Speed post because I already wrote a post today and still need to take the puppy for a walk. So we have LOOT CRATE in 100 Words or Less.
Found a great use for the random 3D glasses in my Loot Crate. Obviously they intended me to do more than read the booklet with them.
The Doctor Who kitty was feeling a little Ten-ish tonight.
The Fear Crate:
It’s month 4 of my adventures into Loot Crating, and I have to say, this month’s theme didn’t really excite me. “Fear” seemed like an opening to a lot of Zombie stuff. That’s not to say I haven’t watch my share of “The Walking Dead,” but I wasn’t interested in a box of walkers.
My hesitation going into this box was probably heightened by my concern that maybe my Loot Crate experience had peaked my first month with the Villain Crate.
For those who are unfamiliar, Loot Crate is a subscription service. For about $20 a month, you receive a box of geeky goodness. I put my items into three different categories: His, Mine, and Someone Else’s.
His: The husband called “dibs”
Mine: I called dibs
Someone Else’s: That’s going in a Christmas gift
So let’s start.
Death By Kitten T-Shirt:
The Shirt: Oh my goodness, that shirt made all of my fears about this box vanish. Cats should certainly be feared, and this shirt is a reminder. This thing is hilarious, and oddly appropriate for someone whose cats tend to end up in her Loot Crate photos. I looked up the company, Super7, and found the shirt on their website for $30. This was absolutely worth it.
Conclusion: Ours. I’m cheating. I order the shirts in a men’s size that my husband and I are both comfortable wearing. We both said “THAT’S AWESOME. I guess you can have it…” so we’re to have to see who ends up wearing it.
How to Survive a Sharknado Book:
The Book: A fun play on the movies, this book does into have to fight and survive all sorts of natural events and highly realistic months, such as Ghost Sharks (Poltersharks), Piranhacondas and Dinonami.
Conclusion: Someone Else’s. The more I look at this book, the more amused I am. Despite never having watched the movies, I find it amusing because it doesn’t have much to do with the movies. The husband has declared that he has a plan for this book though, and since I claim more of the Loot, I gotta let him have this one.
Or I’ll just put it on the bookcase when he isn’t looking.
“Oh, Brother” Super Emo Friends Print:
The Print: At first I wasn’t sure if this was a postcard or a print because it’s wrapped in plastic and plopped on a supportive piece of cardboard, which I appreciate. Anything Super Emo Friends is generally entertaining. The art is adorable, which juxtaposes nicely with the death and violence (who doesn’t love that combination?).
Conclusion: Mine. Once again, the print is going to our Nerd Room.
We’re out of room in our nerd room. We either need a bigger house, or to expand the Nerd Room into the living room.
I’m okay with that.
Dead Rising Sledgesaw Hammer Pen:
The Pen: Okay, I didn’t realize it was a pen until I looked through the handy booklet that came with my box. That makes the nice little box for this even better. I don’t play Dead Rising and neither does the husband, but he knows enough that he was able to explain to me that the game allows players to combine items into weapons.
Clearly.
This thing is amusing though, and it didn’t feel as cheap in my hand as I expected.
Conclusion: Someone Else’s. Anyone a big Dead Rising fan who wants a pen? Anyone? Don’t get me wrong, it’s amusing, but I’m not exactly sticking that on my work desk.
The Walking Dead 132 Loot Crate Variant:
The Comic: In all likelihood, a lot of Looters are either going to be comic fans or Walking Dead fans (and a lot will be both). This is the same issue you could get at a comic shop, but with an alternate cover. I’m a little disappointed that it’s a zombie wearing a Loot Crate T-Shirt. I love looking at variant covers, but if I were a Walking Dead collector, I’m not sure this one would do it for me. Regardless, it’s a free comic. And a popular comic at that. Kudos to Loot Crate for getting it.
Conclusion: Someone Else’s. Okay, it’s going on eBay. I have a bunch of comics I need to sell, so it’ll get thrown online soon. It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good item. I’m not a Walking Dead collector (I think I have the first three trade paperbacks…), and I already have enough comics.
