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

Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio - Bianco - Wine (Video)

Mike and Jess here, and we bought a bottle of wine in a tiny grocery store in Salerno, Italy today that we just had to tell you all about despite it not being in a box. The name of the wine literally means "Tears of Christ" and we got it for 1.99€. You did not read that wrong. That's less than 2 Euros!

Please excuse Mike's constant use of "I mean" and his blunder on our web address. Believe it or not, he had no alcohol prior to making this video. LOL

If you want to watch some wine reviews that are actually good, visit Brunchosaurus HERE. Caryl is the real deal.

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

~ Mike & Jess

Tavernello Juice Box Wine (Video)

Heya, peeps! Mike and Jess here, and we are currently in Positano, Italy! Recently, we were at a grocery store and found wine in juice boxes for 1.00€ each. Of course, we just had to review it for you! So, without further ado, here's the video!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Action Vinyls - Stealth Edition

Hey, everyone! Mike here, and on a recent visit to Hot Topic, I came across something that got me very, very excited. Here, have a look.

That there is a Hot Topic Exclusive Power Rangers Action Vinyl by a company called The Loyal Subjects from Los Angeles. I had never seen a Power Rangers blind box toy before, so I just had to pick it up. Here's a better look at the design on the front of the box.

On the sides of the box, I was shown that there are 8 possible figures I could get. Here they are.

Personally, I really wanted either the Yellow Ranger or the Green Ranger. However, I would have been happy with anyone.

When I opened the box, I found a silver bag with great Power Rangers designs on both the front and back. Check'em out.

So, who did I end up getting? Here's what I found when I opened the silver bag.

YES! It was the Green Ranger! Woohoo! Here's the figure with all the accessories laid out.

Yes, Tommy's ponytail is removable. Ha ha! And, here's a better look at the figure from the front and the back.

The details are phenomenal for such a small vinyl figure. The black parts that make up the "Stealth Edition" components look great. The build quality is also pretty high as the figure and its accessories feel quite sturdy. I especially love that the helmet actually fits on the figure's head and is not just another head, making it an actual helmet for the figure.

My only criticism is that despite there being quite a few points of articulation, which is great, I found the knee joints to be a little poorly thought out. They just allow you to turn the bottom half of the legs horizontally, but do not allow for any bending, making it awkward when trying to stand the figure up. This is very evident in the shot of the back of the figure above.

All in all, this is an incredible collectible vinyl figure and I would highly recommend you get one if you're a fan of Power Rangers.

~ Mike

Loot Crate - May, 2016 - Power

Heya, peeps! Guess who’s back, back again? Mikey’s back - Tell a friend! Okay, that was a pretty outdated reference, but it’s still true! After a small hiatus, I am back with another Loot Crate review! “But, Mike, didn’t you quit Loot Crate?” Why, yes. Yes, I did. But, due to the promise of some insane loot in this month’s box, Jess and I just had to jump back into the rabbit hole for a month! And, boy, just look at what we found when our Crate arrived!

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.

MAY, 2016 - POWER

I’m a huge “Dragon Ball Z” fan and an even bigger fan of Marvel Comics. So, when it was announced that this month’s Crate would have items from both, re-subscribing was a given. Was it worth it in the end? Let’s start looking into that with a list of the items in the box and their approximate Canadian prices:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Membership Card ($0.50 CAD)

- Warcraft T-Shirt ($18.00 CAD)

- Dragon Ball Z Plush Keychain ($10.00 CAD)

- The Hulk Q-Fig ($20.00 CAD)

- Infinity Gauntlet Oven Mitt ($17.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Custom Box

When Loot Crate first started making custom boxes, I was incredibly excited. Now that it’s become something I expect to get, the novelty has worn off quite a bit. Or, maybe this month’s box design is just boring. What do you think?

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

Unlike the custom box designs, I don’t think I could ever get tired of the mini magazines. This month, there’s an interview with “Warcraft” star Robert Kazinsky, a recipe for muffins, a code to unlock stuff in Loot Crate’s “Word Gush” mobile game, and much more. The Loot Crate gurus definitely put a lot of work into this one. Bravo!

Loot Crate Theme Pin

Wow, they’ve changed the Theme Pin from a button to an actual metal pin with a design that isn’t taken from the mini magazine cover! Plus, if you log onto the Loot Crate site, you can redeem an in-game perk for “Battleborn”. Wow! My only wish is that the pin design was a tiny bit better. It’s cute and all, but just not my cup of tea.

Loot Crate Membership Card

I found this item to be thoughtful. I mean, the dent in my bank account is reminder enough of my Loot Crate membership, but a card is nice. LOL

Warcraft T-Shirt

It’s not black! LOL I’m quite excited about the “Warcraft” movie, and now I have a shirt to wear to the theatre when I go see it! The design is just a tad bit too simple, but still quite nice.

Dragon Ball Z Plush Keychain

Honestly, this wasn’t what I expected when they said there would be a “Dragon Ball” item. But, it’s pretty cool and definitely something I’m going to gift to a friend.

The Hulk Q-Fig

When I saw the Deadpool Q-Fig that I missed from before, I was, like…

I’m glad I didn’t miss this awesome Hulk one, though. I love the design and the statue is actually pretty heavy for something of its size. This one’s definitely going on my shelf!

Infinity Gauntlet Oven Mitt

THIS! Just… THIS! O______O

OVERVIEW

I am incredibly happy I re-subscribed to Loot Crate this month. The items were phenomenal and the value was unbeatable, even with the exchange rate. Admittedly, I will probably skip a month here and there since our house is filling up with stuff. But, man, if you subscribe to only one program, this should definitely be it!

If my hyping has piqued your interest in Loot Crate, click HERE to visit their web site and use code SAVE10 to save 10% on a new subscription!

Alrighty, peeps. That’s another review in the can. (I can use that phrase for non-film stuff, right? LOL) Thanks for reading and see you again soon!

~ Mike