Collector Corps Deadpool Unboxing

Happy Thursday, fellow book bloggers!! The weekend is sooooo close! Just hang in there a little bit longer! Today, I am here to share with you my very first Collector Corps subscription box unboxing.

Collector Corps is the official Marvel subscription box by Funko. Unlike other subscription boxes, this one is only sent every two months. This box has been around for awhile, but I finally decided to try it out after having a great experience with the Smuggler's Bounty subscription box, also by Funko! You can check out that unboxing here!

Right off the bat, I had a little bit of trouble with Collector Corps. Boxes begin shipping out on the 15th of the month and I still hadn't received any shipping information by the 20th of February. In fact, my order still said processing. I contacted support and got a couple of general, pre-written replies, which was annoying. My order finally switched to "complete" on the 22nd and I got a tracking number, although by the 25th it still said "pre-shipment" on the tracking. 

My box did eventually show up though, so I actually DO have something to share with you! As you can see, the theme for February was Deadpool! I had only seen the movie a couple days before the box arrived, so I was really excited to open it!

The first thing I saw when I opened my Deadpool box were the patch and pin that come in every Funko subscription box. Just like when I got my Smuggler's Bounty box, I wasn't sure what I would do with them... I foresee a large pile of patches in my future. One thing I did notice was that these were much more hastily thrown in than those in my last box, outside of their borders, which isn't a huge deal, but it was noticeable.

The next thing in the box after flipping up the top was a Deadpool comic, the first in what is apparently going to be the official Collector Corps "World's Greatest Comic Magazine." I haven't actually taken this out of the plastic yet, but I do think it's a really fun thing to include in the box, especially if these are going to come in future boxes and all tie together! 

Next was this month's t-shirt! This one was a super fun Deadpool shirt that I've already worn a few times and gotten a couple compliments on! This Deadpool on the shirt came in a few colors - red, yellow, gray, and black that I know of. I also ordered this month's shirt in an x-small, which worked out a little better.

Underneath the shirt was probably my favorite part! Not only was there an exclusive Collector Corps Deadpool Funko Pop! There was also a Funko Dorbz, the first in what I assume will be my new collection. Both of these were totally adorable and are currently being displayed proudly on my shelf. There was also a Funko Mopeez Deadpool plush that matched the shirt!

I really, REALLY enjoyed the contents of my first Collector Corps box and definitely think it was worth the price ($25+S/H)! I actually might like this one a little more than January's Smuggler's Bounty box, to be honest. I felt like the items were useful and I love the exclusivity of the collector's items!

I highly recommend the Collector Corps subscription box if you're a Marvel fan! Despite the shipping issues, I have already signed up for the April box and have faith that it will be a smoother experience next time! The theme will be Captain America: Civil War and I am probably going to go crazy from waiting! You can check it out and sign up for the April box here!

Smuggler's Bounty Resistance Unboxing

Happy Saturday, fellow book bloggers!! Today I'm doing something a little unusual on the blog and I'm pretty darned excited about it! I am unboxing my first ever Smuggler's Bounty subscription box.

If you don't know anything Smuggler's Bounty, it's the official Star Wars subscription box by Funko. Unlike other subscription boxes, this one is only sent every two months. The first box was sent in November and the theme was The First Order. I missed out on that one, but I knew I had to get my hands on the Resistance box!

Warning: this post will be picture-heavy!

My box arrived on Friday afternoon and I giddily ran to my apartment and had to restrain myself from opening it long enough to grab my phone to take pictures. The box itself is awesome. It was enough to make me squeal like a little girl, if we're being totally honest. 

When I opened the box, I found two small items: a BB-8 patch and a Poe Dameron pin. The patch says "Resistance" on it and is totally adorable, although I have no idea what to do with a patch. The pin is super cute and maybe a teensy bit more functional, although I haven't decided where to put it yet. I pulled both those items out of the box and flipped open the hidden compartment...

...where I found the coolest Funko shirt ever!! It has several resistance characters on it, Chewbacca obviously looking the most ferocious (as he does). My only complaint about the shirt is that it only comes in men's sizes. I ordered a small and it's a bit too big, so I'll probably try going with an x-small next time. This one is still going to make a great pajama shirt though! The November box contained 1 of 4 shirt variations, but it's unclear whether this box had variations also.

Next was what we've all been waiting for! 

The promised flocked Pop! This Chewie is adorably vicious and is covered in soft fuzzies. I love him! If you want to see him out of the box, stay tuned on my Instagram!

I had already accidentally seen a spoiler of the last item, which was a C-3PO mug. It's square, so I think it would probably be difficult to drink out of. Since I'm out of room in my mug cabinet anyway, I'll probably just use this one as decoration.

So there you have it! The Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty Resistance box! Overall, I was very pleased with this box and definitely think it was worth the price ($25+S/H)!

I loved the Pop and the t-shirt (even though it was too big) and the other items were pretty cool too. I love that the things in the box are exclusive to Smuggler's Bounty and that not just anyone can go buy them at Hot Topic!

I highly recommend the Smuggler's Bounty subscription box if you're a Star Wars fan or collector. I really don't think you'll be disappointed! You can check it out and sign up for the March box here!

Alivan's Custom Wand Unboxing

Several weeks ago I started reading the Harry Potter series for the second time as part of my Paper to Popcorn feature. You can check out my reviews of The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets if you're interested!

