when I got this... This... Um... What's a Rick and what's a Morty? See what just happened there? Loot Crate introduced me to a series I didn't know about using a cool product. Nice!

Team Fortress 2 Buttons

Now, I'm going to call these buttons. Yes, buttons. Awesome buttons. Onto the cork board they go!

Bravest Warriors #1

I love comics and I love variant covers. Loot Crate gave me both for a series I've only heard of, but never actually checked out. Sweet.

Avengers Decal

I don't use decals, but this "Avengers: Age of Ultron" decal is pretty cool.

Marvel Shoe Laces

When I first pulled these out of my box, I was only moderately excited since I don't use custom shoe laces. But, after further thought, I realized they would look awesome on my black Chucks. So, these laces get a thumbs up from me.

Marvel Ice Tray

This is easily one of the most practical items I've ever received from a subscription box. Now, I can throw Cap's shield or Hulk's fist or Thing's face into my pop. Love love love!

(It must be noted, though, that I question the logic in having 3 Avengers and then 1 Fantastic Four member represented on the tray... Wouldn't it make more sense for the 4th design to be Mjolnir? And, what's with putting Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Thor on the box when none of them are on the tray? Come on, Marvel! That's misleading!)

OVERVIEW

Honestly, this month's Loot Crate was one of the worse I've received. Sure, the theming was good and lots of series / brands were represented, but the combination of items just didn't do it for me. Put another way, I would be happy to receive each and every one of these items, but just with other stuff.

Next month, the theme is going to be CYBER. That, to me, sounds extremely dirty... But, hey, we all know they're talking about "Transformers" and other tech-y stuff, right? Right? Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about Loot Crate, check out their web site at This Link. To get a $3 discount off a new subscription, use this code: SAVE3

Thanks, as always, for checking out my blog. See you again soon!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - May, 2014 - Adventure

Hi, hi! Mike here, and after 2 months with Loot Crate, I was excited to hear that May was going to be the month of Adventure! Now that the box has arrived, is it epic or an epic fail? Read on to find out!

For those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "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:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months 

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

MAY, 2014 - ADVENTURE

When this month's theme was announced, the lords at Loot Crate HQ showed us a logo containing Link's shield from "The Legend of Zelda", a "Minecraft" sword, and Finn's sword from "Adventure Time". As a fan of all three franchises, I had my mind blown. Upon opening my Loot Crate, however, I noticed 2 things. First, there was stuff from other franchises. Secondly, the box lacked the usual magazine. I immediately Googled the second issue and discovered that in my e-mail inbox was a link that took me to the now-digital magazine. I was a little miffed since I loved the last 2 magazines I got. However, after thinking things through, going digital is actually a good idea. If I continue with Loot Crate, I'd be stuck with a whole ton of magazines that I will eventually throw out. Plus, digital means no killing of trees. Sounds good to me. So, now that you know there was no magazine in the box, what exactly was in there? Here's a list:

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Loot Crate Membership Card ($0.50 CAD)

- Legend of Zelda T-Shirt ($15.00 CAD)

- Legend of Zelda Bottle Opener Keychain ($3.00 CAD)

- Minecraft Hangers Keychain ($6.00 CAD)

- Adventure Time Tin With Figure ($7.00 CAD)

- The Friend Zone Soundtrack ($8.00 CAD)

- Stickers and Tattoos ($6.00 CAD Total)

Loot Crate Theme Pin

When the logo of this month's theme was revealed, it looked so friggin' awesome. However, its execution on the Loot Crate pin is a bit of a disappointment. The photo above had to be Photoshopped in order for you to actually see the details clearly. Why? Because the print on the pin is extremely dark. If it was printed right, this would have been my favourite pin of the 3 that I have. But, unfortunately, it was not to be.

Loot Crate Membership Card

I'm not sure if every Loot Crate subscriber got one of these this month since other blogs I read don't seem to show it. Regardless, I got one and I appreciate it.

