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Now that the busy season for my job is over, it's time to start in on the backlog of TMNT products I have piled up for review. The first off the
pile are the August mystery boxes from TMNTbox.com. I was tempted to just skip this review given that the September boxes are about to ship. But
I do have a good reason. One of the two boxes that I received in August was delayed for quite a while and only arrived last week. For those that
are unfamiliar with TMNTbox or similar services such as Loot Crate or Geek Fuel, you sign up on a subscription basis. You can sign up on a month
by month basis or for longer periods of time for a slight discount. Then each month, they ship you a box with numerous, random items inside.
For the TMNTbox service, you also had the option originally of signing up for either a classic themed box, a modern themed box or a combination.
It appears that they are now dropping the option of the purely modern box.
Packaging - 4/10
The TMNTboxes come in a box, roughly ten inches square and five inches deep. Has some decoration on the top, front and bottom. It's not enough
to make the boxes anything more than simple shipping vessels, but it does make it easy to identify where they came from. Inside there is a postcard
included which encourages you to use the hashtag #tmntbox for a chance to win what they call a mega crate. I suppose I'm just spoiled after two years
as a subscriber to Loot Crate's service, I've gotten used to the little extras that they include such as a catalog describing each of the items.
At the very least, if you want to imitate their monthly mega crate give aways, you could show what is in a mega crate. (At least show the last mega
crate if you want to keep the contents a surprise.) A catalog also serves a duel purpose. Not only does it help to show off exactly what is included,
but if the box includes items that you like enough to want to purchase more of them, it also can point you in the right direction to find more.
It's not absolutely necessary to include something like that. But for a service like this that is an extravagance to begin with, the little
extras can make a big difference.
Contents - 8/10
When I reviewed the boxes I received in July, I split dealt with the Classic and Modern boxes separately. Unfortunately I can't do that this
time around because, honestly, I can't tell which is which. The contents of both were identical other than the shirts included in each.
Both sets included:
I included links to the past reviews I've already done for the Mystery Minis and Pop Television figures if you want more information about
either of them. And I have to give TMNTBox credit, I had run across the Half-Shell Hero Bath Squirter three packs shortly before these boxes
arrived. But I was not aware that they were also available as single packs until the TMNTbox arrived. Finding a Ninja Turtle toy that is new
to me, even if it is just a packaging variation, is not an easy task. As it turns out, both boxes I received included the same Pop Television
figure and the same HSH Bath Squirter. I'm assuming that was just the luck of the draw though. The two shirt designs are nice. They are instantly
recognizable as being TMNT related, but they are still understated enough that I would have no problem wearing them in public which is more than
I can say for a lot of fan designed shirts. The quality for both is worth noting as well. Both are 100% cotton. And the evolution of Donatello
design which is another WeLoveFine shirt design is fairly thick as well. Being a resident of an area where it gets cold for more of the year than
it is hot, I prefer the thicker material. They also hold up better in the long run as well. Overall, the boxes have a decent selection of items
this month. The only drawback would be that there is very little difference between the two boxes and nothing that clearly identifies either as
having a modern or classic theme. There was an email from TMNTbox discussing changing the classic/combo/modern box options. And their website
no longer lists the modern box as an option. So perhaps what I actually received was a classic box and a combo box. But if there is going to be
so little difference between the boxes, then it hardly seems worth offering the two options.
Value - 8/10
The TMNTbox service starts at $19.95 plus $6 per month for shipping. If you pay in advance for three, six or twelve months, you can reduce that
price to as low as $15.95 per month plus shipping. Even at the full $20 per month, you're getting nearly double that in the value of the items
included. The shipping is fairly pricey as well.
Happy Hunting:
It's too late to get the August TMNTbox of course. Actually, I've even managed to miss the deadline for the September TMNTbox. But if you are
interested in subscribing for the October box(es) you can do so at TMNTbox.com.
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