Metatalktail Hour: Chatter Box May 14, 2022 5:11 AM Subscribe
You've received a rather deluxe gift of a monthly subscription box, and it turns out it's your *perfect* fantasy subscription box! What's inside? What sort of theme is your delightful subscription? What items might you find inside? Let us dream.
More than one fantasy subscription? All the better! You can also tell us about what IRL subscription boxes you get, if any, or what you would like to see offered in real life, but haven't found — or just tell us about what's up with you in general. (and of course, no politics, please and thank you!)
More than one fantasy subscription? All the better! You can also tell us about what IRL subscription boxes you get, if any, or what you would like to see offered in real life, but haven't found — or just tell us about what's up with you in general. (and of course, no politics, please and thank you!)
The perfect subscription box? I'd pay a subscription fee of $9.99 and receive a large monthly box stuffed with real $100 bills, USD.
A really good subscription box would be full of miscellaneous paper ephemera. Weird, beautiful pictures, vintage ads, old magazines, booklets, cut-out words, pretty papers, old playing cards with interesting backs, etc. Sequins, glitter and gems. And a really amazing glue that was easy to apply, didn't wrinkle the paper, bonds well and the applicator never clogs. Really nice acrylic paint, and brushes to replace the ones I keep ruining by leaving them stand in water too long.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:04 AM on May 14, 2022 [13 favorites]
A really good subscription box would be full of miscellaneous paper ephemera. Weird, beautiful pictures, vintage ads, old magazines, booklets, cut-out words, pretty papers, old playing cards with interesting backs, etc. Sequins, glitter and gems. And a really amazing glue that was easy to apply, didn't wrinkle the paper, bonds well and the applicator never clogs. Really nice acrylic paint, and brushes to replace the ones I keep ruining by leaving them stand in water too long.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:04 AM on May 14, 2022 [13 favorites]
A box with a six-pack of beer and a bottle of BBQ sauce would be damn close to perfect for me.
I was in Portland for an in-person tech conference two weeks ago, came home, and was immediately sick for a week. It was a bad cold, not COVID. Then as I got better, my wife got sick, and she is just feeling better after a week with a sinus infection. I wonder if our immune systems are weak after two years of essentially not working out?
Anyway, I'm glad we both got these out of the way because we leave Thursday for a 10 night camping trip.
posted by COD at 6:34 AM on May 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
I was in Portland for an in-person tech conference two weeks ago, came home, and was immediately sick for a week. It was a bad cold, not COVID. Then as I got better, my wife got sick, and she is just feeling better after a week with a sinus infection. I wonder if our immune systems are weak after two years of essentially not working out?
Anyway, I'm glad we both got these out of the way because we leave Thursday for a 10 night camping trip.
posted by COD at 6:34 AM on May 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
It would have to be consumables, because I am trying to have LESS stuff. Despite having to be an actual box, it would be made of recycled material and generally as environmentally friendly as possible.
*One small tube of oil paint, a non-standard color
*One small round or filbert synthetic bristle paintbrush with a long handle.
*Two small vegan treats made with cocoa or sesame seeds or both.
*Two blank notecards with matching envelopes from Studio Ghibli with an emphasis on critters like Totoro and the soot sprites. (I was going to say one notecard, but if I love it then I won’t want to send it to anyone.)
This subscription box does not have a theme so much as tailoring for one very specific array of tastes.
posted by Glinn at 7:21 AM on May 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
*One small tube of oil paint, a non-standard color
*One small round or filbert synthetic bristle paintbrush with a long handle.
*Two small vegan treats made with cocoa or sesame seeds or both.
*Two blank notecards with matching envelopes from Studio Ghibli with an emphasis on critters like Totoro and the soot sprites. (I was going to say one notecard, but if I love it then I won’t want to send it to anyone.)
This subscription box does not have a theme so much as tailoring for one very specific array of tastes.
posted by Glinn at 7:21 AM on May 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
My perfect subscription box: Somebody extremely well-read with impeccable taste has been spying on me assiduously, and every month they send me a good book relating to whatever I have recently been thinking about. Maybe it's a novel that illuminates something about Our Present Situation. Maybe it's a nonfiction book about something topical. Maybe it's fodder for a good conversation with a friend. Whatever it is, it's something I can digest over the month. If I have a light month maybe they'll send two. Basically I want a literary Santa Claus.
posted by eirias at 8:10 AM on May 14, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by eirias at 8:10 AM on May 14, 2022 [10 favorites]
COD, my kid recently went to the regional diving championships, a multi-state event, and his entire team came back with colds. It's like the old days! Take a trip, swap cold viruses, bring them home and spread them around.
I'm so glad you're well for your camping trip.
Serene Empress Dork, you must be an art journaler or something along those lines. I'm currently packing to move, and found all my supplies from a brief foray into that world I made in the early days of the pandemic. I'm leaving a chaotic and abusive home situation, and look forward to being in a place where I can organize my things so that I have access to them, and a table to work at. I've always been a writer, but I'd like to develop my ability to make pictures—to express myself in that way rather than in words. I also love mailing stuff, so I'd love to be able to make cute postcards to send to friends.
What would be in my ideal subscription box? My cats would love the empty-box idea, though they're pretty darn happy right now with all the packing boxes around. They're always leaping in and out of half-filled boxes.