Everything Else:
The Stuff: I figured it would be easier to toss all the misc paper-y items here at the end. This month we got temporary tattoos, something pretending not to be a War Head, a “Smite Gift Card” (unlocks Thanatos and Jack the Reaper skin), and a pair of 3D glasses to read this month’s handy-dandy book (which isn’t weird at all…).
Conclusion: Who knows? There are always a few random things in the box that don’t add much value, but they’re fun. I guess. Temporary tattoos are always fun, and ’tis the season after all. The candy is kind of sad. It’s not necessary, and I feel like the box would almost be better off without it, because it’s small size makes you feel a little ripped off, even if you aren’t. The game code… um… okay. I’m not using that.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I’m pretty happy with this box. It seems like it has a good range of items and that most people will find something they enjoy in it. Any time we get a t-shirt that we’ll use it feels like a win. The book is fun, the comic is a great idea, the pen is funny (even if I won’t use it). I was also relieved to have been wrong about the Walking Dead thing. Sure, they got it in a couple of times, but it was an amount that felt appropriate. Good job, Loot Crate.
But you know what I miss?
The magnet.
I know it’s a small thing, but I’d rather have a magnet than the misc. stuff at the end. Loot Crate has been making our fridge far more interesting, and I’m a little sad not to have something to add this month.
Still, I feel good at Loot Crate. The husband and I get excited when we get an alert saying it’s out for delivery, and it feeds our inner geeks.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some comics to sell.
This post is late because my Loot Crate was late. If that wasn’t disappointing enough, it had clearly been opened:
You may want to keep the situation in mind when you read my thoughts on my box. I have to admit I may have been prejudice. It looks like everything was still in it, though I’m a little concerned I didn’t get a member card, which is supposed to arrive in box 3. From what I read, sometimes they’re late. I’ll give it another box before I worry.
The September 2014 Loot Crate was Galactic themed. I cannot tell you how excited I was for this. A box of surprise Sci-Fi items is about as good as it get for this geeky girl. I love me some Firefly and Star Wars, two of the big three advertised on the crate. The other was Star Trek. I’m a big fan of Next Gen and Voyager, though I confess the original doesn’t do much for me. Short lived as it was, I’ve seen very little of it.
For those who are unfamiliar, Loot Crate is a subscription service. For about $20 a month, you receive a box of geeky goodness. I put my items into three different categories: His, Mine, and Someone Else’s.
His: The husband called “dibs”
Mine: I called dibs
Someone Else’s: That’s going in a Christmas gift
So let’s start.
The Galactic Crate:
My first note here is on the box: It wasn’t my favorite. The last couple of boxes have been really fun, and this was pretty generic. I didn’t take a picture of the empty box because you get the idea from the exposed part here. At least if one was going to arrive banged up and mangled, it was this one. I’ve been looking forward to stuffing Christmas gifts into these boxes, and this one isn’t exciting enough for that.
Star Trek Tribble Exclusive Looter Edition
Remember what I said about Star Trek? That I was a fan of Next Gen and Voyager? Tribbles don’t exactly play a dominant role in those series.
Okay. I have no idea what a Tribble is.
I would have taken it out of the box except…
Conclusion: Someone else’s. I’d been toying with the idea of giving away some of our spare Loot Crate items in white elephant gift exchanges this Christmas. This isn’t staying in my home, so it’s not being opened.
Alien Re-Action Figure:
I wish I could say that this item excited me, but… no. Not a huge fan of this series. After reading Loot Crate’s description of it, there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly exciting about this figure. I’m sure it would be fantastic for fans of the series, or people who collect action figures. Sadly, I am neither.
Conclusion: Someone else’s. I don’t have enough white elephant exchanges for this.
Firefly Vinyl “Mal” Exclusive Action Figure:
When I first saw the box, I thought this was a surprise object, but Loot Crate specifically delivered a special edition Mal. I love Mal, so I’m happy to have him. He’s now standing guard over our Halo-themed Xbox 360. It seemed appropriate. It took away a little of the magic to know that this “Mystery Mini” wasn’t a mystery, but I’ll take what I can get.
Conclusion: Mine. Though I guess he’s kind of “ours” since he’s guarding the husband’s Xbox.
Firefly Bank Robbery Money
It’s from Firefly. That’s enough for me. Now I just need to find a way to subtly incorporate these bills into my home decor.
