The many joys of monthly subscription boxes

What’s the deal with monthly subscription boxes? If you’re new to the concept or looking to dive in, check out these fun tips!

I love subscription boxes. I like getting a surprise each month in the mail. I like the anticipation of waiting for the package to be delivered, and I love the moment when I cut the tape and open the box up to reveal the nerdy goodness inside.

There are subscription boxes everywhere these days. I personally have Loot Crate, Disney Tsum Tsum, Birchbox (for makeup samples) and the bi-monthly Disney Treasures box from Funko. You can also find them for clothing, pet toys, razors, contact lenses, lingerie, snack foods, meals from other countries, fabric, and just about everything else you can imagine.

The basic principle of monthly subscription boxes is that you pay every month (or bi-monthly, depending on the service) and you receive a box in the mail full of items that exceed the price of the box. Oftentimes a $20 collectible box will contain an average of $30-50 worth of items.

When it comes to pop culture boxes, Loot Crate is the undisputed leader but there are some really cool fandom-specific boxes from other companies that are really cool. Funko has several options to choose from and many of the items in the box are only available through subscription.

Loot Crate June 2017. Photo: Sarabeth Pollock

Now, the question you might be asking is why would anyone pay to receive a box of random stuff each month? It’s a perfectly valid question. I discovered that I enjoy getting items that I wouldn’t normally buy anywhere else. I don’t buy Funko Pops but I now have a really cool collection of them. I also love that I get a shirt every month in my Loot Crate so I’m building my nerd wardrobe for $20 while also getting cool stuff.

There’s also the gift-giving aspect of subscription boxes. I divvy up my box each month into piles of things I want and things I can give to other people. For Christmas 2016 my brother in law got an entire box full of smaller packages from my Loot Crate stash. He played with the items all Christmas morning because they were all exclusives that weren’t sold in stores. In some ways it felt like I was cheating by giving him the stuff I didn’t want, but my sister assured me that there was nothing I could have gotten him that he would have liked more than what he got.

If you’re looking to build a collection of collectible “nerdy” items then you really can’t go wrong with a Loot Crate subscription. I’ve been very happy with mine because of the sheer variety of the items that arrive every month. They curate their boxes with great detail so that you get a variety of items that go with the theme of the month. It could be “aliens” one month (Think Alien, The X-Files, and Independence Day) and “heroes” the next (meaning Logan, Batman, and The Avengers).

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Be warned: Monthly subscription boxes can be addictive. Take time before signing up to make sure you’re investing in the ones that fit your fandoms and your budget, and then have fun with it!

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