I'd enjoy a book box, where by some magical algorithm the books were always things I actually like. I'm a voracious reader yet somehow also picky, and whenever I consider a book club, their selections are never quite right.
Or, since in my fantasy it's magic, each box would contain something different and new-to-me yet somehow exactly what I want. One month, a kit to make a particular delicious cocktail. Another month, a new journal with just the kind of paper I like to write on. Another month, the perfect teacup and saucer. And so on.
posted by Well I never at 8:11 AM on May 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
I'm so glad you're well for your camping trip.
Serene Empress Dork, you must be an art journaler or something along those lines. I'm currently packing to move, and found all my supplies from a brief foray into that world I made in the early days of the pandemic. I'm leaving a chaotic and abusive home situation, and look forward to being in a place where I can organize my things so that I have access to them, and a table to work at. I've always been a writer, but I'd like to develop my ability to make pictures—to express myself in that way rather than in words. I also love mailing stuff, so I'd love to be able to make cute postcards to send to friends.
What would be in my ideal subscription box? My cats would love the empty-box idea, though they're pretty darn happy right now with all the packing boxes around. They're always leaping in and out of half-filled boxes.
I'd enjoy a book box, where by some magical algorithm the books were always things I actually like. I'm a voracious reader yet somehow also picky, and whenever I consider a book club, their selections are never quite right.
Or, since in my fantasy it's magic, each box would contain something different and new-to-me yet somehow exactly what I want. One month, a kit to make a particular delicious cocktail. Another month, a new journal with just the kind of paper I like to write on. Another month, the perfect teacup and saucer. And so on.
posted by Well I never at 8:11 AM on May 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
Glinn and eiries, I would subscribe to your boxes.
posted by Well I never at 8:13 AM on May 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Well I never at 8:13 AM on May 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
Taz, fun question. Eiras and Well I Never, I'm with you. Many years ago in my bookstore days, my sister gave me her credit card # and I sent her occasional packages of books. She mentioned it not long ago. And I love Serene Empress Dork's proposal, too. Could there also be a treat for the dog, who, being a curious wookie, would tear open the package to find it, spreading sequins everywhere, and maybe a toy for her? She has Insatiable Curiosity, O my best beloveds.
Book clubs and Box deliverers are really marketers, their choices are driven by publishers and makers of Stuff. IMDB started out as a way to identify videos you like and didn't like, and crowdsource good recommendations. That was a ways ago when the tubes were young. If I didn't have chronic fatigue, it would be fun to do a book subscription box.
I'm in Maine, have successively removed blankets from the bed the past few weeks, and this morning, it has started out a bit too warm. It's heavenly; my joints are taking revenge because I danced yesterday and the heat shuts them up. I took a risk and put in a few tomato plants a couple days ago, quite early for Maine, but they'll like this warmth and sun. The trees have gone from buds to unfurling leaves; in Maine, Spring is fast.
posted by theora55 at 8:33 AM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
Book clubs and Box deliverers are really marketers, their choices are driven by publishers and makers of Stuff. IMDB started out as a way to identify videos you like and didn't like, and crowdsource good recommendations. That was a ways ago when the tubes were young. If I didn't have chronic fatigue, it would be fun to do a book subscription box.
I'm in Maine, have successively removed blankets from the bed the past few weeks, and this morning, it has started out a bit too warm. It's heavenly; my joints are taking revenge because I danced yesterday and the heat shuts them up. I took a risk and put in a few tomato plants a couple days ago, quite early for Maine, but they'll like this warmth and sun. The trees have gone from buds to unfurling leaves; in Maine, Spring is fast.
posted by theora55 at 8:33 AM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
brb setting up MonthlyAshesOfMyEnemies.com
posted by lalochezia at 8:43 AM on May 14, 2022 [14 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 8:43 AM on May 14, 2022 [14 favorites]
every month they send me a good book relating to whatever I have recently been thinking about.
Seriously! I read pretty widely but I have a fiddly list of "Nos" for what I won't read (no Nazis, no rapey plots, no terrorized daughters of important men, no sadism, no drunks) and while I think this leaves me a fair number of things to read, it's often a slog picking. However these books would either need to be long or this box would need to come more often.
Maybe a box of the darkest coffee imaginable?
Oh and in keeping with what Glinn said, the box and all its packing material would have to be recycleable. Actually the ideal box would arrive with a thing in it and then have a postage paid sticker where I could put something else in it and send it to someone/something else. Maybe a confessional box where I could write a letter that outlined whatever dumb thing I am feeling wrapped around the axle about and I could get back a card from a stranger that just says "It's OK"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:06 AM on May 14, 2022 [11 favorites]
Seriously! I read pretty widely but I have a fiddly list of "Nos" for what I won't read (no Nazis, no rapey plots, no terrorized daughters of important men, no sadism, no drunks) and while I think this leaves me a fair number of things to read, it's often a slog picking. However these books would either need to be long or this box would need to come more often.
Maybe a box of the darkest coffee imaginable?
