Making My Own Loot Anime Crate

I haven’t done one of these in a while. Mostly because I found that the last few boxes from Loot Anime rather disappointing. They seemed to have stopped including figures which were the most interesting items and the T-Shirts where consistently men’s sizes that fit me poorly despite my continued insistence that I would love to receive women’s sizes please.

Also, Fedex was a pain to deal with in my neck of the woods so eventually I ended up giving up on the whole deal. I do keep an eye on the Loot Vault though. That’s essentially the Loot Anime & al. store where you can get individual items from anything left over from the crates. Mostly because they constantly send me emails. But also, because they occasionally have some pretty impressive sales.

And so, the last time I saw a 50% off email I decided to take the same amount I would normally spend on a single box and create one myself. These are all either items I missed out on the first time around or things I got but wanted more of.

I’ll let you be the judge, but I would say it pays to be a little patient!

Pins and Appliqués

One item I consistently enjoy in Loot Anime’s boxes are the pins. They are high quality metal with lacquered images. The pins are well places, thin enough to easily poke through most materials without leaving a big hole behind but sturdy enough to keep the pin secure. I really enjoy these and if you like the look of any of them, I would recommend getting one.

I got myself the Noragami and Delicious Dungeons ones that I had been missing and I’m quite happy with both.

From the non anime side of the shop, I also got a Hunger Games Mockingjay. I’m not the biggest fan of the franchise but I did enjoy it and I find the shape of this pin interesting. It’s not too in your face as it could be a traditional grandma pin but for those that recognize it, it’s a nice little easter egg.

I also got a Big Daddy patch. It’s a lot bigger than I expected and I’m not sure what I’ll put it on. I AM a big fan of the Bioshock franchise. I think all the games are brilliant. If you ever want me to bore you with ludonarrative dissonance and the brilliant meta commentary of illusionary choice and the narrative impact of non interactive cutscenes…Actually you probably don’t…

 Space Patrol Luluco Keychain

Not much to say. I liked it. It’s big and easy to find if you’re the type to throw your keys at the bottom of a huge bag….

Berserk Letter Opener

I can’t quite explain why, but I love this thing! It’s just so much fun. I have yet to see the reboot of the series, but the original was and remains on e of my favourite animes. Griffith has to be one of the greatest antagonists of all time!

I’ve already used this for it’s intended opening purposes and it works quite well. It isn’t sharp in any way, there’s really no risk of cutting yourself. However, the angles have been well machined and I find it offers a create cut on a fold!

Manga

One of the great things about the loot vault is that you can regularly get manga for a couple of bucks and often it has specialty covers. Unfortunately, they usually only have the first volumes of series but it’s still a good way to see if you want to start collecting something.

This time around I chose Baccano and Konosuba. I’ve never read or seen Boccano but I’ve always wanted to as I really love Durarara. I’m excited to start this one. Konosuba I already know I adore and this version has a nice shiny cover. You can’t quite see it in the picture but it’s foil! Whoa

Notebooks

I love notebooks. I write all the time. Between work and the blog, I go through tons. I had been keeping my Kobayashi notebook in pristine condition because I didn’t want to use it up so when I saw them on huge sale, I got 3 more!

Bento Box

I love Bentos and I love Utena. This was a no brainer. A nicely insulated and airtight 2 level Bento box with an integrated chopsticks compartment. This has encouraged me to pack lunches again. My coworkers are beginning to think I’m a robot since no one ever sees me eating! It’s not huge but then again, portion control is a good thing.

Socks

Loot vault socks are great for hanging out at home. They don’t ride down and I find them just warm enough. I got another pair of Ryuk ones.

Mushishi tea cups

I remember when I got my first pair of these cups. They were one of my all time favourite loot anime items. I use them all the time. Mostly as overgrown sake cups. I got 4 more and can now actually have a tea ceremony with friends! Now I just need to get some friends.

Yokai Watch T-Shirt

I’ll be honest, I mostly got this because it came in a women’s size. It’s a fine little T-Shirt. Not that remarkable but it’s sticking and comfortable.

Figure

Finally, no box would be complete without a figure (cough, cough). I remember being a little jealous of David ho got this cool looking Astro boy with the wiring exposed. I must say, I’m a bit disappointed with the lights. For 3 AA batteries, the base simply glows red and the effect is unremarkable. The figure itself though is fun to look at and a nice little piece of classic anime merch you don’t see much these days.

There you go. I think I got about 2 to 2.5 times as much stuff as I would normally get in one of these boxes, not to mention it was all things I wanted. Ok, so you don’t get the fun of discovering what’s in the box. And that thrill really is worth something if you have the money to throw around but otherwise, let’s face it, the smart way to go is really to wait for a sale and just pick out the stuff you want.

I hope you enjoyed this little post. I don’t do merch posts too often but I do like sharing them with you guys. It’s like I invited you over but I don’t have to clean up my place!