I've been trying out bookish subscription boxes this fall. In September, I got a LitCube and was underwhelmed. In October, I got an OwlCrate and quite liked it -- except for the long delay in actually receiving the box.
This month, I have another OwlCrate coming (still waiting, probably will be for another 10 days), but today my Uppercase Box arrived:
The package -- which was not a box, but rather a cheap cotton bag holding everything except the print and stuffed into a bubble wrap envelope -- arrived only two days after I received the e-mail saying it had been shipped. It contained the book Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin, stuck through in 5 spots with post-it notes giving special codes to watch author videos explaining the book and giving extra content. There was also a note (not a fancy one, just a regular paper, thus saving money) explaining what was in the bag; however, one item was different from those listed, and no explanation was given. There was also a printed mini-poster for the book, a cute print of a quote supposedly by Oscar Wilde (although the print gives no citation whatsoever) in a cheap cardboard frame, a cheap-but-kind-of-cute plastic keychain which says "certified book addict," and a mini-notebook. The mini-notebook was not listed on the notepaper, but it seems to replace a pin featuring the book. (I had a look at some Instagram pics posted by folks who received the pin, and I'm glad I got the notebook instead. However, it would've been nice to have an email stating that some people were getting different items.)
The pros:
The shipping speed was awesome. I was very pleased to get the stuff so fast.
I rather like the little notebook, but then, I love notebooks. No doubt, I will use it.
I like the fact that money was not wasted on fancy insert cards which are useless.
I rather like the little book bag. Once it's washed, it will be great for socks when I'm traveling.
The book looks pretty good. So far, I've only read one chapter and watched part of the first video. It seems to be as if Uppercase subscribers get to go to a video version of an author reading, so that's rather nice. (I'll review the book and the extras in a few days, after I've finished reading.)
The cons:
The packaging is NOT a box and it did not protect the framed print; it's bent and battered and looks like something one finds at a garage sale. However, I will probably still hang it in my classroom. I do wish it had the source of the quote on it somewhere. I'll have to look it up to make sure it's not a misquote.
The keychain is cheap and childish.
Neither item lives up to the Uppercase claim of "1-2 high-quality items" in with the book. Not even close.
The months aren't themed as they are with LitCube and Owlcrate, so it's hard to guess whether the box is one you'll enjoy or not.
Overall, while it looks like I'll enjoy the book and the mini-notebook which I may have received by mistake, there's no way this is worth the nearly $30.00 I paid for it. The book itself is worth $9.90 on Amazon, where one can easily get free shipping. The notebook is worth about a dollar, the keychain maybe 50 cents. The bag is worth about a dollar. The print is worth perhaps two dollars. That means I paid roughly double what the items are worth.
I'm not too sure about Uppercase Box. I am, as of yet, undecided if I'll try the December one or not.
In the meantime, however, I believe I'll enjoy Wolf By Wolf.
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