What's in the Box?!?: July Funko Smugglers Bounty

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Funko is discontinuing their subscription boxes, instead licensing them out to other retailers to put together. Already, Amazon.com has released the first of their new Marvel Collector Corps boxes, and I’ll talk about that soon. Hot Topic released a Disney Treasures box, but it sold out before I could order one, and I’m pretty ticked about that. I don’t know where the Smugglers Bounty box will end up, but I hope I’ll be able to continue getting it. In the meantime, I received the Revenge of the Sith box last month, which will be the last one coming directly from Funko. What’s in the box? Let’s check it out!

What's in the Box?!? Funko Star Wars Smugglers Bounty April 2018

This past week has been frustrating for a number of reasons. There’s the general atmosphere of the world around us, which just depresses and upsets me. Then there have been more than a couple of personal frustrations, both at home and at work. On the other hand, my wife has been trying a new job from home, and it looks like it might be starting to pay off. And today, we had my car washed at a student fundraiser to raise money for a local high school’s robotics club. I felt good about that. 

Overall, though, I’ve been feeling pretty stressed out. I took an extra day off from work, which helped a little. I’ve also been retreating into my happy place a bit, which—as you can probably guess from last week’s entry—is Star Wars right now. So when I got a text from my wife the other day that the new Funko Star Wars Smugglers’ Bounty box had been delivered, I was pretty excited.

What's in the Box?!?: September Star Wars Smugglers Bounty

Apologies for not posting last week; I was feeling pretty stressed and pressured. However, I’m back on the blogging horse. This week, it’s time for this month’s Funko Star Wars Smugglers Bounty unboxing!

What's in the Box?!?: July Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty

Time once again for the Funko Star Wars Smugglers Bounty box! This month’s theme is Droids. I’ve always loved the droids from the Star Wars Universe; some of my favorite characters from the movies and shows include BB-8, R2-D2, and Chopper. Artoo even features on the outside of the box. So this was a theme I was particularly excited about.

What's in the Box?!? May Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty

I got back from vacation to find the latest Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty box waiting for me, and it was HUGE! Easily the largest box I’ve gotten from any of the Funko subscription series to date. This month’s theme is the 40th anniversary of A New Hope, which I first saw at the Coronet Theater in San Francisco during its initial run. The movie is represented by an image of Princess Leia on the box. Let’s take a look at what’s inside!

Subscription Box Round-Up: Smugglers Bounty and Marvel Gear & Goods

I’m back! If you’re reading this, that makes two weeks in a row! This week, I will be covering the contents of the January Funko Star Wars Smugglers Bounty Box and February Loot Crate Marvel Gear & Goods. (I decided to just jump into current boxes; if I try to go back and cover the boxes I received during my hiatus, I might never get caught up.)

This month’s Smuggler’s Bounty theme is The Empire Strikes Back, with a nice Han Solo image on the box.

What's in the Box?!?: July Gentleman's Box, Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty, and Marvel Collector Corps Year One Special

First, apologies for not having a blog last week. We were traveling, and dealing with some stresses at work and at home, and I just wasn’t able to get anything done early enough.

This week, we’ll be talking about this month’s subscription boxes!

First up is the Gentleman’s Box, which was waiting for me when we got home on Monday. Since the packaging is the same every month, I didn’t bother to take a photo this time. 

This month’s box honors “Our Favorite Fashion Mogul.” Reading the description, that is apparently Tommy Hilfiger, but I had to do a little research to confirm that.

This month’s box isn’t jam-packed with little items, but what is there is definitely quality. $101 worth of quality, retail, according to the booklet.

What's in the Box?!?: Gentleman's Box, Smuggler's Bounty, Nerd Block, and Firefly Cargo Crate for May 2016

It’s time for another subscription box round-up! Here are the subscription boxes I received since my last round-up post (excluding the second Ghost Post box, because that deserves its own entry).

First up: the May Gentleman’s Box! The inspiration for this month’s box is “Our Favorite Soul King,” or Ray Charles. 

What's in the Box?!?: Gentleman's Box and Star Wars: Smuggler's Bounty

Time for some of this month’s subscription boxes!

Arriving first this week: the March Gentleman’s Box! (I know, I just blogged about the February one the other week. Blame my weekly publishing schedule, but I just am not in a place to post more frequently than that at this time.)

As usual, the classy wood-grained exterior opens to reveal the explanation booklet. This month’s box is inspired by “Our Favorite Captain,” by which they mean Johnny Depp. 

Beneath the booklet are this month’s neatly-wrapped contents.

When discussing the February box, I talked about how we had decided to suspend my Sock Fancy subscription, particularly if I was going to be getting socks in the Gentleman’s Box. Sure enough, this month’s box included another pair of socks, from Unsimply Stitched. These ones don’t have a name (unlike last month’s socks) but they feel nice and soft. And, according to the booklet, this design is a special production only available to Gentleman’s Box members. Sock collectors take note!

