Electronics components from the box

A few days before Christmas, I saw an ad for an electronics (microelectronics) surprise/mystery box by AZ-Delivery, a German electronics reseller I have previously made good experience with.

As the boxes, ranging from Medium (30€) to XXXL (175€), were heavily discounted, I treated myself to a Christmas surprise. Having received my box (promptly before Christmas), I wanted to share what I got and a few thoughts on whether these boxes are a good deal.

First of all, I had very little expectations. Using the available discounts, I paid 59,49€ (after tax) for an XXXL box with an alleged value of more than 175€ as they claim all components are at least 20% off. More importantly, they convinced me by saying that this box would “inspire [me] to create new projects” – just what I needed, knowing that I would head out to 38c3 after the holidays.

Box Content

So, let’s start by looking at what came in the box. Based on their product page, I knew that it should contain “sensors, actuators, displays, microcontrollers and other accessories.”

Below, you can see all the items in my box, described as best as I could. I’ve also added approximate list prices for each of the items in the box. Based on these prices – which surely could be undercut by ordering directly from China, but that is not the point – the components in the box are worth approximately 186€. So far, the deal is holding up!

Amount Item                                   Summed Approx. List Price
2       ESP32 Dev Kit C V4                     27,98 €                  
1       AZ-Nano V3-Board                       11,99 €                  
1       MAX7219 Dot Matrix Module 4x 1088AS     10,99 €                  
1       Digispark Rev. 3                       7,99 €                    
1       GME12864-11 OLED                       7,79 €                    
1       VL53LXX V2                             7,49 €                    
1       HC-SR501 5V PIR Sensor                 6,99 €                    
1       LM2596S Step-Down DC-DC Buck Converter 6,99 €                    
1       ESP32 D1 Mini Nodemcu Module           6,99 €                    
1       MB-102 Breadboard                       5,99 €                    
1       HD44780 1602 LCD Module                 5,99 €                    
1       A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Module       5,99 €                    
1       GY-MAX4466 Microphone Module           5,99 €                    
1       GY-302 BH1750                           5,49 €                    
44     Jumper Wire (F/F)                       4,99 €                    
1       KY-024 Linear Magnetic Hall Sensor     4,99 €                    
1       MT3608 DC-DC Step-Up-Module             4,99 €                    
1       MB102 Breadboard Power Supply Adapter   4,99 €                    
1       1-Channel Relay 5V KY-019               4,49 €                    
1       KF-301 1 Relay 5V Module               4,49 €                    
1       Soil Moisture Sensor Kit               4,49 €                    
1       I2C-FC113                               4,49 €                    
1       KY-023 Joystick Module                 4,49 €                    
1       KY-040 Rotary Encoder Module           4,29 €                    
10     Photoresistor                           3,99 €                    
1       GY-68 BMP180                           3,99 €                    
1       KY-012 Active Buzzer Module             3,49 €                    
1       MP3-TF-16P V3.0                         3,11 €                    

The prices are as of January 4th, 2025. Where possible, I used AZ-Delivery prices. If the product was not available, I used prices of similar resellers.

As you can see, my box contains what has been promised – several microcontrollers (mostly ESP32s), sensors, actuators, displays, and some random parts. While each person will look at this list of parts differently, I want to commend AZ-Delivery for providing quality components and selecting components that are useful for a variety of projects. At least in my box, there were no “useless” or highly specific parts that do not make sense for most people interested in electronics.

Box Value

So, should you buy one of these boxes?

As with all surprise or mystery boxes, value needs to be considered from at least two perspectives. Firstly, it’s all about the surprise experience. Buying one of these boxes is as much about the surprise and the ideas sparked by the items as it is about the items themselves. I am willing to pay for this! Looking at it from this perspective, I would happily spend the 60€ again. While there was nothing particularly surprising in the box, going through the components – some relatively new to me – was fun! That said, I am not sure how I would feel if I had paid full price, even though the components are worth the money.

This leads us to perspective number two: The monetary value of the items. As I’ve stated above, the box contains items worth over 185€. But of course, we also have to differentiate between the market value (in this particular store and elsewhere) and the potential resell value. This is important because it is doubtful that you will need all these specific items and might be interested in reselling some.

Looking at it from this perspective, at the regular price of 175€, the box is not a great deal. You would be much better off buying the components you want at full price.

Conclusion

If you are buying mystery/surprise boxes to save (or even gain) money, you will most likely be disappointed. That said, the XXXL Box by AZ-Delivery delivered on its value proposition. Nevertheless, you and the environment would probably be better off if you bought what you actually need.

However, if you like surprises and feel inspired by some random collection of (hopefully useful) things, I can happily recommend this box – especially at a discounted price.