ZBox October 2015 Review

ZBox October 2015 Review, 'Time Travel'

Link: http://www.zavvi.com/offers/zbox.list

ZBox isn't one of my regular subscription boxes, but I couldn't resist the teasers for an exclusive Funko Pop! Vinyl in this month's items. 

ZBox is produced by Zavvi, so I have high expectations for a box being sold by such a big, well known company. I was really pleased with the last one that I purchased from them so I was definitely excited for this unboxing.

The design on the inside of the box was absolutely beautiful and included loads of fab time travel references. October was such a significant 'Back to the Future' month that most of the sub box services really went for the time travel theme.

Marty McFly Funko Pop! Vinyl (Exclusive)

This Pop was fantastic and was made all the more so by the fact that it was the second half of the exclusive Back to the Future set - and LootCrate sent me the first half (Doc Brown) earlier in the month! You can see that review - here -. 

He differs from the regular Marty McFly Pop in that he is wearing his iconic jacket from the second film, and he is standing on a hover board.

Blink Time Watch

ZBox included a watch in this month's box! It was a pretty good idea for a time travel themed box and seemed to be a relatively high value item. The watch is really rubbery - it seems pretty resilient - and displays the time when you press down on the face of it. The watch appears blank unless you press it. I quite like the concept, but I can't wear watches because of eczema on my wrists, stopping this item from being all that useful to me unfortunately.

Doctor Who Tardis Socks

I really like these socks - they come all the way up to my knees, which makes them really warm and cosy! They are a bit large on my tiny feet but they are definitely wearable. I don't think that you can have a time travel box without having at least a nod to the Doctor, so I approve of this item.

Chrononauts Comic

I always love the inclusion of a comic book in a sub box, especially one that I have never come across before like this one. Things like this are so much more fun and involving than small, crappy items that are easily dismissed.

The ZBox Magazine

I love that ZBox include a magazine like this - it includes loads of info about the items and the theme. It's basically the best version of an info card, and I think info cards in these boxes are extremely important.

Overall:

I thought this was a good box. I was over the moon with the Pop and I thought everything was really well selected for the theme of the box. It was unfortunate that the watch wasn't particularly useful to me, as that was definitely one of the highest value items, but I was generally impressed.

Remember to follow this blog if you want to see more posts like this. Comment below if you have any questions about ZBox or any of this month's items and let me know what you guys thought of October's box!

If you want to see my last ZBox review, click on the following link:

ZBox July Review

Arcade Block October 2015 Review

Arcade Block: October 2015 Review

Link: www.nerdblock.com

This month's Arcade Block contained a real mix of items. I wanted to give the block another go though, because I really loved the Legend of Zelda box that they did for September.

There didn't appear to be a huge number of items, but there were some quite sizeable things included in the box. The box was also rattling when it arrived, which initially had me quite worried for the safety of the items, but it turned out that there was a good reason for that.

Call of Duty T-Shirt

I can't fault the design or fit of the t-shirt in any way (besides it being yet another black t-shirt), but I have never been into Call of Duty - meaning that this was a bit of a miss for me. It's a great t-shirt for an Arcade Block though, it's purely unfortunate that I happen to not be into the franchise.

Atari Cap

I love the retro design of this - I love a good throwback to old style gaming. I also love hats but, having said that, I cannot pull off a cap in any way shape or form. Caps are not a good look for me. I might hang on to it for comedy value, but I could never wear this and be taken seriously as a human being.

Retro City Rampage

It was so cool that Arcade Block actually included a retro game like this, and included enough formats for it to be accessible to basically anyone! This is a great item - I love this.

Fallout Funko Mystery Mini

I was really excited for this item because this was actually my first ever mystery mini! I also love the Fallout series, so this was probably my favourite item in the box. I wasn't expecting the mini to be quite as big as it was either - it's nearly as tall as a Pop. The style of the figures is fantastic though.

The mini that I received was 'The Mysterious Stranger'. I'm not sure what role he plays in the other games, but I remember him as a perk that you could gain in Fallout 3 - where he would appear out of nowhere during combat and help you out. I was hoping for a more high profile character, but I still love this guy.

Titanfall K'Nex

This was, of course, the item that I could hear rattling in the box! I haven't played the game, but this is a really fun item. Okay, it might be a bit childish, but it will probably give me something to do on a rainy day. This also seems a relatively high value item to receive in a box like this, so this (along with the game and the mystery mini) more than made up for the clothing items being a bit of a miss.

Like last time, Arcade Block included a great info card to give you all the details about your new video game merchandise.

