The Book(ish) Box – one-off Harry Potter box!

The Book(ish) Box had a very popular Harry Potter box back in May, and due to the amount of interest, they offered a one-off box available through their sister company Appraising Pages for anyone who missed out the first time or wanted even more Harry Potter in their lives!

Since the first box looked fantastic and to sweeten the deal, they were offering the beautiful Snape ‘Always’ mug in this one as well, I just had to snap it up!

As a one-off box, this was more expensive than the subscription price – I paid $37 USD plus $20 international shipping. At least I had a coupon that offered a slight discount, bringing it down to $51.45 USD in total.

Note: for subscribers, the monthly subscriptions cost is either $29.99 or if you need a plus-size tee, it’s a couple dollars extra at $32. Shipping is free in the US and international postage is $15.

I have to note that this arrived SUPER FAST. I scoffed at the email notification I got when it was shipped on Friday July 1st under the category ‘Fedex Priority Overnight’. Much good that does me in Australia, I thought to myself.

Then my box arrived the following Tuesday 5th July! I was completely flabbergasted. Mail sent locally within Australia takes longer than that, it was unbelievable how quickly it turned up!

This will be one of the last times this box is sent out as they’re upgrading to a larger box with a new design now.

First look inside.

I love the presentation of this box, with all the colorful squiggly packaging inside! it was fun sifting through to discover what goodies lay inside. 😀

OVERVIEW OF CONTENTS

Dobby bookmark by LexyOlivia ($8.18 AUD or approx $6 USD): what a lovely bookmark! I like the watercolor style and the quote accompanying it. I get a lot of bookmarks in book boxes, but this is my favorite, it’s just so gorgeous. ❤

Mug by CoffeeReadingWriting ($16.37 AUD or approx $12 USD): *INCOHERENT SHRIEKING*

I opened this at work and immediately had to fend off an interested colleague who loves Harry Potter – I definitely won’t be leaving this in our shared kitchen, I just know it’ll go missing!

It’s so beautiful. *sheds a tear*This is, of course, quoting the iconic Snape flashback scene in Deathly Hallows ❤

Apparently some people were complaining about getting the mug in this box when they’d already gotten it in the April ‘Favorite Villains’ box and I’m just like GIVE ME IT, I WANT IT, MEEE. I’m probably never going to use my mug, lol, it’s just going to be on display because it’s too pretty! I wish I had a spare…

Wizard’s Pub candle by Novelly Yours ($15 AUD or approx $11 USD): I thought it read Butterbeer when I first laid eyes on the label, damn, that was a missed opportunity! It’s actually referred to as Butterbeer on the Novelly Yours item listing, so that’s a bit confusing.

It smells lovely! I’m super into candles, it’s a newly developed addiction of mine, so I look forward to burning this at work!

Rich Love Shoppe ring ($5 – $7?): yesss, I love rings – I was a bit let down by the Harry Potter ring in another subscription box, so I’m pleased to have this to remedy that disappointment! This bronze ring is adjustable, although it fits me nicely as is without any fiddling around, and the stag Patronus is a great design.

Closer look at the ring.

Appraising Pages t-shirt ($20 USD): I like this quote by Hagrid – I saw spoilers back in June and thought it was very apt for Pride Month, so it has a deeper meaning to me, I love that. The tee is wonderfully soft and comfortable, and I upgraded to plus-size so I can wear it lounging around the house. ^_^

My one criticism is that the Hippogriff is rather faded – I wish it were the same shade of gold as the text. I still like the tee and will get a lot of use out of it, but it just looks like it’s already been through the laundry a bit with that washed-out Hippogriff…

VERDICT

Quality of Curation: I want to note that they put some care into coming up with different items so that subscribers who’d received the previous Harry Potter box got new items this time round (aside from the Snape mug, but its inclusion was announced far and wide well in advance). I just think that shows a great deal of respect for their client base, which I really appreciate (as opposed to just throwing in any leftover items that might be lying around from before).

I like each type of item in this box and none of it’s filler! It’s great that everything is pretty as well as usable – from the practical and gorgeous mug and bookmark, to the yummy-smelling candle, to the tee and ring which I’ve already been wearing. 😀

Worth It? As an international subscriber, I unfortunately pay a fortune for everything. 😦 All up, I paid $72.23 AUD…but the value of what I received (with a guesstimation of $7 for the ring) was $72.77AUD. Hot damn! I’m really happy with this box – a few times I’ve gambled on international subscriptions that I’ve paid dearly for and not felt I got much bang for my buck, so this is such a great feeling right now. \o/

(see that, mother, I can TOO be fiscally responsible *cough cough*)

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 kitties approve this box!

Find Out More: You can find The Book(ish) Box on Facebook ,Twitter and Instagram.

August’s theme is Fairy Tale Remake, so if that strikes your fancy, go ahead and sign up!

Disclaimer: I paid for this box out of my own wallet and this review is based on my own unbiased opinions, not in exchange for compensation!