Oh and in keeping with what Glinn said, the box and all its packing material would have to be recycleable. Actually the ideal box would arrive with a thing in it and then have a postage paid sticker where I could put something else in it and send it to someone/something else. Maybe a confessional box where I could write a letter that outlined whatever dumb thing I am feeling wrapped around the axle about and I could get back a card from a stranger that just says "It's OK"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:06 AM on May 14, 2022 [11 favorites]
It IS okay, jessamyn! Talk to you next month.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:15 AM on May 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:15 AM on May 14, 2022 [8 favorites]
" And a really amazing glue that was easy to apply, didn't wrinkle the paper, bonds well and the applicator never clogs."
Sounds like you're after YES paste! I apply it with a plastic palette knife. Took a little practice to get deft at it, but works amazingly well. (There MUST be a paper ephemera box out there somewhere!)
I was honestly really happy with my watercolor box that sent me four projects a month and the paint to do them, and I'd sit down once a week, watch the instructional video, and paint. I'd kind-of like a craft box that sent me a new craft every month, but it would have to be small, accomplishable in a reasonable amount of time, a craft I actually felt like doing, and not annoying to store. I do see craft boxes but they always seem like there's a lot of waste/useless projects at the end, and I'm crafty enough that I ALREADY have a ton of useless projects.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 10:11 AM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
Sounds like you're after YES paste! I apply it with a plastic palette knife. Took a little practice to get deft at it, but works amazingly well. (There MUST be a paper ephemera box out there somewhere!)
I was honestly really happy with my watercolor box that sent me four projects a month and the paint to do them, and I'd sit down once a week, watch the instructional video, and paint. I'd kind-of like a craft box that sent me a new craft every month, but it would have to be small, accomplishable in a reasonable amount of time, a craft I actually felt like doing, and not annoying to store. I do see craft boxes but they always seem like there's a lot of waste/useless projects at the end, and I'm crafty enough that I ALREADY have a ton of useless projects.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 10:11 AM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
A checklist of stuff in my house that they have determined I no longer need, use, or want, and that I won't miss, and that I put in the box and leave on my porch and they take it away and somehow find good uses for all of it that make the world a better place.
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:57 AM on May 14, 2022 [17 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:57 AM on May 14, 2022 [17 favorites]
Mostly the idea of stuff being shipped to me on a monthly basis sounds terrible, but maybe:
-Nutritious, ethically sourced food that my dogs will always tolerate well and will not make either of them poop blood
-healthy vegan snacks with minimal packaging
-one mind blowing pint of ice cream
posted by obfuscation at 11:21 AM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
-Nutritious, ethically sourced food that my dogs will always tolerate well and will not make either of them poop blood
-healthy vegan snacks with minimal packaging
-one mind blowing pint of ice cream
posted by obfuscation at 11:21 AM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
A thing I actually need is a service that sends me delightful little snacks for something less than like $100/month or whatever, and without requiring me to make all of the decisions, these boxes are so crazy.
posted by bleep at 11:36 AM on May 14, 2022
posted by bleep at 11:36 AM on May 14, 2022
Every month, a nineteenth-century religious novel that nobody bothered to acquire for a research collection and/or is identified as "destroyed" in the British Library Catalog. Presumably sourced from random attics in the UK. (I do own a couple such things, and I assume that "random attic" is, in fact, the provenance.)
(Are you a random SPCK novel from the 1880s that no longer exists in any known collection on the planet? Call me! I am the one academic on earth interested in you.)
posted by thomas j wise at 12:06 PM on May 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
(Are you a random SPCK novel from the 1880s that no longer exists in any known collection on the planet? Call me! I am the one academic on earth interested in you.)
posted by thomas j wise at 12:06 PM on May 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
For over a year now I’ve been pretty damn delighted with my Matter box subscription from the Stemcell Science Shop. This month’s box just arrived this morning! Always full of sciency surprises, and conscientiously chosen packaging as well—regularly getting piles of non-recyclable shipping materials in the mail becomes a drag pretty quickly (looking at you, HelloFresh gel ice packs!), so sustainability's definitely been a factor in letting my subscription continue for this long.
posted by obloquy at 2:11 PM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by obloquy at 2:11 PM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
Somebody's broken computer with request for what they want the reincarnated version to be like and a prepaid address label to get it back to its owner.
Maybe we could use monthly cards with recipe names, page numbers from our largely-ignored cookbooks, shopping lists and a queue of calendar dates for buying the ingredients and cooking the meals.
I'd definitely take an unweildy widget that can be deployed in at most three settings in the coming month for sh_ts and giggles. Gotta carry it with you, gotta think "would this work? ", gotta think "now or later, or is it too late?"
posted by k3ninho at 2:44 PM on May 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Maybe we could use monthly cards with recipe names, page numbers from our largely-ignored cookbooks, shopping lists and a queue of calendar dates for buying the ingredients and cooking the meals.
I'd definitely take an unweildy widget that can be deployed in at most three settings in the coming month for sh_ts and giggles. Gotta carry it with you, gotta think "would this work? ", gotta think "now or later, or is it too late?"
posted by k3ninho at 2:44 PM on May 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
A book, a snack, some new music, fresh flowers, comfy socks with a goofy pattern.
