Just a Product Review...Zexal Emperor Key Logo Deckbox.

So, my stuff finally shipped from Ideal808 that I ordered a week ago.  I don't know how many people order from online vendors usually, but Ideal is really, really solid.  I think their prices are generally pretty good for an online retailer, that and they have cool import products from Japan.  One such product is what I got.  I wanted to write this because I couldn't find any review on it anywhere, and believe me I tried looking.

http://www.ideal808.com/catalog/card_game_supplies-yugioh_exclusive_supplies/zexal_emperors_key_logo_black_deck_box/94744

Now you might be thinking that the picture looks a little uninspiring for eight bucks.  That's true, the picture does look a little boring.  The opposite is true for the actual product.  The Emperor Key logo is nicely done, and it has a really nice shine to it.  The grey parts on the front and top of the deckbox are see-through when viewed under a light.  It gives the deckbox a really nice and interesting look.

Now for the quality.  This is probably the sketchiest part of it.  The image also doesn't do it justice, since it makes it seem like it would be flimsy or something (sort of like those cheap Ultra Pro deckboxes you'd get at Meijer that comes with a 50-pack of sleeves.  Those generally don't last long, and you don't really want to pay double for something of the same quality.

In reality, this product is pretty stable.  Rather than being held together by the seams, it's held together by tiny plastic bolts (barely noticeable).  I generally feel like this is better, since it means the deckbox will not crack at the sides or on the bottom, it makes it last longer even if it's made out of a cheap material.  Speaking of the material, the deckbox is made from what seems to be the same material as other Konami deckboxes such as the TCG version of the Double Deckbox.  This is nice since that material seems last longer and doesn't seem really feel as flimsy as other things.  The material does seem lighter though, as if it wasn't as thick, but I'm not too worried about it.  It might mean less longevity though.  The deckbox does feel like it weighs next to nothing, which was somewhat surprising to me.

The best feature of the entire thing is the back, which isn't shown in any of the picks I looked at of it.  That's a pretty big shame from an advertising standpoint, since if things were shown better more people might buy it, but I digress.  The back of the deckbox there is a pretty big square of straight see through material.  If you put your deck in the box, you can see the top card's picture (Presumably your extra deck).  This makes it look pretty neat.  There's just something indescribable about looking at your deckbox and seeing a card's picture (possibly one of your favorites?)  staring back at you. It almost makes the deckbox feel like a showcase, and it's pretty darn cool.

In terms of size, the box is bigger than I thought it would be.  This isn't a complaint, it just means you can have your deck, extra deck, side deck, and probably any tokens that you have into it, without worrying about space or having trouble getting things out.  It's a good sized box, but not big enough to where it's cumbersome.

Now, here comes the bad.  The material, while not too flimsy, does feel like it will break sooner rather than later.  I'm not too worried about it cracking, but I'm slightly worried about it breaking if I were to throw it into a crammed bag or something.  The other thing is that it closes via Velcro.  This is something that I hate with a passion, because even if the deckbox never breaks, not being able to close it after the Velcro wears out or the pieces stop sticking to the actual box is just plain annoying.  If it comes down to that, I'll probably super glue the Velcro back to it, but that just feels like something I shouldn't have to do.

The price is also a tipping point.  The deckbox is about eight dollars, and as cool as it looks, the product as a whole could cost five at the most.  The price is probably that high mainly it's an imported product.  Since Ideal808 is in Hawaii, it's probably easy for them to get a supply of these, and it's literally the only place you will find these barring going to OCGland yourself.

So yeah, that's basically it.  I'll post some pictures in this article once I get home from class tomorrow, it really is a nice product.

These scores are out of ten.

Durability: 7 (because of the material and Velcro closing mechanism)
Functionality: 8 (It's a good size, but the Velcro man, the Velcro)
Look: 8- 10 (it's a pretty deckbox, the only reason I'd downgrade it to eight is if you care much about your opponent looking at one card of your deck)

Overall, it's a good alternative if you're looking for something flashy, but don't want to lay down the $40 for a different import deckbox such as the Anime ones that are popular among Yu-gi-oh players right now.