Birthdays only come once a year, but what if you could have a box full of nerdy surprises on your doorstep every month? Thanks to subscription boxes, you can.
Fans of pop culture goodness, rejoice! Subscription boxes are here to save the day, presenting self-proclaimed geeks with periodic boxes full of comic books, collectibles, T-shirts, pins, and more. But, which one is the best? With lots of subscription options to choose from, you want to make sure you’re getting the one that’s right for you. Here are five boxes perfect for lovers of all things super, nerdy, and awesome:
No. 5: 1Up Box
Price: $12.92 plus shipping
Value per box: $40
Frequency: Monthly
What’s Inside: Each 1Up Box includes six to eight items of geeky goodness, such as Pop! Vinyl figures, exclusive T-shirts, keychains, plushies, and more.
Pros: 1Up Box is one of the most inexpensive subscription boxes on the market, with excellent delivery times and a great amount of fun items in every box. The T-shirts are usually mash-ups of a variety of movie, TV, and gaming franchises, providing geeks with something original and clever every time. Every unboxing is just as exciting as the previous one, thanks to a wide a variety of geeky items.
Cons: The box is very small, and you can buy most of the items online or at big box retailers. The only exclusive item is the mash-up T-shirt.
No. 4: Loot Crate
Price: $13.95 plus shipping for a regular Loot Crate, with additional themed boxes available for additional costs
Value per box: $45
Frequency: Monthly
What’s Inside: Each Loot Crate features four to six items including, Pop! Vinyl figures, comic books, exclusive clothing, bobble heads, and other novelties from popular franchises.
Pros: Along with excellent customer service, Loot Crate has subscription boxes that are geared toward fans of anime, Halo, gaming, wrestling, and Firefly. The box even features items for the pets of comic book lovers. Loot Crate also offers limited edition crates, such as the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 crate, which features all exclusive items. Each month also follows a specific theme, with items from different franchises. For example, this month’s theme is Anti Hero, with novelties from Harley Quinn, Kill Bill, and Archer.
Cons: Loot Crate can quickly get addictive and expensive, thanks to the variety of limited edition and special crates. But, some of the items inside do not live up to the hype its competitors, with low value like playing cards and decals.
No. 3: Legion of Collectors
Price: $25 plus shipping
Value per box: $50
Frequency: Bi-Monthly
What’s Inside: Legion of Collectors prominently features all exclusive items in each and every box, including a T-shirt, Pop! Vinyl figures, Dorbz figure, pin and patch, comic book, and more DC items. This is a DC only exclusive box, featuring evergreen iconic characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and more. The format for every box is consistent, except for the Dorbz figures.
Pros: With exclusive DC items, Legion of Collectors boxes include exclusive Pop! Vinyl figures that collectors can’t get anywhere else. The themes for each box are exciting, since they correspond with whatever is happening within the DC Universe. For example, the first box featured items related to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, just in time for the film, and the most recent box was centered on the Suicide Squad. The T-shirts have fantastic designs on them, such as the Suicide Squad in Pop! Vinyl styling.
Cons: Although the themes have been great, there has yet to be a box that shocks me. For example, the Suicide Squad box was intended to feature characters from the film that we expected, but the items were a bit generic, such as the Joker and Harley Quinn action figures. There are usually six to seven items, but the exclusive Pop! Figures are the most exciting.
No. 2: Nerd Block
Price: $19.99 plus shipping for Classic Block, with additional themed boxes at additional costs
Value per box: $60
Frequency: Monthly
What’s Inside: With four to six items in every box, Nerd Block features Pop! Vinyl figures, comic books, plushies, housewares, books, and a $10 ShirtPunch credit.
Pros: Fans of horror, comics, sci-fi, and TV series will enjoy Nerd Block. It has about seven different themed box types, with items from different pop culture franchises related to that theme. For example, the Arcade box includes items with characters such as Sonic, Super Mario, and Pikachu. Every exclusive T-shirt from Nerd Block will be an exciting addition to your dresser drawer. Plus, Nerd Block always has engaging side boxes up for purchase, such as Vinylpalooza, a New York Comic-Con box, and an IGN box. Nerd Block is always coming up with fantastic ideas for boxes outside of the original seven themes.
Cons: The only exclusive item is the T-shirt, and though the other items are awesome, they can be purchased at other retailers.
No. 1: Marvel’s Collector Corps
Price: $25 plus shipping
Value per box: $50
Frequency: Bi-Monthly
What’s Inside: With six to eight items of 100-percent exclusivity, Collector Corps features a T-Shirt, a pin and a patch, Dorbz, comic books, Pop! Vinyl Figures, and other items to boost up the geek factor inside every Marvel fan.
Pros: Every theme for every box is incredibly unique, surpassing expectations. Every two months, the attempts to guess the themes are just as exciting as the goodies inside the box. For example, the Women of Power box focuses on the women of the Marvel universe, including Squirrel Girl, Spider Gwen, and She-Hulk. The Collector Corps boxes include out-of-the-box items and characters, making it great for TRUE superhero fans. From the Hulkbuster Pop! Vinyl figure, which is about a $40 value, to the Captain America and Iron Man duo pack, the Collector Corps items have a ton of value, well beyond the proclaimed $50. This is the Marvel equivalent of Legion of Collectors, but all the items are carefully planned out and give a “wow” feeling each time you finish unboxing.
Cons: The only negative of the Collector Corps is the long shipping times. Orders begin processing two weeks before the cutoff date, but sometimes get delivered about two weeks after the cutoff date.
