Wednesday, 14 May 2025

PLEASE DO NOT BEND - (We Did That Ourselves)...



Just when I thought nothing about eBay sellers could surprise me anymore, I learned I was mistaken when a card-backed envelope bearing the legend 'Please Do Not Bend' arrived at Castel Crivens today.  Inside was a replacement magazine for one I'd acquired only recently but which had a little discolouration on the back cover, hence me obtaining another copy.

Take a look above at what met my startled eyes when I opened the envelope - the mag was folded vertically in half, though it hadn't been in the seller's listing.  I immediately contacted the seller, who claimed it wasn't folded, merely 'placed in half' because the mag 'does not fit well in these style envelopes', though as you can see from a photo I took, below, it fits perfectly fine.

Anyway, long story short, the seller eventually issued a refund and I immediately purchased another copy from a different source.  However, the question remains - just where the hell do these numpties come from?  'Placed in half' indeed.  Words almost fail me (and that would never do as then you'd have nothing to read).

MORE CASTEL CRIVENS ACQUISITIONS...


Copyright DC COMICS

Once you start collecting something, it's difficult to stop.  On this occasion it started with my replacement copy of Action Comics #367, then I realised I needed #366 for the beginning of the three part Supergirl back-up story.  (Luckily, I already had the third and final part in #368, acquired decades ago.)

However, I then soon discovered I needed issues 362, 363, 364, and 365 to complete the main Superman tale which ended in #366.  Curiously, there's no indication 362's tale will detour into a theme introduced in 363 and continue and conclude in 366, giving the impression the writer is making things up as he goes along.

But hey, I got there in the end (thanks to eBay) and can now present some covers and images for you to drool over and make you wish you were me.  (H'm, maybe overstating the case there.)  Anyway, enjoy the journey ahead, and feel free to leave a comment or three.  And remember - click to enlarge, then click again for optimum size.