How To Surprise Yourself With Gifts In The Mail
It unsurprisingly kicked off a wave of similar companies catering to specific niches - pet owners, arts and crafts types, and plenty others.
There are lots and lots of these startups, but here's a little roundup of the more interesting box-of-stuff-in-the-mail companies out there:
1. Birchbox- The mainstay. Tell it what you like and it will play DJ to your tastes, from makeup to gadgets to hair/skin care products and more.
2. BarkBox - Birchbox for dog owners! Treats, toys, all things canine.
3. Craftistas - Get all the instructions and materials you need to hand-make something interesting every month. It's $24 per month.
4. GlobeIn's Artisan Gift Box - We've previously reported on GlobeIn, a company that helps artisans from developing countries all around the world by offering a storefront for them to sell their goods. Each box will contain between one and three handmade craft items as well as the story behind the person who made it. It's $30 per month.
5. Popsugar Must Have - For $40 per month, you'll receive "Hand-selected items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness, and food." That sounds a little vague, so to help you understand what you're signing up for, you can view past boxes here.
6. Sock Panda - Birchbox for socks! It's that simple, and it's $11 per month.
7. Hand-Picked Words - If you'd rather get digital goods, these guys will send you "poems, short stories, letterpress art, and e-books to your inbox" for $15 a month. Perfect gift for a book hound.