Mystery Box Review

Jun 23, 2014
1
0
French consumers, here is my feedback.
I ordered June 23, 2014. On 25 June 2014 the package was mailed and I received an email with the number to track the shipment.
July 01, 2014 there was an attempted delivery to my home but I was not here.
Bad news for the people of Paris and its environs, you have to get the parcel in Alfortville (and a nice galley for those who do not drive like me).
The box is still closed.

Financial aspects:
I took the shipping costs "USPS Express Mail International Priority" to $ 74.25 for a total of $ 209.20 (I had a voucher)
I got a rate of ? 154.24 in my account.
And I did not escape the duty: 46 ?

At your disposal for more information if you need.

In conclusion, I am too happy with this order.

En r?sum? et en fran?ais :
J'ai pris l'option USPS prioritaire pour me faire livrer, plus ch?re mais efficace (commande le 23/06, livraison le 01/07 mais absent de mon domicile)
Au total avec les taxes, j'en ai eu pour 200?. Je trouve que cela les vaut, l'objet est superbe.
 
May 6, 2013
148
5
www.Ibimania.com
How about me not buying it and wondering how touching it would feel, I still won't know what is inside and I will not even know how it physically looks. Isn't not buying it a bigger mystery?
 

j.bayme

ceo / theory11
Team member
Jul 23, 2007
2,848
352
New York City
How about me not buying it and wondering how touching it would feel, I still won't know what is inside and I will not even know how it physically looks. Isn't not buying it a bigger mystery?

Haha - touche! Or, not even knowing about it, because if you don't know about NOT knowing about the mystery of not knowing, then it's the ultimate mystery. Now I'm confused.
 

Justin.Morris

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,793
888
Canada
www.morrismagic.ca
How about me not buying it and wondering how touching it would feel, I still won't know what is inside and I will not even know how it physically looks. Isn't not buying it a bigger mystery?

It is nicer than I anticipated. I open it just to look at the contents. I am beginning to tinker with the secrets within. Finally made some progress today. I'll explore further another day. Or not. Depends how I feel I suppose.
 
Aug 12, 2014
1
0
How about me not buying it and wondering how touching it would feel, I still won't know what is inside and I will not even know how it physically looks. Isn't not buying it a bigger mystery?
You can only find the real mystery inside if you handle everything and really look for it. These are beautiful! Everyone that enjoys the work of theory11 will truly appreciate the mystery box and decks after spending some time with them. They really are works of art and so much more than any other cards I've ever used.
 
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fdavidn

Elite Member
Aug 29, 2015
9
2
Being a relatively new customer I'm just now noticing the Mystery Box as something I might want to purchase. I do have a couple of questions.

First is regarding the contents that come in the Mystery Box. Are the contents of every Mystery Box the same? Or does the mix of the decks (or any other items that may or may not be included) differ from box to box? If I buy a Mystery Box today will I get exactly the same contents as the person that bought the first Mystery Box you sold (albeit for a little extra dust that may have accumulated over the past couple of years)?

I'm kinda liking the idea of taking the cards out of the wood Mystery Box and using it as a hand-me-down box for other family treasures. IIRC the copy states that the cards are sealed in cellophane and then wrapped in a heavy craft paper container with a flap. If one were to purchase individual decks they would be wrapped in cellophane and put in a nice deck box. It isn't clear to me if one purchases a Mystery Box, whether the 12 decks are cello-wrapped, put into a nice deck box and then wrapped in heavy craft paper or, as it seems to say, the cards are cello-wrapped and put in the craft paper holder but with no deck box. Do we get the 12 individual deck boxes too? I certainly hope so especially if I were to use the wood box for another use.

If the Mystery Box doesn't have the individual deck boxes I can easily get empty deck boxes. If I do have to do this will the decks in the deck boxes still fit inside the craft paper wrap?

Also I assume this "brokerage fee" and VAT doesn't apply to shipments inside the USA. The shipment to me doesn't originate from somewhere outside the USA and USA customers don't pay these extra charges that are discussed above.

(-;
 

Lyle Borders

Elite Member
Aug 5, 2008
1,604
859
Seattle, WA
www.theory11.com
Hey David,

Good questions! The Mystery Box Lockboxes contain 12 identical decks of cards. It's not a grab-bag of random decks. It contains 12 Mystery Box Playing Cards, a deck design created and art directed by JJ Abrams and theory11.