A toy/activity that keeps my kid enthralled for long enough for me to read at least a good chunk of the book.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:12 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
A toy/activity that keeps my kid enthralled for long enough for me to read at least a good chunk of the book.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:12 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
I would love a perfume / cologne subscription with tiny beautiful vials of scent that I could open and sniff whenever, that would come with detailed information about the notes and essences used, and the author and their thoughts and inspirations about the scent ... just all kinds of details. I would divide these into various categories of, for example "a story in a scent," "a serious vibe," "summer in a bottle," "vintage watercolor," "sex, seriously," etc., as well as the few I would wear myself, the "wtf, I don't even get this at all," the "I wouldn't wear this, but another version of me would definitely rock it," etc. Many, many, many etceteras. I get so many feelings from perfumes, but I don't actually wear much myself, either in amount or consistency. My most common use is to spray some on my wrists before I go to sleep, and then during the night as I move about I sometimes get a whiff of something lovely.
posted by taz (staff) at 3:48 PM on May 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 3:48 PM on May 14, 2022 [7 favorites]
A different, curated, specialized trade publication each month. I don't need to subscribe to Elevator World. I would enjoy one copy.
In unrelated news, there is a squirrel in this park that is currently *very* upset that I'm reading metafilter rather than dropping food and is not shy about letting me know. (I've seen squirrel injuries in the emergency room -as a fellow patient, not a doctor - and *think* I know how to avoid that. But, this little bastard is relentless.) There are also many flowering trees and a lovely breeze.
posted by eotvos at 5:20 PM on May 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
In unrelated news, there is a squirrel in this park that is currently *very* upset that I'm reading metafilter rather than dropping food and is not shy about letting me know. (I've seen squirrel injuries in the emergency room -as a fellow patient, not a doctor - and *think* I know how to avoid that. But, this little bastard is relentless.) There are also many flowering trees and a lovely breeze.
posted by eotvos at 5:20 PM on May 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
Printed ephemera. A board game from 1958 featuring a Popeye and Olive Oyl chutes and ladders board but called sliding boards and ladders, including a picture of a laughing Swee'pea descending a slide. A tiny book-like box that slides open to reveal a card game called Authors where each card lists three book titles by and a drawing of a 19th century author and you have to guess who the author is by their books. A matchbox from Torr's Restaurant and Lounge in Greencastle, Indiana. A mini devotional card for St. Simon Stock, pictured being blessed by Mary and the infant Jesus. An Anabaptist scripture board inscribed with Isaiah 53:6.
All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have
turned every one to his
own way; and the Lord
hath laid on Him the
iniquity of us all.
A copy of Red Women's Detachment, a 1966 Chinese propoganda comic printed in English for distribution in America. A Whitman Big Little Book titled Road Runner and the Super Beep Catcher with Flip-it Cartoons on the top recto corner. A Van Dyke brownprint of the profile of a well-dressed woman wearing a hat with long and extravagant feathers and what appears to be a small stuffed bird posed as if crashing onto the brim. On her bosom is pinned a tiger lily. An accordion bound book containing photographs of shacks on a beach that captures a diorama of a pre-war Japanese fishing village. A nasty Victorian Valentine's card that says,
'Tis a lemon that I hand you
And bid you now "skidoo,"
Because I love another–
There is no chance for you!
A receipt from a typewriter repair shop on Michigan Avenue in Chicago for an illegible service that cost $1.29 with tax. The 1912 business card for a funeral home named H.T. May & Son in Booneville, Missouri. A 3¢ red postage stamp with a picture of George Washington on it.
posted by Stanczyk at 6:21 PM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have
turned every one to his
own way; and the Lord
hath laid on Him the
iniquity of us all.
A copy of Red Women's Detachment, a 1966 Chinese propoganda comic printed in English for distribution in America. A Whitman Big Little Book titled Road Runner and the Super Beep Catcher with Flip-it Cartoons on the top recto corner. A Van Dyke brownprint of the profile of a well-dressed woman wearing a hat with long and extravagant feathers and what appears to be a small stuffed bird posed as if crashing onto the brim. On her bosom is pinned a tiger lily. An accordion bound book containing photographs of shacks on a beach that captures a diorama of a pre-war Japanese fishing village. A nasty Victorian Valentine's card that says,
'Tis a lemon that I hand you
And bid you now "skidoo,"
Because I love another–
There is no chance for you!
A receipt from a typewriter repair shop on Michigan Avenue in Chicago for an illegible service that cost $1.29 with tax. The 1912 business card for a funeral home named H.T. May & Son in Booneville, Missouri. A 3¢ red postage stamp with a picture of George Washington on it.
posted by Stanczyk at 6:21 PM on May 14, 2022 [6 favorites]
Every month my box would contain some toy that was popular between 1970 and 1982. So one month I'd get a Kenner X-Wing fighter, another month I'd get the Micronauts Battle Cruiser, next month I'd get an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, after that a Ricochet Racer, maybe a U-Fly-it. Basically all the toys I always wanted but never had or had and lost or broke.
Yes I am aware eBay exists and that's why I own a Lego Galaxy Explorer and a Flashbrite.
posted by bondcliff at 6:36 PM on May 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
Yes I am aware eBay exists and that's why I own a Lego Galaxy Explorer and a Flashbrite.
posted by bondcliff at 6:36 PM on May 14, 2022 [5 favorites]
Four rolls of 35 mm film and a return envelope for the previous month’s film to the development lab. Make the brand, speed and type of film a different mystery each month.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:17 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:17 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
I would love a perfume / cologne subscriptionI don't actually know what the rules are about posting links to personal friends in these threads. I won't complain if the mods delete this if I've got it wrong. (I have absolutely nothing to do with this business, but the owner has slept on my couch.) Chris Russak Perfume may actually be pretty close to what you want.
