Tell me about companies other than Birchbox that will send me goodies in the mail every month for a small subscription fee!

September 24, 2012 11:50 AM

Which companies/clubs will mail me fun stuff for a small fee (or even for free)?

I love the subscription model for Birchbox, but I'm not always crazy about the products I receive every month. It's nice to get an almost-unexpected something in the mail that's not a bill or an ad. What I like about Birchbox: an assortment of products that I probably would not have found on my own, nice packaging, feeling that the stuff was deliberately chosen/curated, a sense of exploring a world I am not totally familiar with (beauty products).

What other companies/clubs will mail me fun stuff for a small fee (or even for free)? I like things like toys, artwork, games, beauty products, jewelry, puzzles, pens, stationery, and crafting stuff, especially knitting. I've seen this question as well as this question, but a surprising number of those services no longer exist. No magazines, please. I'm in the southern US, and my budget is $20/month.

posted by zoetrope to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

check out quarterly.
posted by raihan_ at 12:07 PM on September 24, 2012 [2 favorites]

I've been having fun with StitchFix. I saw it was mentioned in the comments for one of the questions you linked to. If you choose to keep any of the items, it will cost you more than the $20 fee, so that may not be feasible for your budget, but you can specify a price range for the items so it doesn't get too absurd. There have been a few expensive things I really liked but couldn't afford and it gave me an idea of what to look for next time I go shopping.
posted by E3 at 12:50 PM on September 24, 2012

Ah, but have you seen this question?
posted by likeso at 12:53 PM on September 24, 2012

Speaking of Quarterly...
Are any of the contributors there MeFi's Own? Because... between the swaps and projects, and everything else I'd think it's be a natural fit.
posted by ApathyGirl at 1:13 PM on September 24, 2012

Response by poster: Oh noooooooo I missed that somebody posted basically the same question from two months ago! I am the dumbest.
posted by zoetrope at 1:31 PM on September 24, 2012

Heh! Hey, but could be there are new sources - ya never know. :)
posted by likeso at 2:34 PM on September 24, 2012

The Fancy is now eager to sell me a box of stuff on a monthly basis
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 3:43 PM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

Would you be interested in getting a box of stuff every month for the cost of sending someone else a box of stuff? I'm sure there are lots of options like this, but I've been enjoying Foodie Penpals for the last couple months. For $15 worth of treats (plus about $10 for shipping), it hits the almost-unexpected mail, assortment of items deliberately curated to my taste, and exploration of unexpected worlds (food!) buttons for me. (But it requires more effort/patience/acceptance of human frailty/etc. than a proper subscription service.)
posted by teditrix at 5:26 PM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

I also asked a similar question a while back. I've been happy with my Glossybox subscription lately - not so much Birchbox, but maybe they've just had a couple of off months. Beauty Army lets you pick what you receive, so you don't get any disappointing surprises. There are lots of other programs listed over on Makeup Talk; not all of them are makeup-related.
posted by Addlepated at 7:08 PM on September 25, 2012

Just came across Bird's Eye Tea. For $22/mo you get 2-3 original blends of organic tea. I haven't tried this out; I just found the website and thought of your question!
posted by E3 at 1:07 PM on September 27, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks, you guys! I think I am going to investigate Glossybox, Bird's Eye Tea, or possibly Julep Maven (linked in likeso's answer above). I am a sucker for really delicious tea and good nail polish.
posted by zoetrope at 2:55 PM on October 2, 2012