Overall:

This was a good Arcade Block and I was pretty pleased with what I received. I wasn't a fan of the wearables, which was unfortunate and purely down to taste/interests on my part I think. Otherwise, everything was perfectly selected for a video game themed box.

Remember to follow this blog if you want to see more posts like this. Comment below if you have any questions about Arcade Block or any of this month's items and let me know what you guys thought of October's box!

If you want to see last month's Arcade Block review, follow the link below:

Arcade Block September Review

Infinity Crates October 2015 Review

Infinity Crates: October 2015 Review, 'Plague'

Link: www.infinitycrates.co.uk

The Infinity Crate for October had a vaguely spooky feel to it, with the theme for this month being 'Plague'.

Upon opening the box, it immediately looked like there was a generous number of items in comparison to previous months.

Time Lord War Council T-Shirt

I'm a massive Doctor Who fan, so this design was right up my street. This is actually one of my favourite sub box t-shirts in recent months. The shirt is a light grey and features both the weeping angels and the silence - two of the scariest Doctor Who villains ever!

Pumpkin King Funko Pop! Vinyl

As always, Infinity Crates included a Pop in the box and this was the perfect Pop to receive near Halloween! I'm a big fan of the Nightmare Before Christmas, so this was a big win for me.

A closer look:

He's particularly detailed for a Pop - Funkos are sometimes a little over-simplified, so I was very impressed in that respect.

Zombie Apocalypse Notebook

I was really pleased with this as an additional extra. The design on the front is cute and it's the perfect size to be really useful and portable.

The inside cover has some really lovely details too, which you wouldn't necessarily expect from a simple extra item.

Walking Dead Keyring

I still haven't watched the Walking Dead (I know, I'm terrible), but this was still a great item. It's a great quality, rubber keyring and it appears to be official merchandise as well.

Vinyl Stickers - Resident Evil and Gears of War

These are a fun extra and I particularly like the Resident Evil umbrella sticker.

Horror Poster

Infinity Crates have done some great posters but this one wasn't really for me. It looks a bit too much like an advert for the company, rather than something quirky and fun to hang on the wall.

As per usual, Infinity Crates included a fab info card to let you know a bit about the items in the box and what was on offer to subscribers with different interests.

Overall:

This was another great month for Infinity Crates and they did a great job of keeping to the theme. There was a real spooky feeling to this box and some great items.

Remember to follow this blog if you want to see more posts like this. Comment below if you have any questions about Infinity Crates or any of this month's items and let me know what you guys thought of October's box!

See all of my previous Infinity Crates reviews by clicking on the following link:

Infinity Crates Reviews

Nerd Block October 2015 Review

Nerd Block: October 2015 Review, 'Trick or Treat'

Link: www.nerdblock.com

The theme for October's Nerd Block was 'Trick or Treat', so I was expecting there to be a bit of a Halloween/spooky twist on the items in this box.

Nerd Block had promised two vinyl figures in this box, but other than that there weren't many clues about what kind of things we were going to get.

Gremlins T-Shirt (glow in the dark)

I really liked the t-shirt that they included this month. It had a distinctly spooky feel and I love the Gremlins design. The glow in the dark aspect is a fun novelty - when dark, the design changes to a Gremlin that has gone bad and it actually looks really good.

Alien and Ripley Titans Vinyl Figures (exclusive twin pack)

I think this was a fantastic addition to the Halloween theme - a collectible from a classic scary film has to be appreciated. I also think that it's nice to get a bit of a break from the Funko products every now and again and see something a bit different.

Jem and the Holograms Annual

It might not be for everyone but I love getting comic books and graphic novels in these boxes and discovering new things. I've never read any Jem and the Holograms before, so I'm looking forward to getting into this. I also appreciate how well packaged this was - nobody wants to receive crumpled products.

Bob's Burgers Mad Libs

This is the kind of thing that can feel a bit useless unless you a specific time where you can use it, like an upcoming road trip or something. Even so, it's a fun item and I am a huge fan of Bob's Burgers, so it's nice to see the show getting some recognition in such a popular subscription service.

Zombie Hunter Dog Tags

Again, these are a bit of a novelty item but I can see them coming in handy for Halloween parties and any other occasions that call for scary dress up. I will probably hang on to these because I can see myself finding some obscure use for them at some point.

Moe's Tavern Coaster

I'm always a fan of a decent coaster and this one is actually pretty well made - I'll definitely be finding a use for this around the house. It's also nice to see a nod towards such a classic show in a relatively subtle way.

As always, Nerd Block included some great info cards that tell you a little more about the items that you've been sent that month. 

