MATTER reviewsReviews

Awesome Box

Mar 08, 2019

Recieved my box early, had small unique items that I thought were amazing. Getting a Computer chip from a Nasa Computer was unbelieveable for someone who actively builds customs pcs and works in tech!

Impressed

Feb 28, 2019

Subscription boxes always look fun to me, but in the end the contents are typically disposable, consumable, or quickly grown out of. They also keep you from “putting basic math to work for you”- piecing out the contents vs price paid gets really discouraging.
HOWEVER- MATTER sends you “real” stuff. You don’t throw away a fossil or lose an owl pellet in the back of your sock drawer. I bought two 3 month subscriptions for my brothers, ages 37 and 41. What I really wanted was for someone to get a subscription for me, especially after I saw the contents in person. My 9 yr old son asked me to cancel his other subscription box and magazine so he could get MATTER.
For my brothers, the items are ultimately display/ collectible/ conversation pieces. For my son they have been thrilling to open (as with any crate) and fun to play with (there seems to always be at least one mini activity), but unusual and interesting enough that he has to circle back several times to really understand what each item is. The combination of being able to handle and keep something like a 400 million year old fossil, a bismuth crystal, or humidity gage transforms abstract information into something concrete, personal, and memorable. I like that there doesn’t seem to be an overarching theme to each box other than its namesake- (unless I’m missing something...?). It’s hard to appreciate things when they’re isolated in a textbook-style grouping (hard minerals, chapter...

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cool

Sep 10, 2020

Absolutely cool little things that I enjoy. I gave away a few to family who enjoy them more, and now I'm a hero.

Awesome Fossils

Aug 19, 2019

Originally got this box as a fun activity for my son and I. Very disappointed to not get a fossil since all of the advertised boxes have some sort of fossil. My son and I are mesozoic era buffs, but we're also big fans of the cenozoic and hadean eras as well....but to not get anything was a big let down. Aside from the meteorite sample the rest of the items were 'meh'.

I understand that the box is meant to always be a surprise and could literally be anything (with a box called 'matter'), but was still expecting a fossil of some sort.

On a 3 month plan, so I'll change my review if the next boxes are better.

Ok the next boxes contained some awesome fossils that still catch my sons' and I's attention to this day. Renewing the 3 month plan for the COVID summer months!

Cool enough for my 14 yo nephew

Sep 14, 2020

My 14 yo nephew received this box. The boy with a murse who likes unusual “things”. I thought it would go great with his collection. It was a hit and now the rest of the crew wants one.

Amazing!

Jul 15, 2020

These boxes are incredible, and the supplier is very easy to work with and flexible. They are not just for kids, as I learned a lot from them, too. Definitely reommend!

A warning to British customers

Jun 16, 2020

I am yet to receive my box. But I wanted to warn British customers about the additional shipping fees that unfortunately, in my eyes, make it not worth it.

I subscribed month-by-month so that I could get just 1 box for my partner's birthday. That cost $39.95.

Add on shipping, and it came to $51.97.

I then received a letter this morning saying I need to pay import tax of £17.78 (roughly $22.51) before I can receive the box.

That's $74.48 for one box.

I wish I had known this before even getting the month by month subscription. It's just not worth it.

Worth it!

May 24, 2020

I absolutely loved my first box! The items were crazy awesome and with the cards that came with it made it a really fun way to learn! I will definitely subscribe to this box again to share with my younger sisters so we can all explore and learn together!

"Could you sign me up for more?"

May 01, 2020

Bought this box for our 11 year old son. When he opened it, he literally said "Are you going to write a review on Yelp or something like that? Because this box is really cool. Could you sign me up for more?" I actually rarely post reviews, so since he mentioned it, I thought I would. He showed me each item, and we read the cards to learn more. He especially liked the nuclear grade zirconium and the Baobab seeds. He said that the items are really special and rare not things you would get anywhere else. The box made him want to learn more about the items, and we looked some things up on the internet together. He liked telling me what he knew already or had learned about the objects. The items related to different areas of science - biology, chemistry, physics and also touched upon history and culture. Cool box - thank you and can't wait for the next one!

A win

Aug 14, 2020

Bought this sub for my science nerd husband, and he really likes it. There’s always at least one “favorite” item that captures his attention for a while.
I only give it slightly under 5 stars because there’s not much more you can do with the stuff after you examine them.
Either way he asked me to renew the sub, so I’ll call it a win. :)

Curious? Try it out.

Jul 11, 2020

I just received my first box. It contained some unusual items. I had decided to cancel before i even got my first collection because of the cost (monthly). Im sure I paid way more then what the items are actually worth. But now, I'm thinking about resubscribing because I'm really curious to see what comes next. If you are a person who likes to have small, neat things that nobody else has, you will not be disappointed. Try it out for one month, just to see what you get. Its fun!

Definitely worth it

May 21, 2020

I ordered this for myself and my girls, ages 6 and 8 and I just received my first box. 4 of the 5 items were awesome. The fifth item wasn't an artifact, but an electrical tool (maybe? I dunno, it went into the toolbox). The warthog tusk is by far the family favorite. We're super excited for next month's box!

my new favorite crate

Sep 09, 2020