Legend of Zelda T-Shirt

The first thing you're probably expecting me to say is, "OMGBBQ! BLACK! GLARGHRARGHAH!" ^_~ Seriously, despite the aversion I've developed to receiving black T-shirts in subscription boxes, I must admit that this one is pretty sweet. I'm not going to wear it, though. Jess is. Crisis averted!

Legend of Zelda Bottle Opener Keychain

One week ago, I was complaining to some friends that I didn't have a real bottle opener. (The thingy on my can opener doesn't count.) Well, as luck would have it, Loot Crate included this super awesome Legend of Zelda bottle opener keychain! Now, I can open bottles everywhere I go! I'll be a bottle opening hero! ALL WILL BOW BEFORE ME! (Except for my pal Ryan, who also has one of these...) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!

Minecraft Hangers Keychain

My love for Minecraft is stupid since I really suck at that game. Little kids can kick my behind at building cool things and killing monsters. Now that I have this skeleton keychain, I can finally start exacting my revenge on the pixelated jackasses that keep killing me.

Adventure Time Tin With Figure

Jess and I are huge fans of Adventure Time, and when we found this Jake tin in the Loot Crate, we were ecstatic. Although I personally hoped that Lumpy Space Princess was inside the tin, I am happy with my... Zombie Jake? Obviously, I haven't seen the episode this figure is from. Still, I love it and hereby bestow Favourite Item Status upon this figure!

The Friend Zone Soundtrack

I have no idea what on Earth this is... But, it brings back memories of my lonely days before my dearest Jess came along. Oh, Friend Zone, how you mocked me so...

Stickers and Tattoos

I am clearly not a cool kid since I am completely lost as to why I should be salivating with joy at receiving these stickers and tattoos. Maker? Polaris? Captain Sparklez? Markiplier? Ooooookay... Heya, Niece! Do you know what these things are? No? But, they're cool, right? Yeah? Here, you can have them all! :D :D :D

OVERVIEW

As with last month's Loot Crate, I have mixed feelings. The theme was great and I liked a lot of the items, but some of them really weren't for me. I will definitely give the CD a listen, so maybe that will be added to my list of things I like. But, overall, I just didn't like this box as much as my first Loot Crate. Compared to what I see over at Nerd Block, though, I am still not convinced to leave. I feel that Loot Crate continues to win in the battle of the geeky subscription boxes, so I am going to stick with it for now.

If you are interested in joining Loot Crate, please visit their Web Site. You can use the code JUNELOOT to get $3 off your first box, so I think it's definitely worth at least a gander! :D

As always, thank you very much for checking out my blog. You rock!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - April, 2014 - Dragon

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and after Loot Crate blew me away last month, I have been waiting with bated breath for my April shipment to arrive. Well, I finally got it! YEAH!

For those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "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:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months 

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

APRIL, 2014 - DRAGON

The theme of the April Loot Crate this year is "Dragon", which is a combination of "Game of Thrones", "Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim", and other dragons-related things. When I first opened the box, I was a little concerned because my first impression was that there seemed to be less valuable items in there than last month. Let's see if I was right or wrong. Here is what was in the Loot Crate:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Loot Crate Dragon Shield Screen Cleaner ($4.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Mikey's Dragon Jerky ($6.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate D20 Stress Ball Die ($2.00 CAD)

- Green D20 Die ($0.50 CAD)

- Dragon Slayer Dog Tag ($3.00 CAD)

- Skyrim Nord Vinyl Figure ($13.00 CAD)

- Game of Thrones Vinyl Figure ($10.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

As with the previous month, I received a mini magazine based on the theme of this month's Loot Crate. There is a pretty good overview of "Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim", an interesting interview, a well-written piece on dragons, an article on "Game of Thrones", descriptions of each of the items in the box, and more. I was very impressed once again with the effort put into this little publication. It may not necessarily add monetary value to Loot Crate, but it does set this subscription box program apart from others out there.

Loot Crate Theme Pin

I personally like the design of this month's custom pin. It's very clever with the Loot Crate logo as a treasure chest. Plus, I think the fiery dragon is just really cool.

