SINCE LOSING MY 1966 BATMAN BUBBLEGUM CARDS ON HOLIDAY IN DEVON I MADE IT MY FIRST MISSION ON EBAY, SOME THIRTY EIGHT YEARS LATER TO REPLACE THEM. EASY, OR SO I THOUGHT - NOT AT ALL. OUT THERE IN THE BIG WIDE WORLD ARE GOOD PEOPLE WHO UNDER DESCRIBE THEIR CARDS FOR SALE ( WHAT A TREAT, JOY AND RARITY ) AND BAD PEOPLE WHO WOEFULLY OVER DESCRIBE THE CONDITION AND SOMETIMES AMOUNT ( SONS OF GUNS ) OF THEIR CARDS FOR SALE. SO BUYER BEWARE - MINT MEANS UNCREASED, STRAIGHT EDGES AND NO WRITING YES - BUT WHAT ABOUT MISPRINTS, SELLOTAPE AND CUT DOWNS ?  ( ALL OF WHICH HAPPEN BELIEVE ME ) - WHICH CAN APPLY WITH ALL THE OTHER CRITERIA. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN I BOUGHT A '  FILLER ' SET OF FIFTY CIVIL WAR NEWS CARDS ( UNPICTURED, RISKY BUT FUN ) AND RECEIVED FIFTY NINE CARDS INCLUDING TWO UNMARKED CHECKLISTS IN GOOD CONDITION, FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. GENERALLY IF YOU BUY GOOD CARDS FROM A SELLER ONCE THEN EXPECT THE SAME FROM HIM/HER AGAIN. YOU WILL FIND THE SAME EBAY TROOPS BIDDING AND SELLING ON BATMAN, FOOTBALL, MARS ATTACKS, STAR TREK AND ALL OUR OTHER FAVOURITES QUITE REGULARLY AND FROM THIS CROWD YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.  WHEREAS MIXED CONDITION TO A NEWER TRADER  COVERS ALL SINS BUT GENERALLY MEANS 15% UNCREASED WITH GOOD CORNERS, 35% PRESENTABLE UNTIL BETTER COMES ALONG AND HALF FIT FOR THE BIN BECAUSE THE BIRO AND SCISSORS HAVE BEEN PLAYING !  THANKFULLY MY BATMAN COLLECTING DAYS HAVE NOW ENDED, COSTING ME LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF POUNDS AND OVER A THOUSAND CARDS BUT I NOW HAVE MY MINT SET - WORTH EVERY PENNY. NOW WHAT CAN I START ON NEXT ?