A year or two ago, I had received some Billy Jealousy aftershave balm in a Birchbox box (to which we no longer subscribe). I liked it, but because I was getting so many different aftershave samples, I never needed to buy more. I was pleased to see that this month’s box included a sample tube of Billy Jealousy’s Shaved Ice aftershave. I’m no good at describing scents, but it’s a scent that evokes cool freshness without seeming minty, and definitely not floral. I’m looking forward to incorporating it into my aftershave rotation.

I don’t often wear suits, and I don’t think I’ve ever bothered with a pocket square, so I don’t know how often I’ll be wearing the shipyard pocket square from Knots Apparel. Apparently, they routinely dedicate a portion of their sales to specific charities, so that alone is worth applauding. The sales from Gentleman’s Box go to support The Joseph Fund. This particular design is—like the socks—exclusive to this month’s Gentleman’s Box, so, again, collectible! It’s a nautical theme, in keeping with “Our Favorite Captain,” so perhaps I will wear it if I am ever invited to the Yacht Club.

While I may not always wear a suit, I always wear collar stays with my nice shirts. I had been using some magnetic collar stays from Wurkin Stiffs, but those are designed to keep your collar down in place around a neck tie. I was just using them to keep my collar tips pointy, so I was underutilizing them. So I’m glad to get a set of wooden collar stays from Woodchuck USA. These will definitely be easier to use for my purposes, and they come in a variety of sizes, which will be handy.

Finally, this box included a pair of nice aviator sunglasses. They look really nice, and are the kind of sunglasses I’ve always wanted. Unfortunately, I wear prescription glasses, so I can’t really wear just these when I am out and about. Still, I will have them on hand if I ever get contacts, or just don’t need to see stuff too clearly.

The box also included a coupon for $20 off an order from a company called Parsonii, “the watch that changes with you.” I haven’t really looked into this yet, so I don’t know if it’s good value for money. Regardless, it’s just a coupon.

Overall, Gentleman’s Box says there’s $87 in value in this month’s box, and I’m going to use most of it. So it’s a good haul.

I also received this month’s Star Wars Smuggler’s Bounty. This month’s theme is Cantina, as evidenced by the image of Greedo on the box.

Inside, we get the usual patch and pin. This month’s pin is Greedo or some other Rodian, and the pin is one of the cantina musicians.

Inside, the boxed isn’t packed as fancy as Gentleman’s Box, but everything is pretty secure.

This month’s T-shirt is a cool Wanted: Han Solo design. I’ll definitely be wearing this when I am out and about. I appreciate that it’s a picture of Harrison Ford/Han Solo, not the Funko Pop version of him.

The other non-Pop item this month is a pen topped with a mini version of the Chewbacca Pop. It’s cute, but I haven’t tested the quality of the line and ink yet. (AS IF ANYONE GIVES A POOP.)

Finally, this month’s exclusive Pops: Obi-Wan Kenobi and… Red Snaggletooth? Nerd that I am, I do recognize this alien from the cantina scene in the original Star Wars movie. Seeing a Pop of him reminds me of my youth, when I would buy action figures of almost any background alien that Kenner would produce. As an adult, I do kind of wonder whether Red Snaggletooth is his real name, because that would be kind of cool. And I do kind of wonder what acclaimed Shakespearean actor Sir Alec Guinness would think about this plastic bobblehead version of himself. For what it’s worth, I think it’s pretty nifty. Plus, he’s standing there posed with his lightsaber, ready to go to town on some cantina drunks, so he looks pretty bad-ass.

Bonus box: I received this nifty gold Captain America statue as my charter member anniversary gift from the Marvel Collectors Corps. I think it looks awesome, except that the part of the arm holding the shield needs to be glued back on (of course). 

These are the boxes I had received by press time. I’m pretty happy with all of the stuff; even the things from Gentleman’s Box I might not regularly use are pretty cool, and I might make a point of using them, just to look dapper and cool. Please let me know in the comments what boxes you get, and your favorite items.

Subscription Box Round-Up

My wife has an addiction to subscription boxes. For those not in the know, subscription boxes are mystery boxes based around a certain theme. You pay a certain amount of money, and every month or two months or whatever, you get a box full of stuff based around that theme. She has subscribed to boxes of skin care products, makeup, Japanese snacks, young adult literature, and many others.

To be honest, I started feeling a little jealous. For her, it was like Christmas every couple of days, whenever a new box would show up in the mail. I wanted that thrill, but there aren’t a lot of boxes aimed at men. However, because my wife loves me, she sought out subscription boxes that she thought would fit me. As it happens, I received three of them in the past week, so I thought I would share what came in them.

(Apologies for the quality of the photos. My wife has a nice tabletop photo studio, and I think I'm going to try to use that the next time I do a blog like this.)

The first box is a fairly new one for me; this is only the third time I’ve received it. It is called the Gentleman’s Box and contains men’s fashion accessories and other items themed around a particular individual. (A couple of months ago, it was Tom Cruise.) As you can see, the box is packaged in a very classy wood-grain pattern.

Opening it, I found the usual booklet explaining the theme and the person who inspired it. Without naming him, this month’s box appears to have been inspired by Bill Gates. 

Once I removed the booklet and opened the wrapping paper, I could immediately see that I had received another nice pair of socks. (Another subscription my wife found for me is Sock Fancy, because I was always running out of or losing socks. Sock Fancy sends me two pairs of brightly colored socks every month.)

