Of the month

So have you noticed, suddenly these "...of the month" clubs seem to have gotten popular again. Except this time, instead of CDs, its stuff like shoes and (gasp!) jewelry!!

I think there's a few different shoe clubs, but the one I've heard about most frequently is ShoeDazzle, endorsed by none other than Kim Kardashian (is there anything she doesn't endorse?) You take a style quiz, and then each month, you get sent a selection of 5 shoes/handbags/jewelry, and you pick one. Your credit card is then charged $39.95, and if you don't like it, you just return. Here's the caveat: if you choose NOT to buy something that particular month, you must "skip" the month before the 5th day of that month to ensure that you card isn't charged.

On the jewelry end, the one I learned about most recently is jewelmint, created by the team of Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher. Like ShoeDazzle, you take a quiz and receive a pre-sorted selection, although the monthly subscription is a little less expensive at $29.99.

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about these shopping clubs. For me, part of the fun of shopping is the hunt itself, and given that these are pre-selected for you, I think it takes away from that experience. That said, if you're too busy to shop, or if you just don't like shopping, these would probably be good alternatives for you. Now, on the other hand, if it were a wine of the month club, or a cheese of the month club (both being great gifts for winos and foodies), it would be a different story.

What do you think? Would you join or gift an "of the month" subscription (particularly if it wasn't food related)?