They also included these spoilers for November's Nerd Block Classic. I'm excited for the Sherlock Exclusive, but I can't help being slightly annoyed at the inclusion of Star Wars and Firefly items now that they have started an independent Sci Fi box - I feel like that genre of items should be kept to one box.

Overall:

I was impressed by the October Nerd Block Classic. There was a nice mix of useful and novelty items and, even though they were a little mix and match, everything tied in quite nicely with the theme. There was nothing that I disliked in this box!

(It was also quite nice that they didn't join every other subscription service in jumping on the Back to the Future bandwagon this month)

Look out for my review of November's box next month.

Remember to follow this blog if you want to see more posts like this. Comment below if you have any questions about Nerd Block or any of this month's items and let me know what you guys thought of October's box!

Click on the following link to see my past Nerd Block reviews:

All of my Nerd Block Classic Reviews

Noob Cube October 2015 Review

Noob Cube: October 2015 Review, '7 Deadly Sins'

Link: www.noobcube.co.uk

The theme for October's Noob Cube was the '7 Deadly Sins', in which they promised to include one item for each of the aforementioned sins.

This was the box as I opened it:

The info cards Noob Cube provide are fun because they tell you about all of the nerdy happenings in the world for each month, but I think that they're making a mistake in not providing an information card for the actual items in the box. Sometimes it's nice to read a little more about what you've been sent.

Loki T-Shirt

This was the item that seemed to be representing Envy. I guess it worked as a concept, but I actually I'm not a big fan of the character and I really don't like the design of the t-shirt itself. So, this item was a bit of a fail for me - but I can see how it would appeal to other subscribers.

Hulk Pocket Pop! Keychain

I reckon that this item represented Wrath. As with all Funko products, this is adorable and I'm pretty happy with it. I think these keychains cost a ridiculous amount of money, so I'm always happy to receive one in a box like this because I don't get the spending guilt!

Skull Sugar Spoon

I'm guessing that this one is for Gluttony. I think this might actually be my favourite item in this box - I absolutely love the look of it and it's such a different item from the usual fare that gets thrown into a box like this.

James Bond Playing Cards

Using James Bond to represent Lust seemed a bit...I'm not sure what - I felt that he wasn't a character that really fit into a box like this at all though. I've never liked the James Bond films so these really aren't for me.

Sloth Patch

I liked that they used a 'Sloth' themed item to represent Sloth. In practical terms though, I am disappointed to see patches and things in these boxes because they just seem so useless. I literally never use stuff like this.

Breaking Bad Stickers

I love these! I also love the idea of using Breaking Bad to represent Greed - this worked really well for the box.

300 Travel Pass Holder

I haven't seen 300 so I'm not sure, but I'm assuming that this is representing Avarice since that's the only sin left. It seems like a decent enough travel pass, but I don't personally have a lot of use for it.

Overall:

To be honest, a lot of the stuff in this box felt like filler and it kinda felt like they were trying to force things into the theme rather than considering what kind of items their subscribers would actually like to receive. The theme had so much potential and I was really excited for this box, but I don't think they did as well as they could have done in bringing that to life.

Since they made such a big deal about the theme I also think that they needed to offer a little info on why they put each item in for each sin. They should have also have said which sin the item represented - it was difficult to figure out, although I was impressed with myself for remembering all 7!

I haven't found Noob Cube's recent boxes all that exciting and I'm in two minds as to whether or not I will be ordering November's 'Femme Fatale' box. I'm tempted to give them another chance, but I'm starting to think that their content might not be for me.

Popinabox October 2015 Review

Popinabox: October 2015 Review

Link: www.popinabox.co.uk


I only ordered 1 Pop from Popinabox this month, mainly because my collection is becoming slightly out of hand and also partly because of the disaster I had with them last month.

This month Popinabox gave everyone an increased chance of getting a large Pop (6") - I think there was a 1 in 4 chance or something similar? Anyway, it would probably have been a good month to do a large order, but I honestly don't have the room right now.

My Pop arrived in a regular sized box, so I immediately knew that I wasn't one of the lucky ones:

Even so, I was a lot more impressed this month than I was last month. My Pop was in perfect condition and it was a great one for my collection :)

Lord Voldemort Funko Pop! Vinyl

He who must not be named! I'm loving the Harry Potter Funkos; I already have Dumbledore, Hagrid and 3 Harrys (see here for the arrival of the 3rd Harry). Voldemort is a great addition to the team.

A closer look:

Overall:

I was so much happier with Popinabox this month. I will probably stick to getting the one Pop from this point onward, but that is because I am becoming seriously limited on space. The service was flawless this month though - I can't fault it.