Conclusion: See above. Mine. Mine. Mine.
Star Wars Poster (9×27)
Star Wars! Han! Who doesn’t like to look at Han Solo, frozen in carbonite or not? Anything Star Wars is generally welcome in our home, though I admit the posters aren’t my favorite. I’m an adult who isn’t quite into papering my walls in posters like I was as a preteen. We do, however, have a “Nerd Room” where this will fit nicely. I’m just worried we’re running out of wall space…
Conclusion: His. Husband gets dibs on Star Wars, so he’ll probably hang this sucker without telling me.
Pop Rocks:
If someone wants to explain to me how Pop Rocks fit into a galactic theme, I’d appreciate it. Pop Rocks are fun, but they don’t exactly make me think of supernovas. The pamphlet that comes with the crate calls them “poppin’ asteroids,” but I feel like they’re stretching it there. Unless Pop Rocks really once advertised that way and I’m not aware.
Conclusion: Mine. What? I said I didn’t get why they were in the box. I didn’t say I was unhappy they were in the box. Husband hates Green Apple. I love it. It was a win for me.
Halo Digital Comic Download:
I haven’t decided what I think of the digit additions to the Loot Crates. Last month’s were fun, though we didn’t end up touching them, despite good intentions. The back of this handy paper has a code to download some Halo comics. I didn’t read it in detail, because I just tossed it straight at the man who has a Hal Xbox.
Conclusion: His. Anything Halo will do well in my home, though I won’t be the one enjoying it.
Star Wars Arcade Magnet:
To my surprise, the magnets are quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of the crate. I like that they’re geektastic, which gives them a theme, but otherwise different. My fridge is progressively becoming more interesting.
Conclusion: His. Only because my husband decided all of the magnets are his. Can something that holds paper on our shared fridge really be anyone’s though?
Final Thoughts:
Eh?
Like I said, I went into the whole thing a little frustrated that my box took longer than it should have (oh, I watched it get stuck in the middle of no where on my tracking) and that it came damaged. That may have made it harder to be excited for the contents.
If I really think on it though, my first Loot Crate was so fantastic that I don’t think anything will live up to it. I’m going to stick with it a little longer because we’re enjoying opening them, but if next month’s crate isn’t more exciting, I’ll start to consider reclaiming my 20 dollars a month.
If only they accepted Credits.
When I received my first Loot Crate in July, I was convinced that it would all be downhill from there. My Villain box really couldn’t have been better. So when they announced that the August Loot Crate would be Hero-themed, I was cautiously optimistic.
For those who are unfamiliar, Loot Crate is a subscription service. For about $20 a month, you receive a box of geeky goodness. I put my items into three different categories: His, Mine, and Someone Else’s.
His: The husband called “dibs”
Mine: I called dibs
Someone Else’s: That’s going in a Christmas gift
The Hero Crate
Exclusive Funko Pop Figure
Loot Crate had sent out promotional e-mails saying that this month would include an exclusive Funko Pop figure. I was strongly considering putting whatever figure arrived on eBay to try and recoup some of the funds we spent on the crate.
Until I opened it and saw that picture you see above.
Let’s take a look at Groot:
I have a soft spot for these vinyl figures that I can’t quite explain. I mean, they’re not the highest quality. The don’t do much.
Butthey’resofreakingcuteIlovethemwhat’swrongwithme?
When I left “Guardians of the Galaxy” I immediately wanted a Groot of some sort for my desk. Now I’m really glad I didn’t buy one.
If you’re wondering about the “exclusive” part, no, Groot isn’t exclusive to Loot Crate. You can easily find him online. What appears to be exclusive is the glow-in-the-dark hand. This isn’t exactly a feature I’d actively choose to spend extra money on, but I’m okay getting it in the crate.
Conclusion: Mine. And by “mine,” I mean “ours.” We’re trying desperately to find someplace in our living room that Groot will look natural, rather than adding him to our cluttered geek room.
TMNT Sunglasses
This is by far the biggest disappointment to me in the crate. I don’t have any children who would like some play sunglasses. I’m certainly not going to wear them. And to be truthful, I watched my fair share of Ninja Turtles as a kid, but I don’t really remember it.