Loot Crate Dragon Shield Screen Cleaner

I have never owned a mini screen cleaner like this dragon shield one before, but I look forward to carrying it with me to use at work on my laptop screen. The design looks a lot nicer on this item than on the theme pin, too. This is a somewhat cheap, but nice and useful item.

Loot Crate Mikey's Dragon Jerky

Last month, Loot Crate subscribers got 2 pieces of salt water taffy. This month, we got several pieces of... Skyrim-inspired dragon jerky? Although I know this stuff is actually beef jerky, the green colour makes it look unappetizing. I'm really hesitant to try it. Maybe I'll work up the courage to actually eat it when I visit my niece. She's really into dragons and I'm sure green non-vegetables will appeal to her, so I we'll eat the jerky together...

Loot Crate D20 Stress Ball Die

Have you ever heard the phrase "The dice are trying to kill me"? Well, this die will do the opposite! When you make a bad roll, instead of popping a vein, just squish it over and over until you are overcome with a great sense of tranquility. You'll live longer and be able to maintain a level head while coming up with new strategies to slay that darned dragon in that damned dungeon. This die will also help relieve the stress from your realization that Loot Crate gave you a somewhat cool, but extremely cheap custom item.

Green D20 Die

This die, which comes in different colours, is less cool than the stress relieving one and has none of its calming qualities. It will definitely try to kill you. But, hey! At least you have an extra D20 for your board gaming!

Dragon Slayer Dog Tag

I don't wear dog tags and the design of this dragon slayer one is rather ugly to me. I'm sure my niece will love it, though. It's right up her alley.

Skyrim Nord Vinyl Figure

This custom "Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim" Nord vinyl figure by Symbiote Studios is my favourite item of this month's Loot Crate. If you go to the Symbiote Studios web site, you will see that they have a cool line of Skyrim figures. This Nord one is a repaint of the Dragonborn figure and looks fantastic. I love that the helmet, sword, and axe are removable. It gives the figure a little extra playability.

Game of Thrones Vinyl Figure

I'm not a fan of the "Game of Thrones" novels, but I admit to loving the HBO series, which this Mystery Mini is based on. Being a blind box, you could get one of the 16 available figures. I got Khal Drogo! For a "cute" little vinyl figure, he looks seriously badass. He also kind of reminds me of my buddy Ryan. Ha ha!

OVERVIEW

I have mixed feelings about this month's Loot Crate, especially when compared to last month's box. On the one hand, I love the 2 figures I got this month more than anything I got last month. However, overall, I was more impressed with last month's Loot Crate. This Dragon box was worth less than last month's Titan one, but it is still a good value for the price of admission. At this moment in time, if I were to choose between Nerd Block and Loot Crate, I'd definitely pick the latter without any hesitation. I like the idea of a theme. I like the custom items. I am absolutely amazed at the amount of obvious thought and effort that goes into putting together a box. So, I am sticking with Loot Crate for the time being.

If you're interested in learning more about Loot Crate, please visit their Web Site.

Thanks for checking out my blog. See you again soon!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - March, 2014 - Titan

Hey, peeps! Mike here, and Jess and I are excited to bring you our first ever Loot Crate entry. As some of you may already know, I used to subscribe to Nerd Block. However, after months of disappointment, I nerdvorced them and jumped over to Loot Crate.

