by Lennon George and TJ Norris
Ever since gifts have been wrapped in fancy papers, ribbons and bows there has always been a fascination with all things we open, mysteries behind the outside shell. We have all witnessed the wonderment of a child on a holiday opening a special gift. And you don’t have to be a kid to appreciate the thrill of opening something you get inside a sealed box. Hey, consider Monty Hall and his original Let’s Make A Deal for instance, “What’s behind curtain # 2!!!” Yeah, it’s kinda like that. Welcome the Mystery Toy Box ala 2014! These, often monthly-based subscription services, offer a bevy of varied approaches to the art of surprise — each month bringing the fun to collectors’ mailbox. Since Lootcrate debuted its box subscriptions they have become unbelievably popular. Prompting other companies to come out of the woodwork and on the “box sub” bandwagon. With so many new boxes being released how is one to know which one(s) to choose? Well have no fear, Go Figure is here! We have reviewed and complied and edited a list of some of the best in box subscriptions out there (and there are others). While some of them have made our nerdy little hearts skip a beat, others have left us scratching our heads wondering WTH they were thinking! Go Figure is always looking for new boxes to take a closer look at to review for our readers. We will develop a somewhat regular schedule for unboxing reviews to help you determine which one is best for you. Now, keep in mind that since these boxes are “mysteries” they are often exploited as early “spoilers” before the box lands on several doorsteps. We will tread lightly for those just released here - though we have opinions about all that too (stay tuned for a later edition of this thread). If you like this please share it with your friends, links are at the bottom. Let’s see how some of these lived up to the hype and excitement built around their corners — and who made it to our very 1st Annual Go Figure Top 5 Mystery Boxes!
Collector’s Cache: $14.25-$25 + S/H
Ships about the 3rd of each month Coming from the Lone Star State, collectibleGeek is becoming a fan favorite amongst the Go Figure team. They specialize in a few varied “Collector’s Cache” boxes monthly. This month alone they have on offer four separate boxes touting goodies from Funko, Deadpool (December), Doctor Who and Saturday Morning (November) Cartoons. With themes like that this could be your one-top-shop. The upcoming November theme is centered around Deadpool, our favorite loud-mouthed merc! If you are a big Deadpool fan like a lot of us here, it would be smart to jump on getting your cache early before you are regretting it later - he'll be included in the December box. We appreciate their attention to detail and their answer to many collector’s late night dreams. We all have enjoyed the boxes that have been released thus far and look forward to seeing more from them in the future. In case you missed our unboxing and review video check it out below.
Prices Vary
These good folks mix-it-up! You pick the theme and the price you want to pay and they pick random stuff that fits in the box! Each Box of Stuff’s contents are unique. Other subscription based mystery boxes standardize their prices and contents for everyone. As a family business, J & K Box of Stuff is custom-made when you order it and the items are handpicked just for you, this is not a subscription-based box. The less detail you give, the more random the item(s) will be — adding to the fun, we think! You can give them more specific details if you don't like too much randomness! Also, these folks, being collectors themselves, do a very wonderful job on packing and customer service. Watch for our new review coming this week…..we are anticipating as much as you are.
Classic: $19.99 + S/H (ships around the 15th monthly) Arcade Block + Horror Block: $19.99 + S/H (both ship around the 25th monthly) Nerd Block Jr. (boy or girl): $13.99 + S/H (ships around the 15th monthly)
The beauty of the varied Nerd Block subscriptions is that they offer so many options to choose from every month plus the fact that they cater to more than just one particular kind of collector. Take a look at our Nerd Block review for an example of what you can look forward to seeing from their subscriptions. In November they will be offering a special signed postcard by Bruce Campbell in every 7th Box! They will ALSO feature some type of Boba Fett item as well, so it's cool for Star Wars fans alike. We gave the October ‘block an 8 out of 10 Stars (and we are tough graders) and thank the stars that they brought on Kevin Smith to help curate the most recent box - we hope they do something like this again in the future! Oh, and they offer monthly contests to win their jumbo box/es!
$23 a month + S/H Now THIS is a great mystery box, that's also not a subscription! They keep it exclusive and limited. For the discerning collector, the F-Box is one of the most talked about subscription amongst us. Partly due to the fact that this sells out in under 1/2 hour from when it is announced. In the past they have offered a Fugitive Toys’ Convention-based Exclusive Funko Pop! in each box, as well as a whole lot of fun extras, even a few vintage effects (Treehouse of Horror GITD Mini for instance). They have a monthly theme, but other than the word (Glow, Friends, Scary) they do not reveal additional information about what is inside. They guarantee five or more items, and nothing has been filler to date like other boxes that add promotional items, stickers, codes and candies. The box is aptly full with collectibles and we love them for it! The general census around the web is that the F-Box is hands down the best mystery subscription box — but you have to get to it before they are sold out (usually around the third week/monthly).
