We all know that it’s fun to get something in the mail. Maybe it’s even a little more if you don’t really know exactly what you’re getting. For those that love spooky surprises (and miss companies like Nerd Block) there is a great new subscription box company out there for your needs called Creepy Crate. Brought to you by The Line-Up, Creepy Crate ships its boxes every other month and includes a variety of collectibles, from t-shirts and books, to homewares and accessories. Each crate is $29.99, with a $60-plus value, and you can purchase them individually or with a 6 or 12 month subscription.
Related: A guide to collectibles for beginners!
What really intrigued me about this box was the fact that their items are not only catered to fans of the horror genre, but to true crime fans as well. I’ve been obsessed with true crime for as long as I have been with horror, so this seemed like a match made in heaven. Creepy Crate was kind enough to send me one of their boxes, so let’s open it up and see what’s inside!
First up is a little something from the Upside Down for Stranger Things fans. Here we have your very own official Hawkins Public Library card, and an old school library checkout card that can be used as a neat bookmark. The coolest thing about this, though, is that it introduced me to the fact that there is actually a book about Stranger Things coming out very soon! Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down by Gina McIntyre is “an official behind-the-scenes companion guide” for the first two seasons of the hit Netflix show – and it’s coming out next week on October 30!
Now not only does Creepy Crate give you a bookmark, but this month they also gave you a book to use it in as well. This is a beautiful hardcover copy of Devil’s Day by Andrew Michael Hurley. A synopsis from the inside cover: “Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the farm where he grew up to help gather the sheep down from the moors for the winter. Very little changes in the Endlands, but this year, his grandfather – the Gaffer – has died and John’s new wife, Katherine, is accompanying him for the first time. Each year, the Gaffer would redraw the boundary lines of the village, with pen and paper but also through the remembrance of tales and timeless communal rituals, which keep the sheep safe from the Devil. But as the farmers of the Endlands bury the Gaffer and prepare to gather the sheep, they begin to wonder whether they’ve let the Devil in after all.” As a big supporter of all kinds of physical media, I was very happy to receive an actual hard copy rather than a digital download, and I can’t wait to dig into this intriguing story.
The next item is one that is very useful, and also lets you show off your horror love. This is a black tote bag with the all-too-real phrase “My favorite holiday is Halloween” below an image of our favorite holiday slasher Michael Myers. It’s a good image and easily recognizable, and it would have been cool if the font for “Halloween” was the same as the movie. The bag is a good size, more tall than it is wide, but my only gripe with it is that it is made of pretty thin material. I like to use these bags for grocery shopping so I’m not sure I would put anything too heavy in here until it’s tested out. Still, a great item that can be used daily year-round!
I am an obsessive collector of keychains so I was definitely stoked for this next item. This is a hotel keytag for room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel, a reference to the Stephen King movie and short story 1408. I absolutely love items like this, and I actually already have two similar keytags on my key ring right now – for the Bates Motel and the Overlook Hotel – so this item is a welcome addition to my collection!
For those cool fall days when you want to enjoy a nice cup of coffee or cocoa, you can do so with this great limited edition mug. The image on the off-white cup is of the Death tarot card with the words “warmed over” beneath, a very cute usage of the popular phrase. The mug is of a great, sturdy and thick quality, so it will for sure last a long time and get many uses from me.
Lastly, we have the ever-coveted item from any of these subscription boxes – the t-shirt. I saved looking at this item for last, feeling a little disappointed at the lack of the promised true crime collectibles, and then was very pleasantly surprised to see this! It’s like a logo or staff t-shirt for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Any true crime aficionado will recognize the visage of serial killer H.H. Holmes above a rendering of his infamous murder hotel, where he was operating during this momentous event. This is easily my favorite item from Creepy Crate, and I pray for the day that I wear it and someone else will know the reference!
All in all, I have to give Creepy Crate pretty high marks for its collectibles. And I actually prefer the fact that they only have six boxes a year instead of twelve, as stuff can really pile up if you get them every month. You can also go back and purchase specific items that you might have missed in a previous box. I definitely recommend this box for fans of both horror and true crime. If you like what you saw here today, head over to their website to start your subscription today!
