Know your Beano

This week a new seller with zero feedback tried to sell "No.1 Beano Comic 30th July 1938" on eBay. (See screen grab above.) It was of course a reprint that had been given away a few years ago in The Sunday Post, but the listing didn't say that. However the seller  had set his starting bid at £2,450 or a Buy It Now at £3,500.

Fortunately no one fell for it, and perhaps it was reported because the listing was suddenly removed earlier today. 

The reprint on eBay had glossy paper, "25 pages" (he meant 24), staples, and was sharply trimmed. In case anyone didn't know, the real Beano number 1 was printed on cheap newsprint, with 28 pages, a glued spine (no staples), and wasn't neatly trimmed. Plus it'd be very unlikely to have pure white paper after all these years. 

It's not the first time someone has tried to sell a Beano or Dandy reprint as the genuine article and I'm sure it won't be the last.