Review: Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Box from Target

The season of giving is just around the corner, and fans of the Zelda series know that unless you go to specialized gaming stores or do some searches online, collectibles from the series can be difficult to find. That’s why I was excited about this officially licensed Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Box by CultureFly, which is available at Target. The retail price of $29.99 USD isn’t bad considering that there are several goodies inside. I saw someone posted it in a Zelda collector’s group I’m a part of, so I decided to get one for myself and check it out.

The items inside the Collector’s Box seem to be a bit random since there’s no unifying theme other than that they are all decorated with designs from Tears of the Kingdom. In the box, there’s a Frozen Realm Ice Cube Tray which will allow you to shape your drinks with familiar Zelda emblems. There’s also a Mastercrafted Journal (leather-bound and gilded for a touch of elegance,) and a pair of Triforce Crew Socks that pay stylishly subtle homage to Zelda‘s iconic balance of power.

You will also find an Embroidered Snapback Hat which is intricately embroidered with iconic Zelda symbols, an AirPod Case of Time that provides sleek protection for your AirPods, and a Crafted Beer Stein — perfect for enjoying your favorite beverage while immersing yourself in Hyrule’s lore.

The first three of these items are well-made and function as expected. The ice cube tray features the Hylian royal crest, and makes very large ice cubes (about 2 x 2 x 4 inches) and you only need two cubes per glass if you fill up the tray all the way. The Hylian royal crest design stays on top when the ice cube floats in your beverage. Since it’s a silicone ice tray, I tried using it to make little chocolate bars by melting some chocolate and filling the tray. The chocolate settled into the design and firmed up nicely, so I had cute little Zelda-themed chocolates!

The socks fit me well and have survived one trip through the washing machine and dryer so far. They have a dark green base with light green Zonai-swirl patterns on the top of sock. At the top of the sock is a patch with the Hylian royal crest surrounded by Zonai writing. The insides of the socks are unusual because there are a lot of long fibers, like the back of an embroidery piece. They’re still comfortable, but it’s an odd detail. There is no size listed for the socks, but I would guess they are the typical 5-10 ladies’ sock size, or about a men’s sock size of 10-13.

The journal is probably my favorite piece of the Collector’s Box. It’s about 4.5 x 6 inches — just the right size for keeping in a pocket or purse. It has a thin leather strap with a Hylian royal crest charm to wrap around the book and help keep it shut. The pages have “The Legend of Zelda” written across the top in yellow-gold ink and the “Light Dragon” motif on each side. The bottom of the pages feature the geometric design found along the sleeve edges of Link’s Champion’s tunic. It’s a cute little journal perfect for keeping track of your thoughts, your shopping list, and your current quest objectives.

The other three items in the box could have been made better, but will still end up being showpiece collectibles for me. When I first saw this set, I was most excited about the wooden pint stein and I really wanted to be able to use it. Imagine my surprise when I picked it up and the handle wiggled! The mug is quite hefty due to its metallic liner. The wood has a light varnish, so I would take care not to get the wooden part of the mug too wet if you intend to use it. With the metal plate on the outside and metal on the inside, it’s not microwave safe, of course. It’s not dishwasher safe, either. My plan for this mug is to display it with my other Zelda collector’s glassware.

The snapback cap, of course, has an adjustable strap. I could adjust it to fit my 4 year-old and to fit myself as well. I had to trim a lot of dangling loose threads, though. The label with the logo for Tears of the Kingdom on the back of the hat has crooked stitching, too. I would be concerned that the label could easily fray or even come off with enough use so I do not plan on wearing this hat.

The earphone case was a complete mystery to me. It’s silicone like the ice cube tray and is very cute, however, the top does not stay shut. I went back to the description on the webpage and according to that, they are meant for an AirPod case. This kind of stinks if you don’t have that specific brand of earphones. I won’t be using it, at least not as an earphone case because my favorite earphones would fall out!

Overall, I would personally give this collector’s box a 6.5 out of 10. The earphone case seems completely impractical unless you have AirPods. The mug and hat could be used, but I would be careful doing so. The ice cube tray, socks, and journal all have practical uses beyond showpieces, and for me, that has more value than just having something with logo or design from the latest Zelda game. For collectors who keep everything sealed in box, there may be some value to keeping this set all together. Fragile or easily lost items tend to gain value over time.

If you’re looking for a gift for a fellow Zelda series fan, this would work well if the receiver understands that some pieces are meant more for show than practical usage. That said, the suggested age for the Collector’s Box is listed as “Adult” on the Target website. When you consider that each item is about $5 USD, it’s not a bad little collection.

What do you think of this Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Box? Would you want this box set? Are you going to ask the big man with the white beard (not King Rhoam) for it for your gift-giving celebration?  Let us know in the comments!

Leslie Jacobson

Leslie is a mom, a cosplayer, an educator, and a fervent fan of The Legend of Zelda series.  She lives in an area of the United States that reminds her of the Akkala region in the fall and Hebra the other 11 months of the year.  She owns The Legend of Zelda t-shirts older than most of her students.