BoBoS: A Subscription Box Curated For Fans!

There are numerous subscription boxes out there, but not all of them are specifically catered to what fans might personally enjoy. This is where BoBoS stands out from the rest and does an amazing job of it.

BoBoS stands for Big ol Box of Stuff. The fun part is that the box actually has items that revolve around the subscriber’s interests. A lot of other subscription boxes follow certain themes and sometimes people get items they aren’t really fans of even though they were interested in the theme. However, each BoBoS box is curated for the subscriber through a questionnaire and they’re bound to get something (if not everything) that they’ll love.

Check out our interview with BoBoS and find out why it is a subscription box you should definitely try out.

How and when did the idea of doing a subscription box occur? Who came up with the name?

The initial idea for BoBoS was conceived after being introduced to a very popular Nerd subscription box from a co-worker in December 2014. When I received it I excitedly opened it up and was quite underwhelmed with the contents, over half of which I either didn’t know were about or just didn’t care for that particular fandom.

I have been a collector of all things geeky most of my life and was actually getting my stuff together for the local comic/toy show in March. I thought, “Why can’t I make a box that is actually catered to the stuff that I like? How awesome would that be?” I set a date of April 1^st to create this. Enter the 20+ hour workdays of research, web designing, finding distributors to work with, and marketing. All of this while maintaining my full-time job as a restaurant manager.  Facebook was where I did the most marketing and collected my first customers. When we opened up the website for business we had 49 orders go out that first month. This September marks 17 months and we have sent out 500 boxes this month. I used my 12-year-old daughter’s Robot design that she did when she was 9 as a school assignment. My wife Noelle, (who also works a full-time job) and I collaborated and came up with the name.

How long does it take for you to fill one box?

Depending on if we have to special order items or just go out and find them, those can actually take a few days. If we have a product on hand then each box takes anywhere, from start to finish, 10-15 minutes. We run this out of our house and have to take the order down, create an individual/unique file, search for the individual items, make sure we have the right size box, input each item we give into the person’s file, then recheck the box and pack and tape them up, and address for the post office.

A lot of subscription boxes have auto-renewals. What was the thoughts process between BoBoS not being one?

We just don’t like the idea of sneaking into peoples accounts and taking money that they may not have that month. A lot of companies that auto-renew depend on people forgetting or just not having the time to cancel their subscriptions and then they are stuck with another box of something they just don’t want. We just aren’t arrogant enough to believe that everyone is going to be thrilled with us to get another box and we want to make sure that they have a choice and don’t have to jump through hoops to cancel.

How’s the reception to BoBoS been like?

We have been so fortunate to have the fans and community that we have. People are just so kind and understanding that we are a small family-run business and are just so incredibly supportive. We have many customers who have been with us since the very beginning who have yet to miss a single month.

You guys did a Kickstater to become international with BoBoS. Which areas will you be shipping to and are there any plans for further expansion?

Yes, we have received so many requests for international shipping and are going to be shipping to Canada as well as a few undetermined areas. These will of course be at an additional shipping cost.

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In order to give you an idea about what you can expect from BoBoS here is an unboxing video from ‘Nerdy Newb’, a YouTuber I enjoy watching.

You can get the BoBoS box through their website. You can also connect with them through their Facebook page.

Are you subscribed to BoBoS? Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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