Unrelated, while I'm not big on perfume in general, a dab of mitti attar sure improves a bad day in a way that I find truly surprising every time I remember that it exists.
posted by eotvos at 7:33 PM on May 14, 2022
Mine's a quarterly subscription box, containing a single NAS hard disk from a reputable manufacturer of the largest size currently available.
The summer box also includes a tube of Hammond organ oil.
posted by offog at 7:33 PM on May 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
The summer box also includes a tube of Hammond organ oil.
posted by offog at 7:33 PM on May 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
Each month: a different, small, unique box arrives, each so individually exquisite as to evoke immediate awe and wonder. One carved in rock crystal, studded in platinum-set antique diamonds, perhaps, while the next is crafted simply of a rare and fragrant wood. Each is fastened shut.
The boxes can be admired this way until their contents are most needed, at which time a unique fastener is opened, releasing: laughter. Prolonged, helpless, deeply purgative hilarity, that can be shared with everyone present.
That’s it. Something to delight and amuse and share.
posted by kinnakeet at 7:36 PM on May 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
The boxes can be admired this way until their contents are most needed, at which time a unique fastener is opened, releasing: laughter. Prolonged, helpless, deeply purgative hilarity, that can be shared with everyone present.
That’s it. Something to delight and amuse and share.
posted by kinnakeet at 7:36 PM on May 14, 2022 [4 favorites]
My box would contain a one month rental lens from Lomography or Lensbaby or Venus or Meyer Optik Görlitz.
Do I need a 20mm F4 shift? A bubble bokeh Trioplan 100 f2.8 II? A Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 which is a modern mount implementation of the original photographic lense? A glowy Velvet 28 or a user controllable Petzval bokeh 58. No I do not. Sure would be fun to play with them for a while though.
Or a Samyang 650-1300mm f/8.0-16.0 with matched 2x teleconverter. That's approximately 4000mm on an APS-C camera! At F/32 of course but modern dSLRs can really push the ISO.
posted by Mitheral at 9:09 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Do I need a 20mm F4 shift? A bubble bokeh Trioplan 100 f2.8 II? A Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 which is a modern mount implementation of the original photographic lense? A glowy Velvet 28 or a user controllable Petzval bokeh 58. No I do not. Sure would be fun to play with them for a while though.
Or a Samyang 650-1300mm f/8.0-16.0 with matched 2x teleconverter. That's approximately 4000mm on an APS-C camera! At F/32 of course but modern dSLRs can really push the ISO.
posted by Mitheral at 9:09 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
I don't actually know what the rules are about posting links to personal friends in these threads.
No restrictions. You can even link to your own stuff in comments as long as you aren't spamming the site with self links.
posted by Mitheral at 9:10 PM on May 14, 2022
No restrictions. You can even link to your own stuff in comments as long as you aren't spamming the site with self links.
posted by Mitheral at 9:10 PM on May 14, 2022
A playlist of music I probably have never heard before but probably would like, based on what I already like. It would be better than Spotify's Discover Weekly, because it wouldn't just be based on what songs are in the playlists of other people who like the songs in my playlist. There would be a sophisticated algorithm that would identify the characteristics I like in music and find songs from around the world that have those characteristics.
And as a gift for my daughter, I'd sign her up for a monthly collection of fan fiction chosen by a similarly sophisticated computer program that would look at what she already likes. (I guess it would have to be even more sophisticated, because it would have to be able to tell good writing from bad as well as identifying themes and plot elements that would be appealing.)
posted by Redstart at 10:20 PM on May 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
And as a gift for my daughter, I'd sign her up for a monthly collection of fan fiction chosen by a similarly sophisticated computer program that would look at what she already likes. (I guess it would have to be even more sophisticated, because it would have to be able to tell good writing from bad as well as identifying themes and plot elements that would be appealing.)
posted by Redstart at 10:20 PM on May 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is my Dream Box:
Some sample packets of loose leaf black, oolong, or green tea. I expect that these will not be a surprise, as I have food allergies. I'd pick out the ones I can drink, and then the boxes would rotate through those.
Some sticks of Korean coffee. Even though I am a tea fiend, I do love coffee - and this is the most tasty way for me to get it. The allergy notice I posted above would apply.
Some fun pencils.
A couple of fun erasers.
Some random stickers.
A notebook or sketchbook.
A link to a Spotify playlist of neato new music I should check out.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:34 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
Some sample packets of loose leaf black, oolong, or green tea. I expect that these will not be a surprise, as I have food allergies. I'd pick out the ones I can drink, and then the boxes would rotate through those.
Some sticks of Korean coffee. Even though I am a tea fiend, I do love coffee - and this is the most tasty way for me to get it. The allergy notice I posted above would apply.
Some fun pencils.
A couple of fun erasers.
Some random stickers.
A notebook or sketchbook.
A link to a Spotify playlist of neato new music I should check out.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:34 PM on May 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
I would like just totally random stuff. A weird piece of leather, a bakelite telephone, a dried up starfish, some random nuts and bolts.
