Nerdy Post is a monthly celebration of your favorite fandoms from TV, movies, and books. Every month, you'll get 5-7 handcrafted items centered around a different monthly fandom.
Everything you get in Nerdy Post is handmade by Alexis, Nerdy Post's creator, as well as occasional contributing artists. Here's what their site says:
"...we wanted to provide unique, high-quality designs that you wouldn't find anywhere else. Hand lettering and illustrating these designs means that nothing is created using fonts or stock images from a computer. Designs are of course digitized in order to be printed on the products, but they will retain their hand-crafted quality."
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Nerdy Post, $13.95 a month, box.
The Subscription Box: Nerdy Post
The Cost: $13.95 a month + shipping (FYI: Alexis also offers a "Nerdy Tees" subscription of shirts featuring her designs for $15.95 per month + shipping)
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: MSA10
The Products: 5-7 exclusive items centered around a popular fandom from books, movies, or TV
Shipping: $6.00 to the U.S., $9.00 to Canada, and $13.00 to the rest of the world.
Check out all of our Nerdy Post reviews and the Geek + Nerd Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Before we get into the box, let's check out some paperwork that came in the box. This is a new thing—I haven't seen promo items from other companies in this box before, but as Nerdy Post becomes increasingly popular, I'm not surprised these sorts of things are being included!
There's a coupon for a nerdy soy candles company...
And a flier for the LitJoy Crate.
(FYI, we've got a coupon for LitJoy Crate that you can use! Check it out here.)
Of all the subscriptions I get, I probably get the most genuine excitement opening Nerdy Post each month. I love Alexis' art style and the overall concept of the box (a creative, indie spin on typical geek subscription boxes). The box features a new fandom each month, so there's always a chance I won't know or love the theme. (Nerdy Post does share the theme ahead of time, and you're welcome to skip a month if you'd like.) But Nerdy Post has a great track record of featuring fandoms that I love, and this month, especially, I am just over the moon. Because this month's fandom is...
Lord of the Rings!
Growing up, I was always the kid who wanted to talk elves and Rohirrim while everyone else was more interested in the world of Hogwarts. Now (duh) Harry Potter is amazing, but I've always been the most die-hard about L.O.T.R. That said, it's been a minute since I've indulged my Lord of the Rings love. So as soon as I opened this box, I was smitten. Like, squeal-audibly-with-glee smitten. Especially because the theme here isn't just the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but all of the Tolkein stories!
Frodo Mini Print by TJ Lubrano
Alexis has been featuring more artists in Nerdy Post besides herself. All of the contributors, thus far, have been indie artists who actively share their work on Instagram (which I think is where Alexis tends to find them). This artist, TJ Lubrano (@tjlubrano on Instagram) has a really cute, sketchy style. Her pieces feel like happy doodles—the kind that come from sunny, daydream-filled afternoons—taken seriously. So you get delightful pieces like this delicately watercolor-painted design. I love Frodo's rosy cheeks and the parchment-like banner that the Gandalf quote stretches over.
Gandalf Quote Poster
There's a poster in every box, which comes neatly rolled. There are instructions on how to successfully flatten the poster on the info card!
I love this quote—while Alexis does feature some quotes or references that are more insider-ish (things you wouldn't get the full gravity of without being familiar with the story in question), I really appreciate when she picks more universal quotes like this one. It's an important reminder to be considerate with the time and gifts we have. While I'll probably never face a challenge as intense as what Frodo had before him, having this beautifully designed poster hanging on my bedroom door will be a nice reminder to take a deep breath and greet life and my community with a little more intention.
I will say that the color scheme struck me as a little grave, but such is the nature of Middle Earth when Gandalf shares these words with Frodo. And I love the beautiful way the text is laid out on the page (which is about the size of a standard sheet of paper, by the way, but with the glossy finish you'd expect from a poster). I might pop this in a bright frame (maybe teal blue?) to complement and bring some life to its silvery gray shades.
Double-Sided Quote Bookmark
The first side of this velvety smooth, double-sided bookmark features a beautiful depiction of Treebeard (an Ent, or tree-like creature) set alongside a quote from Tom Bombadil (who is kind of a celebrity/mysteriously powerful being in Middle Earth). I love how the brushstrokes used to create Treebeard's bark make him look sort of fluid and hazy, almost like an apparition.