The "Mystery Box" decks originally came inside of a tuck case, which was then cellophane wrapped. The outermost surface of the decks was paper; the cellophane was under that paper layer. The current version no longer uses that under-layer of cellophane. The kraft paper wrap acts as the protective outer layer. I'll have to have that mention of cellophane corrected, as it applies to an older version.

Brokerage fees only apply to international orders. US bound orders have the luxury of not having to worry about that fee.

I hope this helps. Have a great weekend!

// L
 
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Justin.Morris

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2007
2,793
888
Canada
www.morrismagic.ca
I have to say, I love the box. I do a lot of work with students and have used the box for a few events. I created some games where they have to find clues and various letters which lead them to the hidden location of the box and the leftover letters are the alpha combination. The box has gotten a lot of use for me, and gets wonderful response from others!

And I have to say the mystery part was super fun.
 
Aug 4, 2016
1
0
I'm going to do this review without spoiling too much, so here goes:

The Mystery Box itself is well-made and sturdy. Since the boxes themselves are made from 100-year-old reclaimed wood, each box will be different, and imperfections should be expected. The wood may have rough (but not dangerous) edges, nail holes and other flaws that give each box a unique charm. Oddly enough, my Mystery Box had a faint smell that I can only describe as --- bacon-y --- not unpleasant by any means, but unexpected; the smell faded after a day or two and is now barely noticeable.

The code to unlocking the box is easy to find. While you can decipher the code from the included letter, there is a much easier way to find the code, and if you've followed the announcements related to the Mystery Box, you've probably already seen the code in plain sight.

The lock itself is a well-constructed metal cryptex-like alphanumeric combination lock, and should hold up to many unlocks and re-locks. The tumblers can sometimes be a little resistant to turning, but never difficult.

The Mystery Box playing cards -- of which there are 12 decks in the mystery box -- are each wrapped in heavy craft paper printed with the stylized question mark that matches the one Tannen's Magic Mystery Box featured in J. J. Abrams' TED talk. The paper is high quality and very thick.

Many of the promotional photos and videos for the Mystery Box cards show the craft paper being torn open, but this isn't necessary, as the paper is wrapped around the decks with flaps in the back that are lightly glued. This is nice because it means that with minimal care, you can unwrap the decks without destroying the paper. You can re-wrap them and they look like they've never been opened.

The decks themselves are sealed in celophane, and if you buy an individual Mystery Box deck, you know what you're getting. The shiny red embossed print on the black deck box looks great, and each box is adorned with a full-color Bad Robot logo.

The Mystery Box cards themselves are also well-designed. The face cards are designed with a "robot" style that doesn't overshadow the familiar elements of the classic face card designs. One-eyed jacks, suicide kings, etc. are all represented in the Mystery Box deck. It's a striking and unique art style.

Also included with the Mystery Box is a letter-pressed note from J. J. Abrams that's printed on thick heavy craft paper and is inside a very nice envelope with a "wax" seal. I'm don't think the seal is actually wax, but feels like a really soft plastic molded seal that closes the envelope with adhesive...nevertheless, it's a nice touch.

My shipment also included a couple of theory11 stickers. The Mysery Box was well-protected during shipping in an oversized box with lots of bubble wrap and starch peanuts, so the chances that a box is damaged during shipping is low.

Over-all, I'm very happy with the Mystery Box. It will make a great addition to any card collection. I opened my Mystery Box, but I plan on filling it with my own treasures and giving it to my son when he's older. Then the decision to open the box will be his.[/QUOTE

Im confused are all 12 decks diffrent??
 
B

BrettBarry

Guest
I just received my Mystery Box yesterday and all I can say is W O W. JB and JJ - you guys knocked this out of the park Stunning. I see this as a real show piece. I am not happy with this - I am thrilled. Thank you :) This takes me to my childhood.
 
May 3, 2016
102
22
No. The Mystery Box Lockbox set is a set of Mystery Box playing cards, and has nothing to do with a grab bag. We don't offer it in a grab bag variation - that would ruin the further mysteries inside.

// L
Not even to do half red? What about the other special boxes?
 
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