For those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "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:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months 

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

MARCH, 2014 - TITAN

The theme of the March Loot Crate this year is "Titan", which is a combination of the Anime "Attack on Titan" and the video game "Titanfall". When I got my Loot Crate, I was a little concerned by the smaller size of the box compared to Nerd Block. However, it didn't rattle when shook like with Nerd Block, so I figured the box was either completely full or had some kind of stuffing to keep things in place. Let's see what was inside:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Magnet ($3.00 CAD)
- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Titanfall T-Shirt ($15.00 CAD)
- Titanfall Lanyard ($5.00)

- Titanfall Prima eGuide Voucher ($9.99 CAD)

- Attack on Titan - Volume 1 ($11.99 CAD)

- Attack on Titan Wrist Sweat Band ($4.99)

- Salt Water Taffy x 2 ($0.75 CAD)

- Coupon Card

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

I was pleasantly surprised to find a full-colour mini magazine when I first opened my Loot Crate that introduces "Attack on Titan" and "Titanfall". I appreciate that the people who put this box together understood that not everyone is a fan of or even knows about the two showcased titles. But, what really blew me away was the amount of detail the magazine goes into. There are reviews, an interview, and even descriptions and photos of the included items! Here, check out this pic:

Review of "Attack on Titan"

Loot Crate Theme Magnet

You may have noticed that the cover of the mini magazine features a pretty awesome art piece that combines "Titanfall" and "Attack on Titan". Well, that art is also found on a custom magnet! I already have it on my fridge. It's too good not to display!

Loot Crate Theme Pin

As if one piece of custom art wasn't enough, Loot Crate included a pin featuring a second "Attack on Titanfall" art piece! Fantastic!

Titanfall T-Shirt

I have too many black T-shirts in my closet because of Nerd Block and you've heard me complain about it, but I was not dismayed when I received this black "Titanfall" shirt from Loot Crate since it has a pretty cool design and I'm definitely going to wear it. I just hope Loot Crate doesn't end up having the same black shirt problem as Nerd Block.

Titanfall Lanyard

I don't know what I am going to use this lanyard for, but it looks really cool. Maybe the next time I go to Disney World with Jess, I can use it for Pin Trading?

Titanfall Prima eGuide Voucher

For those of you who don't own "Titanfall" or don't plan on ever owning it, this is pretty useless. Me, I'm planning on getting it on PC since I don't think I will get a XBOX One anytime soon. So, the inclusion of a voucher that gets me a Prima eGuide for the game is quite welcome.

Attack on Titan - Volume 1

As if a review of "Attack on Titan" in the mini magazine wasn't enough, Loot Crate went one step further and included the first volume of the Manga. Honestly, I think this is a phenomenal intro to the series for anyone who is not into it. Me, I've watched the Anime, but have been eyeing the comics. Well, now I have no excuse not to read them. :p

Attack on Titan Wrist Sweat Band

Do you want to feel like a part of the Recon Corps while playing tennis? Badminton? Basketball? Some sport where players wear wrist bands? Well, this is the perfect item for that. I think it looks great and the quality is pretty good. I'm going to bring it to the gym with me!

Salt Water Taffy x 2

I just... I don't... I... OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM...!!!

Coupon Card

Finding coupons to save money on stuff is pretty sweet. I won't personally be using any of the ones from this Loot Crate since I already have a good gaming headset and have no need for a game system carrier or gaming glasses. But, I'm sure some of you out there would find the discounts useful, so this coupon card gets a thumbs up from me.

OVERVIEW

I was completely blown away by my first Loot Crate. In fact, I was more impressed with this box than any of the Nerd Blocks I received. The theme was great, the introduction of the theme was phenomenal, and the items were well worth the more expensive Canadian subscription price.

I honestly think having a theme every month instead of just throwing in random items is a great idea. I signed up on the 18th of this month and already knew what the theme was going to be going in. The Loot Crate site says you can cancel at least 48 hours before your next billing date (which can be found in your profile on the site). So, depending on when you signed up and which plan you're on, you may be able to cancel if there is a theme you don't like and then sign up again when a good one comes along. Brilliant!

At this time, I can confidently recommend Loot Crate for anyone looking for a nerdy subscription box. Based on this month's box and the previous boxes shown on Loot Crate's web site, I also feel it is a better product than Nerd Block. I am extremely glad that Jess found Loot Crate and that both her and by buddy Ryan encouraged me to jump on board.

If you're interested in Loot Crate, please check out their Web Site.

Alrighty, that's all for now. See you again soon!

~ Mike