Only somewhat related, but years ago I was walking on the street and noticed an exploded trash bag with tons of molds of people's teeth pouring out. I guess a dentist went out of business or was doing spring cleaning or something. Still kind of regret not taking any of them.
posted by Literaryhero at 4:23 AM on May 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Only somewhat related, but years ago I was walking on the street and noticed an exploded trash bag with tons of molds of people's teeth pouring out. I guess a dentist went out of business or was doing spring cleaning or something. Still kind of regret not taking any of them.
posted by Literaryhero at 4:23 AM on May 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
I already subscribe to one such box.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:33 AM on May 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:33 AM on May 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
each month a box arrives with a newly written book by Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:43 AM on May 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:43 AM on May 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
Well, that box would wander up on the patter-patter of hundreds of tiny feet, open with some new collections of words from the 'fate robbed us' branch of L-Space.
posted by k3ninho at 7:19 AM on May 15, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by k3ninho at 7:19 AM on May 15, 2022 [5 favorites]
Ginger beer, Haribo gummy cola bottles. pickles and rice cracker mix.
posted by emelenjr at 7:31 AM on May 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by emelenjr at 7:31 AM on May 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Small hardware and tools of the kind I am constantly needing/losing: socket sets, impact driver bits, drill bits, deck screws, framing nails, measuring tapes... I've never subscribed to a subscription box and I'm generally not in love with the idea of paying good money for stuff that I have not determined, after laborious research, that I actually need. But the small losable/consumable tool and fastener box seems like it might make sense because it would stop me from going to the store to pick up $10 worth of lag screws and deciding while I'm there that I also need to get $40 worth of plants or a new wheelbarrow.
posted by drlith at 9:13 AM on May 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by drlith at 9:13 AM on May 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
"A different, curated, specialized trade publication each month."
I really, really enjoyed my short gig at Miller Freeman during their late peak because weird trade mags were absolutely everywhere and it was trivially easy to grab one to leaf through at lunch. I relate to this.
"a single NAS hard disk from a reputable manufacturer of the largest size currently available."
I was going to show up here and talk about how oh, no, I don't need more stuff of course. But yeah, resilvering a red every few months and then having autoexpand go off at the end of every year would be pretty great. I wouldn't even be opposed to shucking it myself, since I like keeping the cases around.
posted by majick at 9:14 AM on May 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
I really, really enjoyed my short gig at Miller Freeman during their late peak because weird trade mags were absolutely everywhere and it was trivially easy to grab one to leaf through at lunch. I relate to this.
"a single NAS hard disk from a reputable manufacturer of the largest size currently available."
I was going to show up here and talk about how oh, no, I don't need more stuff of course. But yeah, resilvering a red every few months and then having autoexpand go off at the end of every year would be pretty great. I wouldn't even be opposed to shucking it myself, since I like keeping the cases around.
posted by majick at 9:14 AM on May 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Anything I'm not paying for sounds good to me.
What would I like? Are calories also free? Candy, milk chocolate and popcorn flavors would be amazing. Magical toys that keep my pup and cats entertained for more than 5 minutes would be awesome. Quality hair products I can try and not feel guilty about the cost... yes please!
What do I need though? A junk removal subscription. Someone who comes to my house with a truck (err... lets call it a box for the sake of this thread!) once a month, and removes (and disposes of in an earth-friendly manner) all the crap I need to get rid of but can't be bothered to deal with.
posted by cgg at 11:56 AM on May 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
What would I like? Are calories also free? Candy, milk chocolate and popcorn flavors would be amazing. Magical toys that keep my pup and cats entertained for more than 5 minutes would be awesome. Quality hair products I can try and not feel guilty about the cost... yes please!
What do I need though? A junk removal subscription. Someone who comes to my house with a truck (err... lets call it a box for the sake of this thread!) once a month, and removes (and disposes of in an earth-friendly manner) all the crap I need to get rid of but can't be bothered to deal with.
posted by cgg at 11:56 AM on May 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
I have rethought my answer(s).
I want a box to show up one month with a bunch of delightful crap that I can then play with for a month and then PUT BACK IN THE BOX and send it away at the end of the month.
I want a box to show up that is a jumbled up bunch of things that needs someone to sort all those things and put it all in order. Seriously I've told my sister that if something happens to me and I have some sort of serious head injury and yet am otherwise alive and healthy just put my coin collection in front of me all poured into a box and let me sort it all out again. Repeat.
A small envelope that had one good joke, one good lateral thinking puzzle I could share with Jim, and one cool postage-paid weird looking postcard that I could send to someone. Maybe a fun zine.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:46 PM on May 15, 2022 [10 favorites]
I want a box to show up one month with a bunch of delightful crap that I can then play with for a month and then PUT BACK IN THE BOX and send it away at the end of the month.
I want a box to show up that is a jumbled up bunch of things that needs someone to sort all those things and put it all in order. Seriously I've told my sister that if something happens to me and I have some sort of serious head injury and yet am otherwise alive and healthy just put my coin collection in front of me all poured into a box and let me sort it all out again. Repeat.
A small envelope that had one good joke, one good lateral thinking puzzle I could share with Jim, and one cool postage-paid weird looking postcard that I could send to someone. Maybe a fun zine.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:46 PM on May 15, 2022 [10 favorites]
I like Jessamyn's idea of a box that you pass along at the end of the month. A circulating library of borrowed things might be fun. Maybe each box could have the tools necessary to learn a new craft or do a small project or just a few different things you might be interested in.