The back of the bookmark has one of my favorite quotes from all of Tolkien's work. Lots of people recognize "not all who wander are lost," but I'm not sure they realize where it hails from. The rest of this quote is equally compelling, and really gets at the idea of not taking things at face value—just because things seem one way doesn't mean they are (or have to be) that way. I think the coolest part of this design is how the background mirrors the imagery of the quote, transitioning from vibrant gold to blue crisp frost. Awesome!
If I had a qualm with this item, it'd just be that the two sides don't seem as cohesive as I'd like—each side is sort of its own separate art piece, rather than the bookmark as a whole representing one style or character or quote.
Double-Sided Fat Bookmark
Nerdy Post calls this a "fat" bookmark—it's the same length as the other standard bookmark in the box, but with an extra inch and a half of width (it's 3.5 inches wide rather than just 2). You can use it as a bookmark, or to mark your page in your journal, as a decoration in your scrapbook, or even as a thinner print!
I totally agree with this awesome Hobbit quote. I feel like this print would be at home hanging in the kitchen, if not used in a cookbook! The texture of the script is actually a filtered photo of stacked gold coins! How cool. If it hadn't said that on the info card, I would've assumed the swirling gold and brown-sugar hues were stirred metallic paint or even polished wood.
On the other side, there's a quote of great hope set against one of the most sinister images of the entire story. Alexis addresses these seemingly contradictory vibes on the info card, saying...
"Sam's words, spoken also by Bilbo many years before, come at a time when darkness is closing in. And I think that is when these words mean the most. So I wanted the words to be contrasted by that darkness, as if they themselves are a light."
LOVE that. This bookmark seems to have more of a theme between the two sides—good overcoming evil. It's a good one!
Sauron's Eye Sticker
Speaking of evil, this sticker captures Sauron's eye, the ultimate icon of evil in the Tolkien world. The text in the background is from the Simarillion and describes the ascent (or descent, really) of Sauron. In previous boxes, the stickers have been a bit on the thicker side and have had a smooth, velvety finish. The finish here is a bit more like a standard sticker—it feels more like paper than something with a thin plastic coating or gloss—but boy does it look cool on the back of my laptop!
The One Ring Washi Tape
No way. No WAY! This washi tape is the cleverest little surprise, and I am just giddy about it. The tape is a really beautiful ash-toned, true gold (rather than something more brassy or yellow), and the white Elvish lettering looks delicate, neat, and elegant along the length of it. I can't wait to use this in my journal!!!
Oh, and for those who are wondering, yes, I did put the tape roll on my finger, and no, I did not disappear into a shadow realm. I guess it's a relief—now I don't have to destroy this adorable washi tape in the fires of Mordor...
Gondor Penny
Okay, this is definitely the coolest item in the box. Packaged in a tiny plastic sleeve and accompanied by this austere little note is a bright, shiny, copper penny hailing from the world of Gondor.
Here's the first side...
And the second.
I love how this tiny token brings the world of Middle Earth to life. I always like getting foreign currency when I'm on a trip—money is something most societies have in common, so I think it's fun to experience how different countries "translate" this everyday aspect of life to reflect their culture. This coin by Shire Post Mint makes it feel like Gondor is a real place in the world with day-to-day comings and goings (commerce, language, etc.), not just a lofty fantasy-novel place. My imagination lit up when I saw this coin. How cool!
Coloring Book Postcard
There's a coloring-book-style postcard in every box, but this one is one of the most detailed designs yet. I love the details on Smaug's face and the tidy twisting rope designs along the length of some of the letters.
The back is all laid out with places to write a note and scribble in an address.
Verdict: Needless to say, this month's Nerdy Post was a huge win for me. The box itself is $13.95 a month, so with $6.00 shipping, it cost a total of $19.95 for me. If I split it evenly, that'd mean that each item is worth about $3.00. I think that's super fair—I would totally expect to pay at least that for these original designs if I saw them out in the world. If shipping is more expensive for you, I could see this being a bit more of a splurge. But if you're in the U.S., I really recommend this subscription. The items in Nerdy Post are totally unique and beautifully, thoughtfully created. It satisfies my love of geeky merch, but in a way that's cost-effective and supportive of (really talented) indie artists (something I really believe in). I'm already excited for next month!
What was your favorite item in this month's Nerdy Post? Are you an L.O.T.R. fan, too?
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