$13.37/month + S/H
Ships around the 19th of every month
Here you have it. Lootcrate is still the king of the Mystery Box subscriptions at the moment. They have some better months than others, but they seem to have great licensing opportunities, offer their own exclusives, and have fun promotional materials (videos, shorts, and images that get us all wondering). They don’t always have a full box that you may enjoy but so far there has been at least one thing in the monthly box to catch the attention of collectors. We thought the October ‘Fear’ box was quite subtle and sophisticated during this month when people anticipate the ghouls and wild things to pop from every corner. They reigned it in and instead of blood n’ guts, they chose humor and a more subtle hand upon the theme - we got a cool pen from Capcom (blade/chainsaw), a cartoonish Walking Dead mini poster and exclusive comic book. The box gets a 7 out of 10. But we give them high kudos for bringing us the partly GITD Groot exclusive earlier this year, just awesome. Oh, and they offer monthly contests to win their jumbo box! Mystery Box Subscription List: 1-Up Box
$9.52/month + S/H
Ships about the 20th of each month
Honorable mention + awesome price anyone should be able to afford. These boxes are aimed to cater to the video game community and always include a t-shirt (October’s mashup was way cool). We may have a November box to review (check back later). They offer pop culture and video game items in their mystery boxes. If you love Nintendo and cartoons, this may be just the box for you. Their promotional prices expire on 11/10, so ya know. Hero Crate
$29.99/month + S/H (Free US shipping)
We salute you. This box subscription is supported and owned by veterans. These boxes are hero-themed. They are the only monthly mystery boxes that doesn’t require a subscription. You get a $50 retail value in each box that contains an “epic” t-Shirt and 4-6 mystery items. You also get a chance to win the Super HeroCrate valued at over $400!
$25/month + S/H (Free US Shipping)
Ships aound the 15th of every month
My Geeky Goodies offers a mystery box full of stuff. You can choose from a 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month plan. They also have a Canadian and International subscription as well. Just under a week to go before their next box launches - why not give them a try? Here’s what they say: Comic Bento $20/month + S/H
Ships around the 29th of every month
This is a mystery comic book and graphic novel box subscription. Every month you get a box worth $50 said to equal up to 4 pounds of comics. We love this idea - now we’d love to see them (or someone else) regularly combine comics and sundry figure-based items in a single box! Still - that is a heck of a lot of paper!
$29.99/month + S/H (Free US shipping)
Ships around the 19th of every month.This is a monthly geek and gamer box that includes 5-8 items shipped for free! Choose from 1, 3, and 6 month plans.
$49/month + S/H
This one is pretty much a no brainer it is a pirate themed geek and gamer one-time mystery subscription that is packed and shipped upon purchase. Untested by Go Figure - have you tried this out yet? Thoughts….?
$14/month + $6 S/H
Ships about the 10th of every monthIf you are a big horror fan then you will enjoy this horror themed mystery box. You can choose a one month or 3 month plan and save $3. We may have a review of this sooner rather than later to celebrate the season!
Mezco Toyz Mystery Box $23/month + S/H
Mezco is offering a Halloween themed mystery box full of Mezco stuff. Each $20 box has a value of $40 dollars you may get one $40 toy, 2 $20 toys, or a combination of smaller items. They are also offering a Breaking Bad mystery box. They are one of the newbies in the box subscription game so we will have to see how they pan out, but if you love Mezco you will love these boxes.
ANIME BOXES
Anime Bento: $30 + S/H
Otakucrate: 2 options $20 a month OR $40 a month + S/H
Betoyo Bento: About $40 a month
OtakuBox: $20/month (Not recurring) + S/H (free US shipping), Ships the 15th
*** All of these box subscriptions offer Japanese collectibles and candy in their mystery boxes.
UK BOXES
Some ship internationally
My Geek Box: £14.99 + S/H
Pop-in-a-Box: £8.49 + S/H
Geekgasm: Starting at £18.99 + S/H
Infinity Crate: £15.99 + S/H
*** These UK companies offer a variety of gamer, comic book, and retro gear in their mystery boxes.
Tell all your friends about these boxes, just click below.