I can see subscription boxes for consumables, and bought one for my mom once for Keto food products, but boxes where you just get a bunch of stuff you didn't want badly enough to seek out and buy on your own are stupid. They especially aggravate me when they're for "environmentally friendly products". It would be friendlier to the environment if people didn't buy crap they clearly don't need.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:58 AM on May 16, 2022
I can see subscription boxes for consumables, and bought one for my mom once for Keto food products, but boxes where you just get a bunch of stuff you didn't want badly enough to seek out and buy on your own are stupid. They especially aggravate me when they're for "environmentally friendly products". It would be friendlier to the environment if people didn't buy crap they clearly don't need.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:58 AM on May 16, 2022
(JINX!!)
Yeah, a PIF/pass-around box of stuff would be cool. I have heard of hobbyist groups doing this with items they just upgraded from -- think of hikers letting other folks try out a stove or tool that they don't ned any more. Or it could be local-to-you things that fit within the box's charter.
(Doing it with a randomized address list so you always got new input would be vital. )
For example, for weekend mornings, you could get a package of local coffee, a few ounces of good chocolate, and a local newspaper.
For an evening, maybe a movie that's not from Hollywood, plus a drink from that country. (E.g., a movie from Scotland and an Irnbru plus a nip of Glenfiddich.)
For writers, a pencil and notebook that you like.
Could be fun -- but everyone would need to commit to the rules.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:01 AM on May 16, 2022
Yeah, a PIF/pass-around box of stuff would be cool. I have heard of hobbyist groups doing this with items they just upgraded from -- think of hikers letting other folks try out a stove or tool that they don't ned any more. Or it could be local-to-you things that fit within the box's charter.
(Doing it with a randomized address list so you always got new input would be vital. )
For example, for weekend mornings, you could get a package of local coffee, a few ounces of good chocolate, and a local newspaper.
For an evening, maybe a movie that's not from Hollywood, plus a drink from that country. (E.g., a movie from Scotland and an Irnbru plus a nip of Glenfiddich.)
For writers, a pencil and notebook that you like.
Could be fun -- but everyone would need to commit to the rules.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:01 AM on May 16, 2022
I want a box to show up that is a jumbled up bunch of things that needs someone to sort all those things and put it all in order.
There is a group of knitters who accept huge tangled bags of yarn from other knitters and detangle them. In case you need a hobby.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:29 AM on May 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
There is a group of knitters who accept huge tangled bags of yarn from other knitters and detangle them. In case you need a hobby.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:29 AM on May 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
Ginger beer, Haribo gummy cola bottles. pickles and rice cracker mix.I've been searching for a way to just buy the rings from Starmix as a gift for a friend for years. They don't seem to exist alone either online or in any likely store where I live. I'm astonished by that. Every other thing in the bag is also sold alone. Why not those? Who the hell wants only cherries?
I would definitely subscribe to this box. I won't be excited if the pickles are all the cucumber kind. But, I'd put up with it for the rest.
posted by eotvos at 10:13 AM on May 16, 2022
Ginger beer, Haribo gummy cola bottles. pickles and rice cracker mix.
Worst smoothie ever. Unsubscribe.
;)
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:29 PM on May 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
Worst smoothie ever. Unsubscribe.
;)
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:29 PM on May 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
Month 1: a set of small dolls, articulated, with appealing expressions, different shapes, heights, ages, colors
Month 2: a selection of wigs of all colors/lengths, each one will fit all the dolls
Month 3: a selection of craft kits with directions for making a variety of doll clothes (with supplies); covers all genders, many colors and patterns and you can continue to use your own fabrics to make more if you like.
Month 4 : tiny delightful vehicles (bikes, cars, scooters) for the dolls
Month 5: pets for the dolls
Month 6: Dollhouse w/furniture, to assemble. All of wood/cardboard. Assembling takes a while, but is extremely satisfying, and then you can paint/add wallpaper/modify the house and furniture to your heart's desire. There are also directions for making doll bedlinens and other things you might like. This is the last box; your set is now complete.
(yes I miss my Barbie dreamhouse but it was honestly kind of ugly and too plastic. I always wanted something I could customize that had more style)
posted by emjaybee at 8:34 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Month 2: a selection of wigs of all colors/lengths, each one will fit all the dolls
Month 3: a selection of craft kits with directions for making a variety of doll clothes (with supplies); covers all genders, many colors and patterns and you can continue to use your own fabrics to make more if you like.
Month 4 : tiny delightful vehicles (bikes, cars, scooters) for the dolls
Month 5: pets for the dolls
Month 6: Dollhouse w/furniture, to assemble. All of wood/cardboard. Assembling takes a while, but is extremely satisfying, and then you can paint/add wallpaper/modify the house and furniture to your heart's desire. There are also directions for making doll bedlinens and other things you might like. This is the last box; your set is now complete.
