Creepy Crate is a bi-monthly subscription box for fans of true crime and horror. Every other month Creepy Crate sends a variety of wearables, books, desk accessories, games, and collectibles inspired by serial killers, horror movies, and well, anything creepy!
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This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Creepy Crate
The Subscription Box: Creepy Crate
The Cost: $39.99 every other month + free US shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: CREEPYMSA
The Products: Collectibles, wearables, desk accessories, games, and books inspired by serial killers, horror movies, and anything creepy. Boxes promise an average retail value of $90.
Ships to: The US for free, worldwide for an additional cost
Creepy Crate "Historical Horror" April/May 2020 Review
Creepy Crate is giving out some super-scary history lessons this time around, taking a look at horror from days gone by! The goodies from this delivery focus on 20th-century scares as well as timeless tales of terror, so let's check things out.
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The Beetle by Richard Marsh - Retail Value $16.83
Horror is one of my very favorite genres to read, but rarely is it enjoyed in the literary setting. Speculative fiction is sometimes viewed as "less than" in the academic community, and also among writers in general, but I think the creativity involved in this type of fiction deserves just as much analysis and theory as any other kind of writing. Don't be fooled by this modern-looking paperback; "The Beetle" was, in fact, written in 1897! The plot centers on a mysterious figure that possesses the powers of hypnosis and shape-shifting, told through four different narrators. Does the plot and format sound familiar? It should - this book is often compared to Bram Stoker's Dracula. In fact, both novels were published the same year! This book is not the most serious of stories, just like Dracula is not. I would say it's a good type of horror brain candy, but I think it's a fascinating read because of the historical time frame in which it was written. Who doesn't love a story set in Victorian London with ancient Egyptian artifacts thrown in for good measure?
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Do You Love Me? Voodoo Socks
So, I'm in a unique position where I receive a lot of new socks every month, but I'm still impressed with this pair! I love unique items especially, and these definitely fit that bill. The details on these are what I like the most, I think; the contrast toes and trim on the very top of the socks, the decorative stitching, and the extremely intricate features of the voodoo doll itself are really well-rendered, which I think adds a lot of value. The content of these mean business, though, too! Like any good sock, they contain 70% cotton for breathability, 5% spandex so that they keep their shape, and 25% polyester to round them out and keep them bright wash after wash.
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Kids of Horror Button Pack
Charlie, Gage, Regan, and Damien - these poor kiddos never had a chance, did they? These tiny younglings of terror have definitely scared people of all ages 'round the world, and now I get to wear them on a favorite jacket, a knit hat, or gift them to a friend! I'm especially excited to show off the Gage pin - Pet Sematary is one of the million weird relationship in-jokes I share with my husband, and we imitate his insane, creepy laugh out of nowhere, for absolutely no reason.
Case in point: I just did it while writing this, and my husband immediately asked, "Why did you just imitate Gage?"
Best. Marriage. Ever.
The Monster Novels by Robert R. McCammon (eBook format)
The card included the call out for this eBook, and initially I was confused - I wasn't sure where it was. Creepy Crate to the rescue, though! Almost immediately I received an email with all the deets and a super-easy-to-follow link. I played around with it a little bit, just to see how it would go, and I really liked that I was able to attempt a download of both the Kindle and eBook versions. There were no download limitations that I could see, since I put in my email address before clicking "Download." These stories were a very welcome distraction to daily life; I've been trying hard to read more, and the stories, while different from each other, were all delightfully quirky, creepy, and equally entertaining.
Dead Cthulhu Waits Dreaming Sticker
Featuring one of my favorite horror icons, this sticker has such striking imagery! I'm so torn on this piece, though - the design is a total slam-dunk, but I wish the sticker was slightly higher-quality. The printing is a tiny bit pixelated, and I wish the material was a little more durable. However, I could definitely see myself adorning a drink tumbler with this, pouring myself some rum, and singing some sea chanteys well into the night - it's okay to do that nowadays, right?
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Bonus Item: Creepy Coffee Tumbler
The last item is a bit of a mystery - a travel coffee mug that's not listed on the box's card! I did a quick spin around the internet to see what might be the situation with this cool extra in the box, but I came up somewhat empty-handed. Other box recipients online named this as a Charles Manson tumbler, but I respectfully disagree. I don't see the resemblance, I'm afraid! Any thoughts on who this mystery mister may be? Feel free to let me know in the comments! No matter what the imagery is, though, this is perfect for me - I drink coffee in the car a lot, and I have a habit of sometimes abducting coffee vessels for weeks, ahem, or months at a time. I can take this over to my mom's and just leave it there, and then when she sends me back to my own house armed with a delicious cuppa joe, I won't have to feel quite so bad when it stays in my possession for a while afterwards! It is absolutely essential that this has such a sturdy, locking lid. Driving around in my city can be the worst sometimes, and this lid will save my car from spills!
Verdict: This crate was a real delight! I enjoyed the wide time span these items came from, starting in the late 1800s, stopping by the 1920s for Cthulhu and voodoo dolls, and ending in the 1980s with some of my favorite scary movies. Horror really is timeless; it has been woven into entertainment and our popular culture since culture began. The truth is - humans have always loved to be scared, and I've found that as I get older, I love a good fright! The buttons were my favorite item for sure this time around; they were well-made and there were enough of them that I could keep a couple and send some to friends, just to make 'em smile! As I mentioned, the sticker could have been a little higher quality, but I really did love the design. The socks were some of the nicest I've received, and the bonus gift of the coffee tumbler was a very welcome surprise! I also love boxes where reading materials are included. I found myself taking both the paperback and my husband's iPad in the backyard several evenings in a row for some quiet time outside to read, a habit I hope to continue for the rest of the summer. Not to worry, though - I always make sure to come in before it gets too dark!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the August/September box as your first.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: CREEPYMSA
Value Breakdown: This box costs $39.99 + free shipping, which means that each of the 6 items in the box (counting the mystery tumbler) has an average cost of $6.67.
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