The contents of the Mine Chests were not completely revealed in advance, as it was meant to be a surprise. The only certainty was that an exclusive T-shirt was included every month. Each month's Mine Chest followed a different theme. No item was ever sent twice. The contents consisted only of officially licensed Minecraft products, such as T-shirts, plastic figures, stamps, stickers, or crafting kits.[3]
The chest was made of folded cardboard and, when disassembled and refolded inside out, formed a block that matched the respective theme. Initially, each month's package included a postcard printed in cursive, giving the impression that someone had assembled this chest during their adventurous travels and sent it home.
The first package was titled "Mine Chest Beta." The Mine Chest was first introduced at MINECON 2015, where Beta Keys were distributed. Owners of a Beta Key were guaranteed the right to purchase the "Mine Chest Beta," which was limited to 5,000 units and shipped in June 2016. Afterward, monthly deliveries were made by Adventure Chest Inc..
In December 2016, the company was acquired by Loot Crate. After that, deliveries were made every two months, with the last one in February 2018.[4]
Starting in 2018, Adventure Chest Inc. resumed management of the Mine Chest, announcing a return to monthly deliveries. The first shipment under this arrangement was in August 2018, though the Mine Chest was now slightly smaller.
In June 2019, the Mine Chest was discontinued and replaced by the "Minecraft T-Shirt Club", which offered only a T-shirt and one other exclusive Minecraft product.
A Mine Chest
The Mine Chest in Minecraft
The Mine Chest in real life
Contents of the Mine Chest Beta (May 2016)