These new socks, from a company called Happy Socks are 100% cotton. I haven’t actually worn them yet, but they feel nice and comfy. We will see if they live up to their name.

Also inside the box, I found… another box! Inside that, I found a watch from Winners Circle Fashion Company, which came with three different wristbands, I guess to match my clothing choices or mood for the day. It’s a very simple, elegant design, and I like it quite a bit.

I also received  wooden lapel pin from My Suited Life. I don’t often wear suits, but the next time I do, I’m wearing this little wooden flower.

Finally, they included a tube of mint-flavored lip balm from a company called Brickell Men’s Products. It’s a relative new company, started in 2014. I like the lip balm; the flavor isn’t too intense, and it doesn’t feel thick or greasy or waxy like other lip balms I’ve tried.

So, out of the various items I received, I’ll be using the socks, lip balm, and watch on a regular basis, I’m sure. And I’ll wear the lapel pin when I actually wear a lapel to put it in.

Another box I received this week was Nerd Block. This is a monthly collection of geek stuff, themed around a particular genre, book, or movie. This month was fantasy. (Mostly Harry Potter, but also some other stuff.)

The box, as usual, is nothing spectacular, but at least there’s no longer a customs label listing all the contents on the outside.

Inside, it’s not packaged with quite as much class as the Gentleman’s Box, but it’s not the wrapping that counts.

I got a Harry Potter film frame bookmark, which is exciting for me, because I love bookmarks and never have enough of them. This one is sealed in plastic, so it won’t get worn around the edges. It’s a 35mm film frame and a card, and the back of the card is printed with a “certificate of authenticity,” for what that’s worth. It looks neat, even if the frame is just a shot of Filch’s face.

Continuing with the Harry Potter theme, I also got a Hogwart’s crest keychain. It’s very intricate and beautiful. I’m not sure it’ll go on my keys, because it’s like two inches long. Maybe it’ll go on my work keys. That would be appropriate, I think.

The last Harry Potter item I received is a Deathly Hallows T-shirt. It’s nice, so that’ll go into my T-shirt rotation.

My wife was jealous of the small notebook bound in faux leather and embossed with the title, “Your Neverending Story,” inspired by one of her favorite books and movies. As much as I love her, this one is just too cool to give up. (Maybe.)

One item that I can share with my wife is the Game of Thrones Khal Drogo action figure from Funko. My wife loves Daenerys from that show and series of books, and already has an action figure of her. Unfortunately, the Daenerys action figure is from after Khal Drogo dies, because she has her baby dragons with her. I suggested that we could set the Khal Drogo figure on fire, but we decided to just leave them together anyway.

Finally, the Nerd Block box included a nice print of the Shire from JRR Tolkien’s books. It’s pretty, in a style that reminds me of the detailed linework of James Owen. However, I’m usually at a bit of a loss as to what to do with these prints. I get so many of them, and little postcards, from these boxes, and I can’t think of a good way to display them.

Overall, it’s another nice collection of geek swag from Nerd Block, and most of it, I’ll use.

Finally, the same day that Nerd Block arrived, I also received the latest Star Wars Smuggler’s Bounty box from Funko. This is—as the name would suggest—a bi-monthly box of specifically Star Wars themed toys manufactured by Funko. They promise that the items in the box are exclusive to the box, so this is the only way to get these specific versions of the figures.

As you can see, there is nothing subtle about the Smuggler’s Bounty packaging. No way does my mail carrier not know what I’m getting. 

Immediately upon opening, I found the usual cloisonné pin and patch; one of each comes with every box. This time, I got a Poe Dameron pin (again, my wife was jealous; I offered it to her, but she refused) and a BB-* patch. I love BB-8, and it’s a nice patch, but I’m not sure where I would sew it onto.

Inside, the first thing I saw was a Funko Force Awakens T-Shirt, featuring the stars of the movie in their Funko Pop bobblehead versions. I’ve gotten a couple of similar T-shirts from Funko’s Marvel Collector’s Corps box, and they’re super cute. This one is, as well. I look forward to showing it off.

Once I lifted the shirt out of the box, I could see that this month’s exclusive Pop figure was not—as I had hoped—BB-8. Instead, it’s the world’s cutest Chewbacca. What makes this one exclusive, I think, is that it’s flocked, instead of hard plastic.

My other item is a C-3PO mug. It’s a really nice design, with enough attention to detail to include his ears and that thing on the back of his head. I think it would cooler if it had been gold instead of bright yellow; the paint makes him look a bit like Tweety Bird. On the other hand, painting the handle red (like his arm in the new movie, my wife had to point out to me) is a nice touch.

I had previously received a Star-Lord mug from the Marvel Collectors Corps box, and I like the design of the Funko mugs from a visual standpoint. However, they are so huge, I don’t know if I could practically use them. Either they would look completely empty, or I would have to drink so much coffee I’d have the jitters for a month.

Practicality of the mugs aside, I feel like I got some cool stuff from my boxes this month. Do you subscribe to any boxes? Please let me know in the comments, and please check back next week for more things that make me happy!