Month in Review: Hits and Misses of March 2015

March was a much longer month and there were a lot of stragglers from February that ended up being delivered in March due to weather and so on. Some of those end up in the mix for March because they deserve a fair shot, too. I also decided to cut back on a lot, although that will really impact April and moving forward from there since there will be far fewer boxes coming.

Fortunately, there were no horrible issues as there had been these past few months with French Box, Try the World, and Loot Crate. Instead, this month's misses are really just based on my personal preferences and interests. There were some that were a lot worse than others for me, but honestly, none of these are boxes I would strongly advise other people not to order if they thought it felt like a match for them. I am happy to say that, this month, they're just things I didn't like. Some I STRONGLY disliked, but again, to each his own.

Nerd Block, Jr. Girls Review: March 2015

I knew signing up for Nerd Block, Jr. was kind of a dumb move, since I don't have kids, but I was suckered in by the promise of Harry Potter stuff (it turned out to be kind of junk, though). Last month's Nerd Block, Jr. was great (I only get the girls' box), but this is clearly not a subscription box for me and that was more of a fluke, I think. 

This month's box was pretty terrible, although maybe not for kids. Two of the six items were repeats from the Classic Nerd Block (recent ones, too, including something from THIS MONTH). The other items just didn't really do much for me and don't seem to really fit the girl theme, but again, I knew going in that this was a mistake. 

Nerd Block Review: March 2015

I wanted to be happy about Nerd Block, but every time I felt like they took a step forward, I ended up biting my tongue and being disappointed again. So with that in mind, this is the last Nerd Block Classic I will be reviewing or receiving. I still have this month's Nerd Block, Jr. and Arcade Block coming and then I will be moving on to the boxes I actually feel happy to see on the porch. For every item I end up liking, there is something I feel either disinterested in or downright annoyed by - and every month, I end up throwing things away so it is becoming wasteful. Again, this is my experience and Nerd Block is likely great for other people. I just haven't found it really hits on the things I enjoy. It seems great for people with children or who are casual fans of lots of mainstream and popular things, but after trying a lot of boxes, it just doesn't hold up against the others.

This month's theme was Simon Says - and it was supposed to be curated by Simon Pegg. However, there were two items related to Simon Pegg and a bunch of filler junk. I don't really mind getting some filler items, but Nerd Block recently set up a giveaway for a Deadpool Funko POP and I have to wonder why they aren't including these things in their boxes, instead saving one POP for a giveaway and sending people gag gifts for $30+ a month.

The first item was a mini Munny, like the one in Loot Crate from February. This is also in the Jr. box, I believe, and I do find it dumb that Nerd Block sends the same things in different crates. They have sent repeat items in Arcade Block and Classic, and they do it all the time with the Jr. box. If they are going to repeat items, they shouldn't constantly try to get people to sign up for all their blocks. I am giving this to Crafty and her kids, because I don't need one of these figures, never mind three.

Horror Block Review: February 2015

As I have noted, our blocks from Nerd Block always come really late. This is for the Horror Block from February and I knew what was in this box weeks ago.

I originally signed up for three months to each of the Nerd Blocks, but Horror Block is the only one I considered continuing for another three months. Maybe it's because the content is older, but this is the only one that doesn't tend to be family-oriented. Now that they're including books, it's also the only one where I would likely discover books I may want to read. I read a ton and I'm pretty aware of most books, but I love horror. Finding unique horror finds is definitely possible, whereas there are not enough gaming books to justify it and Nerd Block will probably send more of the mainstream stuff I avoid. I find that Horror Block does seem to know its market and demographic the best, likely because its such a niche market.

However, speaking of books, this month's block included Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. I have read some of her books, which were okay, but I hadn't read this. When I read the description, which said it was "erotically charged," both my husband and I were annoyed, but I thought maybe it would be along the lines of Anne Rice, whose books are far from smut. I HATE romance for the most part but I still intended to read this, figuring they wouldn't include some Twilight knockoff in a horror subscription. Sadly, not only was it too focused on romance, I also stopped reading when I got to a rape scene (it's supposed to be erotic, which is sick). So the book is in the trash now where it belongs.

