Valentine’s Day is near and that means the pressure is on to find the right gift. Flowers die. Candy adds inches. Jewelry means selling a kidney to pay for it.
Loot Crate could be your solution. The company can provide specialty gifts for fans of “The Walking Dead,” Marvel Comics, “Harry Potter,” “Arrow,” “Halloween,” “The X-Files” and others. Each box includes a selection of clothes, toys, books or other items. Because the items are selected by the company, the content of each box is a surprise.
All you have to do is go to www.lootcrate.com and subscribe to one (or more) of the different offerings. The company puts together a box and it arrives at the door. It’s a little too late for an arrival for Valentine’s Day, but you can tell that special person a big surprise is coming.
The cost varies from $8.99 to $39.99 per month depending on which crate you select. There are also crates for those who are looking for a gift for their pets.
Ellen Deng, the senior brand manager at Loot Crate, answered a few questions about the company.
Q: The crates have been around since 2012. What does it mean to have Marvel in the mix?
A: We were very excited to introduce the Marvel Gear and Goods bimonthly crate. While Marvel has always been part of the Loot Crate offering in other verticals, the crate offers Marvel fans a deeper, more enriched experience than ever before, with Marvel-only exclusives you can’t get anywhere else. Each Marvel Gear and Goods crate is designed with a particular room in mind, such as your kitchen, living room, garage, etc., so that you can truly integrate Marvel into your lifestyle.
Q: Are there certain crates that have become the most popular?
A: Most recently, our Wizarding World crate sold out in less than a week. Many of our other crates are very popular as well – especially our Core Crate.
Q: Do you have research to tell if most people subscribe for themselves or as a gift for someone else?
A: Yes, we do, and we know people love giving crates as gifts!
Q: How difficult has it been to find the right mix of items?
A: Loot Crate employees are fans first and share the same passions as our customers, affectionately known as “Looters.” Our teams spend months brainstorming unique product offerings that will connect Looters with the brands that they’re passionate about. We discuss what entertainment properties have releases and anniversaries coming up, and from there we begin the product development process. We select from the nearly infinite number of options of consumer products across categories like home goods, comics, collectibles and apparel.
Q: Is there a time frame of when the crates arrive each month?
A: Loot Crates are sent out once each month, and we anticipate all crates being delivered between the 20th and 28th of each month. There is always a chance this could take a bit longer for international shipments, but it shouldn’t take longer than 12-14 business days to arrive.
Sign-ups are taken until 9 p.m. on the 19th, unless otherwise specified. If you sign up after 9 p.m. on the 19th, your first crate will come in the following month. For example, if you signed up on the 23rd of January, the first crate you’d receive would be our February crate.
Q: Not sure if a person orders a certain genre (i.e., Marvel) or characters (i.e., Doctor Strange) or franchise (Zelda). Can you clarify?
A: Consumers can now choose from 13 different product lines, which includes the Core Crate, DX, anime, gaming, pets and Loot Wear, as well as partner crates such as Wizarding World, Firefly, Marvel, Halo, WWE, Sanrio and Minecraft.
Loot Crate also has limited-edition crates, such as “South Park,” that are only available once and not on a recurring basis.
For the subscription crates, fans can choose between a three-month, six-month or one-year plan.
Q: Are all the crates appropriate for all ages?
A: Loot Crate is committed to including all genres, genders and generations in the world of fandom. The exception to age limits is our limited-edition “South Park” crate, which is approved for mature audiences only.
Q: Once a crate is sent out, will the material inside be available again?
A: After a crate launches, we normally lock them away in our vault; however, we unlocked some of our favorite past crates and gear during the holidays through Loot Vault.
Rick Bentley: 559-441-6355, @RickBentley1
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