How To Surprise Yourself With Gifts In The Mail

Birchbox was a trendsetter for the e-commerce subscription space — give them money, you get a box of goodies in the mail. It works because it’s simple and novel.

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 $US24 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 $US30 per month.

5. Popsugar Must Have — For $US40 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 $US11 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 $US15 a month. Perfect gift for a book hound.

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