Nerd Block Classic Review: February 2015

The challenge with subscription boxes, especially geek subscription boxes, is that you can't please everyone. I absolutely loved last month's Nerd Block, despite having some issues with them customer service wise, but this month's was kind of a dud. This month's Jr. box was great, though, oddly enough. However, in the last month, I've seen some real changes from Nerd Block, especially in the area of customer service. I don't know if they're aware of the nonsense from Voldemort, or if they just really are getting over growing pains, but I think they should be applauded for actually listening to customers. Especially geeks, since we can be a surly bunch. ;) 

I don't think, however, that this box was nearly as bad as everyone seems to think it was. The biggest fail, really, is that the theme was kind of dumb. Exclusives don't matter when things feel sort of just tossed in. I would have preferred something a little more cohesive. 

The first item was the first issue of Marvel's Star Wars. I would be a lot more excited if I hadn't gotten this last month with another cover from Loot Crate. Both covers are exclusive alternates, but honestly, with the random stamps on them, they lose value and even my comics collector husband (who's been collecting for 35 years) doesn't care about variants. Not a bad item, and since not everyone subscribes to both, it's good that they are also getting this out, but for us, it was just okay. 

Nerd Block, Jr. Girls Review: February 2015

I don't have kids, so I have no business subscribing to Nerd Block, Jr. However, last month they were featuring Harry Potter and I got suckered in. It was disappointing, but that's on me, not them, since I'm not a kid and I don't have kids. 

This month, though, the Nerd Block, Jr. was AWESOME. If all the boxes were like this, I wouldn't even be embarrassed to subscribe!

Horror Block Review: January 2015

It takes quite some time to get my Horror Block (and Nerd Block and Arcade Block). My boxes are always scheduled for delivery well before they actually arrive (usually about 4-5 days). So this is a review of January's block, but it's been out for a while.

Arcade Block Review: January 2015

Theoretically, Arcade Block should be the perfect subscription box for me. My husband and I are both hardcore gamers and between the two of us, we play a really wide range of games. However, this is the second month we've received Arcade Block and this month is even more disappointing than last (which was one of the biggest disappointments as a whole, but we gave it the benefit of the doubt).

My biggest problem with Arcade Block, besides the fact that I think the value is pretty weak, is that the people putting it together appear to subscribe to the mentality that video games are for kids. That's pretty ignorant, and honestly, it's a stupid philosophy that is insulting to gamers. There has been so much progress in gaming in the last decade, but looking over Arcade Block, you would think we were back in the days of NES with cartoon games for children. With such a rich gaming culture to pull from, including an incredibly diverse and comprehensive indie game culture that could be tapped into for this subscription, this is basically product marketing. Something really amazing has to happen next month or I am definitely canceling this subscription.

Nerd Block, Jr. Girls Review: January 2015

So, time for an embarrassing confession/story. I love Harry Potter. I mean, I love Harry Potter way too much for any reasonable adult. So although I don't have kids, when I saw that Nerd Block, Jr. was featuring Harry Potter this month, I considered signing up for both the boys' and girls' boxes. Fortunately, sense won out and I only signed up for three months of the girls' box, given that there's little in the boys' box that appeals to me that isn't done better in the regular versions. But I like Hello Kitty and as she makes many appearances in the girls' box, I signed up. Without children. For me.

With that ridiculous scenario in place, I was ready for this box. I couldn't wait for my Harry Potter item. Sadly, the item really didn't live up to the hype. There were a few good items in the box, though. I can already tell I won't be continuing after three months, but that's because I don't have kids. And I am the fool who signed up anyway. If I had kids, it would probably be awesome.

Nerd Block Classic Review: January 2015

This was Nerd Block's first themed Classic Block, and it was AMAZING! The theme this month was "A Galaxy Far, Far Away." I was getting very anxious about this one because it got held up between Canada and here, but it was worth the wait - and I avoided spoilers!

Arcade Block Review - December 2014/January 2015

I love geeky and nerdy things in general, as does my husband, which is why Loot Crate started this addiction for me. When we decided to get Arcade Block, it only made sense. We're both gamers and here was a box focused only on gaming. Although there were some really great items in this month's block, this was probably my first slight disappointment in a box. However, I think it's also because I have higher standards for this subscription than most of the others. It should be a rare month when there isn't at least one item I love - and this one was one of those months.

The box looks like an NES :)

Horror Block: December 2014/January 2015

I'm not sure if this is technically the December or January block, since it shipped in December, but later in the month. So we'll call it December for our purposes here, but some people may consider it a January block.

Horror Block is a themed subscription box offered through Nerd Block with more focus on horror (hence the name, right?). We have a real love of the geeky boxes, but of course, your value is based a lot on whether you have a variety of interests related to geekdom. Since we love the majority of geeky things, it's a fairly easy fit for us. 

When you open the box, you get this message. :) My husband is a huge Walking Dead fan, so it works.