I am a huge fan of subscription boxes. I love getting a mystery box in the mail. Book subscriptions are my favourite (for obvious reasons).
Unboxing: Prudence and the Crow
When browsing my Instagram feed one day, I came across Prudence and the Crow, a vintage book subscription box, and I knew right away I had to try it out.
Here is their mission statement (direct quote from their website):
“We wanted a subscription service that would send us an amazing vintage paperback book every month along with added fun and surprises. There wasn’t one so we made one.
Our aim is to share our love of the content and aesthetic of previously loved paperback books with like-minded people from all over the world.”
I personally love vintage books. They have so much character and history. I love picking up a book and imagining who may have owned the book before me. I wonder what life they have lived and where it may have taken them, what adventures they may have had and where they may have travelled.
So, as you can well imagine, this subscription service really resonated with me. I signed up straight away for a one-off box just to try it out.
The really great thing about Prudence and the Crow is that they offer a variety of packages. You can sign up for a one-off box which only costs £12.00 including shipping within the UK.
You can also sign up for 3 months (£36.00), 6 months (£72.00), 12 months (£144.00), or a continuous subscription and it will still only cost you £12.00 per month (you get anniversary rewards if you sign up for the continuous subscription).
Overseas shipping costs an extra £6.00 per box but be sure to check if they ship to your country before purchasing (they have a list of all the countries they currently ship to in their FAQs).
You can also choose from a variety of genres and you will be sent a book which caters to your choice (you can choose to receive a random selection too). You can update your selection at any time by contacting them directly so if you change your mind or would prefer to receive a different selection in the future you are not locked-in to any particular choice.
There is a nifty little questionnaire that you fill out after your purchase where you can provide what you would like to receive and anything you would adamantly not like to be sent which really helps tailor the box specifically to each person.
For example, if talking animals aren’t your thing you can specify this in the questionnaire. It really helps to make the box feel very personal to you.
December Box
My first box was their December box. I decided that for this box I would love to receive Children’s Fiction since I was feeling pretty nostalgic.
I was very happy to receive a vintage Enid Blyton book ‘House at the Corner’ since I practically devoured her books as a youngster. I was very pleasantly surprised to have received one of the few Enid Blyton books I hadn’t read before! It must be fate. 😉
The box also comes with a variety of little bookish gifts which is a really nice little touch. The book came in a cute little handmade cover (with a distinct Christmassy feel).
I also received a selection of teas (always appreciated!) and a little candy cane (which was consumed pretty much right after the above picture was taken! 😀
There was also a pretty little doily (which I assume is for my cuppa!), a Christmas-themed stamp, and a tiny cloth bookmark.
Keeping up with the Christmas theme was a print of Charles Dickens and an adorable silver star necklace. My favourite item though was the vintage library card. I remember using a similar system at school.
I was well-impressed with the selection of gifts. It was a lovely little early Christmas present.
January Box
My second box came just last week. I was really happy to receive The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (I have never read the series!) and I absolutely love the book itself. I think that the older covers are much more atmospheric that the newer covers so I was really happy to receive this.
As before, there was also a selection of literary-themed gifts. The bookmark is really lovely (it will be put to good use!) and I was happy to receive a selection of teas again. I also received some sweeties too (my other half promptly claimed them).
I really love the Hitchcock print as The Birds was a favourite of mine growing up. I also really like the little stickers I received as well. The book sleeve is also really pretty and will definitely come in handy.
I also received another little library card which is also stamped to show this is my second package. I am really chuffed with this box. 🙂
Overall, I am really impressed with Prudence and the Crow’s subscription boxes (I have already signed up for the February box). You can tell a lot of time and care has been put into each box and it really does feel like it is individually tailored to you as a customer which is really impressive when you consider how many subscriptions go out every month!
I really like how easy it was to sign up for this and how streamlined it is to ensure that you get the right book. I was really happy with the books that were selected for me and I love all of the little gifts that were selected.
I will definitely be getting this on a regular basis. I haven’t yet decided if I want to sign up for a continuous month-to-month subscription (I will probably get a few more boxes before I commit to this) but I am definitely leaning towards yes to this based on the boxes I have received so far.
I think Prudence and the Crow have done a remarkable job of putting together a really amazing subscription service. The items are definitely worth the money and I am really happy with the service they have provided.
Also, it really is designed exceptionally well. The parcels are sent out in envelopes which easily fit through the letter box (no heading down to the post office to pick up a parcel which is a big bonus for me as they always come when I am out at work) and they are full of lovely literary items which are guaranteed to brighten up a bookworm’s day. What more can you ask for?
This looks cool, I love vintage books, so I might have to check this out. 🙂
You definitely should – it’s a great subscription service. 🙂