When I started this time I decided to read in conjunction with Pottermore. The site has been updated with tons of new information since the last time I played and it really took the reading experience to a whole new level! While I was busy geeking out, casting spells and brewing potions, I decided to go on the hunt for my very own wand. But I didn't want just any wand. I wanted -my- wand.

Feel free to add me on Pottermore!

One day I might get one of the wands for sale at Ollivander's, but when it came right down to it, I wanted something that was made of real wood (not resin) and was personalized to me (not something anyone could go buy).

That was when I found Alivan's Master Wandmakers. I contacted their shop and sent them the specifications for my Pottermore wand, which you can see above. I communicated with Jenni, telling her the style I liked and what I didn't like, placed my order, and waited (very) patiently. Then... the box came!

    

First of all, the box itself! I love the packaging and the logo on the side. I was absolutely giddy when I picked it up off my doorstep... and it took everything in me not to rip it open right there! But I decided to calm myself and take some pictures to share with all you lovelies.

Once I had the box opened, I took my time taking in all the detail inside the box. Every single piece of paper and packaging had a personalized Alivan's touch, which really made it even more special!

Each custom wand by Alivan's is crafted by a Master Wandmaker! My wand came with a numbered certificate of authenticity and the specifications are handwritten. Also included in the box was a red velvet case embroidered with the Alivan's logo.

    

As you can see, the wand itself is beautiful! It's made from walnut and is 11" long. It even has a Phoneix Feather core, just like my Pottermore wand! ;-) The design is absolutely beautiful! I feel like you can really tell a lot of love went into making this product. It's certainly not a mass-produced resin replica!

What I requested was something similar to the wands Hermione or Luna uses, and I don't feel that this is super close to those and I actually don't -love- the crisscross detail on the handle, just because it looks like something from my Grandma's house... but overall I'm happy with it. The wand feels sturdy and it looks totally gorgeous on my bookshelf! I would definitely recommend Alivan's to anyone who is as big of a nerd as I am!

Bookcase subscription box review

//Thank you to Bookcase for providing a free box for review//

A couple months ago I found out about Bookcase, a new subscription box that specializes in sending out hand-picked books to readers! I've always been wary of book subscription boxes since they're never personalized and there's no way of knowing what you might get, so I immediately thought this sounded like a great idea. I was lucky enough to receive a box for review, so here goes!!

The process started at mybookcase.co where I signed up and filled out a short survey. There are two subscription options: one book for $8.95 or three books for $17.95 (plus $4.99 shipping). I chose the three book subscription type. For the one book subscription that works out to $13.94, so I'm honestly not sure what the benefit would be since that's about the price for a new book on Amazon and Bookcase books are mostly used. But at just under $8 per book for the 3 book subscription, this isn't a bad deal, especially if you end up with a hardcover book!

As I said, a short survey had to be filled out where I listed some of my favorite books and also checked the genres I most enjoy. Anyone who reads my blog regularly should know that those mostly include YA fiction, specifically dystopian and fantasy. I'm generally happy as long as I don't have to read chick lit though!

After the process of signing up, I waited until August 8th when my box finally arrived! They're sent out on the first of every month, so if you sign up, make sure you're aware of when the next box will be sent! The box itself is a plain brown box and was sent via USPS Media Mail, although I do appreciate that the packaging was nice and sturdy. I've received my fair share of damaged books but these were good to go!

The packaging was really nice on the inside, with yellow crinkle paper as padding along with a Bookcase card with directions for how to win free shipping on future boxes! The very first thing I saw when I opened my box was a copy of Left Behind by Time LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

I think pretty much everyone has heard of the Left Behind series and I was honestly really surprised it was in my box considering it's Christian fiction. While I'm certainly not knocking the Left Behind series, this is not a genre I read and I definitely didn't indicate that I would like to read religious fiction in the survey I took. But there were still two other books to check out!

The remaining two books in my box were The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott and Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, neither of which I have heard of, but was excited to find out more about!

The Dressmaker is a historical fiction novel about a woman who falls in love with two men on board the Titanic, survives the sinking, and has to deal with the aftermath of media frenzy. In addition to Historical Fiction, this book is also categorized as Historical Romance and Chick Lit. I may give this one a read sometime just because I am a sucker for all things Titanic! I'll definitely have to save it for when I'm in the mood for historical romance.

The last book in the box, Loving Frank, seems to be about Frank Lloyd Wright's mistress. On Goodreads it's categorized as Historical Fiction and Book Club. This one is definitely way out of my comfort zone and I doubt I'll be reading it anytime soon.

The books themselves were all in good condition, although it's obvious that they are used books (which the website states). The pages of all of the books were slightly yellowed as often happens with older books. I also got an interesting surprise in Left Behind - a business card for a Piping Products Laboratory, whatever that is.

Out of the three books I received, one seemed pretty out in left field based on the responses I gave in my survey. I did select "historical fiction" as a genre I do read, so I'm not terribly surprised that I ended up with two from that category. Like I said, I will probably read The Dressmaker based on its Titanic ties! However, I am a little disappointed that I didn't end up with any YA books, since that is what I overwhelmingly read and listed on the survey.

For the three book subscription, I think the price is right and it's always fun to have a box full of books waiting on your doorstep! I would definitely recommend Bookcase to diverse readers and especially to those who prefer adult fiction.

If you would like to sign up for a Bookcase subscription you can do so at mybookcase.co!