Conclusion: Someone else’s. I’m planning on making a box of Loot Crate goods for my family’s white-elephant inspired Christmas exchange. This along with some other items will make a couple of my cousins exceptionally happy.
TMNT Figure
I figured we’d go ahead and finish off the Turtles. It’s probably worth noting that different people appear to have gotten different figures. The booklet features Raphael, while I received Donatello. They did something similar with the glasses. That’s definitely fun, and I have to admit the size of this guy makes him pretty adorable.
I mean scary. Very intimidating turtle.
I like this figure more than the sunglasses. This makes me feel like I didn’t waste money, even if I don’t particularly want it. It’s funny how our brains do that.
Conclusion: Someone else’s. In addition to the white elephant, we adopt a family at Christmas. This might go in a kid’s stocking.
Shoe Lightning Bolts
These things are freaking adorable. Seriously. I’m a DC nerd, so anything that reminds me of Flash is going to be a win, even if I don’t really have an opportunity to use these.
Maybe I’ll pretend to take up running (I pretend this a couple times of a year) and put them on my running shoes.
Conclusion: TBD. I’m cheating here because I don’t know. I’m way more amused by these than I should be. I’m also only 1 for 3 at this point in keeping these items in my home. Since we’re pretending, I’ll pretend I’m going to keep these, but probably put them in one of those Christmas boxes instead.
Sonic Air Fresher
Like my new Ninja Turtle gear, I got Sonic here by chance. There were also two Mega Man options. I’m glad I got Sonic. That speedy freak frequently stumped me as a kid (read: once when I bought a game for my DS in college).
Plus, who wants a plain ol’ jar-shaped, flower-shaped, non-video-game-character-shaped air freshener in their car?
Conclusion: Mine. Sonic is going to hang from my mirror with pride. Well, I’m going to hang him from my mirror with pride. I doubt he’ll be very proud of his new home. Who wants to spend their life in a Chevy?
Digital Downloads
Another fun idea. We got two of these. Each has a code for a free download of “Defense Grid: The Awakening.” Who doesn’t like a good tower defense game? It also has codes to download characters in a Doctor Who game. I will probably download the “free” game… but I’m afraid I’ll play said game, enjoy it a ton, and end up paying real money for stuff in it. So far I’ve avoided paying for anything in “Free” game apps, and I’d prefer not to lead myself down that path. That would be bad. The third item… okay, I have no idea what it is.
Conclusion: His and Mine. I love that the crate came with two of these. It’s really brilliant advertising, getting people to play games they otherwise might not. So why not give people 2?
Magnet
This is apparently a Deadpool reference. I noted when we got Deadpool socks in the Villain crate (cheaters), that I don’t know much about him.
Conclusion: His. This is already on the fridge. We’ve decided to keep all of the magnets, because they’re far more interesting than the round, black things that are currently holding up coupons on our fridge.
Final Thoughts
This crate was definitely fun, but it did not live up to last month. That’s okay. A subscription service is random, and I’m happy that we’ll have uses for everything in the box.
Well, almost everything. I’m still convinced that the sunglasses are useless.
The different items options for the glasses, TMNT figure, and air freshener were definitely entertaining. I’m not sure if this is normal or not (heck, maybe it happened last month and I didn’t notice), but I like that it means the crates vary.
Also, Groot Rules.
After the success of the Loot Crate I bought for my brother at RTX, I decided to hop on the subscription bandwagon. I figured, hey, it’s a box of Geek-tastic stuff delivered every month. I’m a Geektastic person. I’m also a generally cheap person, who figured it would probably only last a few months for that reason.
Then they announced this month’s theme: Villains. Oh no. Maybe I’m going to start on an amazing one and nothing will ever compare again. The e-mail announcing the theme even had pictures of Harley Quinn and Darth Vader.
Have I told you guys that I have a Joker problem? No? I have a Joker problem.
That’s my mindset opening this box (please let there be Joker or Harley in this box). Before I dig in, let me tell you how I’m going to categorize each item: His, Mine, and Someone Else’s. “His” meaning the husband loves it, “Mine” indicating that I’m snatching that thing away before my husband gets it, and “Someone Else’s” meaning that thing is going in the gift pile (or who knows, maybe eBay). Let’s get started!