(yes I miss my Barbie dreamhouse but it was honestly kind of ugly and too plastic. I always wanted something I could customize that had more style)
posted by emjaybee at 8:34 PM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
Month 7: long sharp pins. They are now voodoo dolls
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:56 AM on May 17, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:56 AM on May 17, 2022 [6 favorites]
How about a service where each month the box of items you receive are seemingly unrelated to each other and don't seem useful by themselves. The last box of the year includes instructions for how to use the contents of all 12 boxes to create a single amazing thing (or maybe the boxes are empty but have curious pre-made creases in them, and the instructions in the 12th box tell you how to use all of them to construct a thing). The goal of the service is that you get to spend the year incessantly speculating about and eagerly anticipating the eventual outcome.
Next year the process starts all over with completely items and outcome.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:18 AM on May 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
Next year the process starts all over with completely items and outcome.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:18 AM on May 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
I can imagine a project where several boxes are pre-loaded with an assortment of semi-random things, among them a list of addresses for where the box goes next, and sent out to the folks who have signed on for this thing. The box arrives, you look inside and interact with the contents for some arbitrary time. You may select something(s) from the box, but must replace with the spirit of equivalent exchange. Kind of like a geocache that comes to you.
I like a lot of the other ideas too, but I'd pass on the ginger beer, Haribo gummy cola bottles. pickles and rice cracker smoothie. :-)
posted by coppertop at 5:57 PM on May 17, 2022
I like a lot of the other ideas too, but I'd pass on the ginger beer, Haribo gummy cola bottles. pickles and rice cracker smoothie. :-)
posted by coppertop at 5:57 PM on May 17, 2022
My friends group, many many years ago, actually did a traveling book box. Take a book out, put one in, mail it to the next person. Alas, I think the box is still in the garage of someone I don't talk to anymore.
posted by joycehealy at 7:10 AM on May 18, 2022
posted by joycehealy at 7:10 AM on May 18, 2022
I would like The One That Got Away, please.
Twenty years ago, you could, and I did, get a monthly chocolate subscription box containing an assortment of chocolates by an assortment of chocolatiers from all over Europe. It was a delight. Alas, I had to cancel my subscription when I moved abroad.
When I moved back, I happily restarted it... but in my absence, the box had changed, and now it contained only chocolates by the company selling the boxes. And it's not that they're not good! But you can tell they're all from the same source. They have only so many different moulds, they always use the same signature milk or dark chocolate, and there's never anything really startling.
I really miss the original concept. Every so often I do a search to see if anyone else has started doing it, but no luck yet.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:24 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Twenty years ago, you could, and I did, get a monthly chocolate subscription box containing an assortment of chocolates by an assortment of chocolatiers from all over Europe. It was a delight. Alas, I had to cancel my subscription when I moved abroad.
When I moved back, I happily restarted it... but in my absence, the box had changed, and now it contained only chocolates by the company selling the boxes. And it's not that they're not good! But you can tell they're all from the same source. They have only so many different moulds, they always use the same signature milk or dark chocolate, and there's never anything really startling.
I really miss the original concept. Every so often I do a search to see if anyone else has started doing it, but no luck yet.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:24 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Metafilter: completely items and outcome.
(just now noticed my blatant typo; should have been completely new ....)
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:41 PM on May 18, 2022
(just now noticed my blatant typo; should have been completely new ....)
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:41 PM on May 18, 2022
I would love a box containing a dozen prefolded blank vellum finish greeting cards and matching envelopes, along with a dozen colour coordinated watercoulour markers and glitter gel pens. Then I would join the MetaFilter Card Club!
posted by a humble nudibranch at 6:41 PM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 6:41 PM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
mmmm samples of expensive skin care products, fancy lingerie, books, ooooh and a tiny houseplant!
posted by supermedusa at 9:15 AM on May 19, 2022
posted by supermedusa at 9:15 AM on May 19, 2022
Probably some small watercolor pans or fancy inks for dip pens, an elegant, artsy card, and a native seedling or two.
posted by tautological at 2:40 PM on May 23, 2022
posted by tautological at 2:40 PM on May 23, 2022
I want a box to show up one month with a bunch of delightful crap that I can then play with for a month and then PUT BACK IN THE BOX and send it away at the end of the month....
I like Jessamyn's idea of a box that you pass along at the end of the month....
Yeah, a PIF/pass-around box of stuff would be cool....
How about a service where each month the box of items you receive are seemingly unrelated to each other and don't seem useful by themselves
I know I'm late to the game, but for everyone who wanted the pass-it-around box and you want yours to be tech/electronics related, The Great Internet Migratory Box of Electronics Junk is there for you: you sign up for a box, take things out, put things in, send it on. I can attest to its awesomeness.
I honestly don't know why this isn't a thing for other genres/fields/endeavors; the concept is dead-simple.
posted by eclectist at 2:29 PM on June 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
I like Jessamyn's idea of a box that you pass along at the end of the month....
Yeah, a PIF/pass-around box of stuff would be cool....
How about a service where each month the box of items you receive are seemingly unrelated to each other and don't seem useful by themselves
I know I'm late to the game, but for everyone who wanted the pass-it-around box and you want yours to be tech/electronics related, The Great Internet Migratory Box of Electronics Junk is there for you: you sign up for a box, take things out, put things in, send it on. I can attest to its awesomeness.
I honestly don't know why this isn't a thing for other genres/fields/endeavors; the concept is dead-simple.
posted by eclectist at 2:29 PM on June 1, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by zaixfeep at 5:52 AM on May 14, 2022 [26 favorites]