Quarterly Co. is another contender in the surprise-in-a-box arena. Their unique take is that they have different subscriptions based on curators. You can subscribe to your favorite curator(s) and get a box designed by that person every quarter. They have a huge range of curators like Arianna Huffington, Pharrell Williams, Rosario Dawson, and Bill Nye. When I heard that none other than Wil Wheaton was becoming a curator, I subscribed as fast as I could.
Wil Wheaton decided to split up his four Quarterly boxes this year by the four decades of his life. Wheaton and I are pretty close in age, so I’m really excited about this journey through the decades of his life and how they line up against my own life and experiences as a growing geek. Wheaton wrote a great letter explaining the items in the box and why he chose them, giving a great sense of his nostalgia for the chosen items. This first box is based on the ’70s.
The big main item in the box is a littleBits Base Kit. I’ve been keen to get my hands on some of these ever since GeekDad reviewed them a while back. I’m sure these will quickly become a favorite around our house, and can’t wait to crack them open and start building. There is even a $20 off coupon for additional kits which will probably come in handy very soon.
The next item in the box is an honest to goodness vintage action figure from the ’70s. I received a Star Wars X-Wing Pilot Luke Skywalker! I love that this is an actual vintage toy complete with wear and tear from being lovingly played with for many years.
Next up was a small pack of vintage trading cards. I lucked out again with Star Wars cards! Just like with the figure, I love that these are worn, edges rounded, real vintage, previously loved cards.
The last item in the box was a poster designed by the folks at Quarterly in concert with Wheaton. They are designing a poster for Wheaton’s podcast, Radio Free Burrito, as if it had existed in the decade of the box. I look forward to seeing the other three designs.
So the question with these subscription boxes is always, “is it worth it?” At $100 a box, this is one of the more expensive box subscriptions out there. I’m a huge fan of Wil Wheaton. I love all the vintage nostalgia in this box. The littleBits base kit retails for $100, so the box paid for itself right there. The rest of the items aren’t exactly hard to find or worth a whole lot, but the way they made me feel is hard to put a price on. I’d say for anyone who is a fan of Wheaton it’s a pretty nice deal, especially for the quality of the items. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories of boxes full of worthless junk. I’m definitely keeping my subscription, and can’t wait until the next box.
The next Wil Wheaton curated box ships in May 2015. Sign up now before they sell out!