The box:
I learned something here. For some reason, I had assumed that all Loot Crate boxes were the same size, but this is shorter and wider than the one I got for my brother last month. Now I feel silly.
OPENING IT:
Oh my goodness. The box. LOOK AT THE BOX. Joker has totally been here. *rips out shirt*
“Joki” shirt: 
The shirt: Joker and Loki. I have no words. Mostly I giggled. I absolutely love this shirt. This is not going to be bias because anything with the Joker looking maniacal is going to make me happy. The shirt is exclusive, according to the book that came with the crate. I don’t care. I’d be happy anyway.
Conclusion: Mine.
The Posters:
The posters: Sticking with our Joker theme we have two posters, Joker and Harley. Seriously, Loot Crate, you are setting yourself up to never, ever be this amazing for me again. I recognize that most people don’t have a need for such tiny “posters,” but I have a couple of things swaying me here: First, I love the picture of Joker at the top. It’s from the cover of one of the last issue of Detective (? I think. I could go check my comic stash, but that seems like too much work) before DC launched the New 52, and I loved it the first time I saw it. Second, I have “Geek Room” in my home. We’re running out of space for big objects, but we have little spaces above the door where these would fit perfectly.
Conclusion: Mine. Okay, ours, really, since we share the room, but I’m the comic nerd in the house.
Deadpool Socks:
The socks: Everyone likes Deadpool, right? That’s what I heard, anyway. I’m not much of a Marvel person, but I can recognize these are fun.
Conclusion: Someone else’s. Or one of ours the day I’m too lazy to do laundry.
Darth Vader Key Chain:
The key chain: It looks like of cheap. It feels kind of cheap. It also came in a box full of stuff that cost me $20, so I won’t complain. We’re a Star Wars loving home, and Vader is always welcome.
Conclusion: His. The husband automatically wins on all things Star Wars. Maybe we’ll stick it with the spare key.
Necessary Evil DVD:
The DVD: First, forgive me for the obvious difference in color here. I used my cheap camera, and I write from my laptop, which doesn’t have any photo software. According to Loot Crate, “Christopher Lee narrates this awesome documentary that explores the villains of the DC Universe from over seven decades of incredible comic book chaos! Find out just what goes into bringing the Rogues Gallery to life in every issue…”
Conclusion: Mine. It’s pretty obvious by now, right? IMBD has it rated a 6.8/10. That’s decent, I figure, and I’ll always give a documentary about something I like a chance.
Bowser Magnet:
The magnet: Pretty standard, light but not entirely flimsy magnet featuring a non-comic villain. Definitely adds variety to the box. If I didn’t love Joker stories so much, I think I’d be relieved at this point, and then annoyed that I had to be relieved.
Conclusion: His. Considering my husband’s response was “OH I LIKE THE MAGNET,” I wouldn’t even try. It’s already on the fridge.
Rocket Raccoon Comic:
The comic: This is an exclusive comic, which is always fun. It’s a nice plug for the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie (which I am seeing for Karen Gillan), but these one-shot promotional comics don’t really do it for me. I’m also not much of a Marvel person (and before you go thinking I’m DC crazy, the only DC comic on my pull list is Batwoman).
Conclusion: Someone else’s. We have some cousins who would love this. Maybe one of us will draw one of their names for the Christmas exchange this year.
Conclusions:
We’re in. This wasn’t even a theme that my husband found appealing, but he had a great time. You can’t deny there’s something fun about a mystery box of goodies. I’m sure some logical part of me will take over soon enough and remind me that I wouldn’t normally spend any money on any of these items in a month, so it’s really a waste of money.
Eventually. For now, we’re happy to have had fun. I’m hoping that next month catches my husband’s interest a little more.
Did I mention the best part?
The box! I’m overly amused by the scribbles. This thing is getting saved and used to package a Christmas present this year (hopefully the person who gets it doesn’t know what Loot Crate is and doesn’t think that they’re getting a box full of goodies rather than the book or socks or chili pepper it will actually contain).
We’ll see another Loot Crate next month. I’m excited to see what they prepared, and already trying to make sure I know they won’t all be full of this addictive villain.
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