Original Fancy Box: October 2013

For more on Fancy  subscription boxes and a coupon code, jump down below, but let’s get to the review of the October original Fancy Box.

Inside the box…

Midnight Clutch by Emilie M.  (Retail: $50.00)
Verdict:  Hit!

This vegan leather bag is described as “a day-to night staple that fits all of the essentials.” Despite my deep adoration for handbags, I actually don’t own an envelope style so this is a great addition.  The quilting adds an edgy vibe without making the bag too complicated.  It’s simple enough to go with just about everything and I plan on using it asap for a birthday outing with friends.  This bag also came with a 20% off coupon code for Emilie M’s website.  I’m not sure if I’ll use it, but it was a nice bonus.

Prepara Chef’s Basting Set (Fancy Retail: $20.00/Amazon Retail: $14.01)
Verdict:  Hit!

This little doohickey promises to let me “baste like a chef!   (It included that exclamation point, so I know they really mean it).  Now when I tell you I have a lot of kitchen gadgets, I have a LOT of kitchen gadgets.  Every spare inch of my 1960s kitchen is chock full of them, so finding one I don’t own always impresses me.  I don’t have one of these and I think it’s a great idea since you can microwave it and put it in the dishwasher (which would matter more if I had a dishwasher).  I can’t wait to try it out with my fabulous root beer ham recipe.

Miniature People: (Retail $15.00)
Verdict:  Miss
Okay, okay I love whimsy as much as the next person and I cannot express how much I adore miniature things and I fully admit these mini people are a fabulous photo opportunity, but (you knew there was a but coming) I don’t like that they were included as one of the four items in our box.  Fancy is currently running a contest where you post fun photos of these guys on instagram in the hopes of winning a $250 giftcard.  Unfortunately their adorably small size makes them easy to lose unless you keep them in their clutteriffic little case.  I think it would have been a lot better if they’d been sent in a tiny bag as an addition to our four items and our chance to enter the contest.  I imagine that the $15.00 price tag is more for the wood box than the teeny tiny people.

Contort Flexible USB Hub (Fancy Retail: $25.00/Amazon Retail: $7.39)
Verdict:  Love!
“Contort is a four-port USB hub and cord manager, with a flexible neck to protect all your USB devices from accidental damage.”  Fancy always seems to do well by me when it comes to the gadgets.  There are so many of these little devices I need and never bother picking up.  To write this lovely blog I was constantly swapping my thumb drive and my camera in and out of the same USB port.  No more!  Fancy has now given me three more USB ports.  It’s made this so much easier and I am ever grateful.

Overall

With shipping, and minus a few referral dollars (thanks!) I paid $40.95 for this box.  The total retail value on Fancy came out to $110.00.  If you factor in the cheaper prices I found on Amazon for a couple items, the cost would be $86.40.

Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with this box because aside from the mini people I will get a lot of use out of the remaining items and even with removing the cost of the aforementioned people and adjusting for the Amazon discounts, I still came out way ahead.

So what do you think?  Are the mini people fun and whimsical enough to be worth $15, or are they just another item for your dog or toddler to swallow?

THE BACKSTORY

Fancy Box is a monthly subscription service that curates items that are popular on the Fancy website.  There are a few different subscription options.  They all cost $39 plus shipping (an additional $7.95).

#1 –Fancy box (Original)
This box features a collection of some of the most fancy’d items, curated by the fancy community. Each box includes $80.00+ of products in the categories of your choice.
The categories you can choose from include: Men’s, Women’s, Kid’s, Home, Gadgets & Media.  It also lets you customize your Tshirt size and your cell phone type.

#2 Fancy Food Box
Each Fancy Food Box includes five or more food products – anything from cookies and chocolates to teas and sauces – along with a selection of tasty recipes and pairing suggestions.

#3 Celebrity Curated Fancy Box
There are seven celebrity curated boxes to choose from.  Each box includes $80.00+ of products.  Most boxes are geared toward men or women though they do include unisex items.

They include:

• Verbal Fancy Box  (This box is more geared towards Men)
• Cocha Rocha Fancy Box (This box is more geared towards Women)
• Tyler Florence Box  (This box focuses on home, kitchen & cooking items)
• Pink Fancy Box (This box is more geared towards Women)
• Jennifer Love Hewitt Box:(This box is more geared towards Women)
• Ashton Kusher Fancy Box: (This box is more geared towards Men)
• Kelly Rowland Fancy Box:  Brand New! (This box is more geared towards Women)

 

COUPON CODE:  FOLLOWUP10 to Save 10%