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Batty Free Gift takes pride of place in latest Phil-Comics auction

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British comics with their often rare free gifts take pride of place in the current Phil-Comics auction on eBay, running until Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th January 2026.

Among the listings is a copy of Whizzer and Chips, cover dated 19th October 1974, a Fifth Birthday issue complete with its rare Free Gift – a trick Black Bat, offers to readers in time to scare their friends in the run up to Halloween that year!

Whizzer and Chips, cover dated 19th October 1974 With Free Gift - Batty Bat
Whizzer and Chips, cover dated 19th October 1974 With Free Gift – Batty Bat

Also in the auction is a copy of Joe 90 No. 1, cover dated 18th January 1969 with its Free Gift – Mac’s Jet Car Kit. “This is the best copy we’ve seen,” says Phil. “We’ve only sold three examples in the past, one back in 2015 for £207 which had been assembled, an incomplete example (car missing but backing sheet and envelope present) in 2021 for £49 and one in 2025 which was complete and unused and fetched £352.”

Joe 90 No. 1, cover dated 18th January 1969 with its Free Gift – Mac's Jet Car Kit
Joe 90 No. 1, cover dated 18th January 1969 with its Free Gift – Mac’s Jet Car Kit

Run by Phil Shrimpton, the award-winning Phil-Comics specialises in vintage comics and related items such as annuals, holiday specials, free gifts and original artwork. This auction includes plenty of Free Gift issues, including 2000AD, art by Roy Wilson, more comic strip scripts by David Motton and other collectables to entice your bids.

All listings –280 items in total – run until Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th January 2026, from 5.30pm each day. UK time so hopefully, you’ll find several items of interest. Here’s just some of them to savour…

• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay 

Cor!! No. 1 cover dated 6th June 1970 With Free Gift Gulp Drink Powder. This seems to be a Rare “Pilot Copy”, sent out to newsagents just before publication of the official edition, to garner interest and tempt orders. It doesn't have a printed cover price and instead has "NOT FOR RESALE" in the location of where the price was printed for the main distributed print run. There is also the words "COMPLIMENTARY COPY" printed across the top of the glass on the main image. Apart from that, it seems to be identical to the official edition that was published in early June 1970
Cor!! No. 1 cover dated 6th June 1970 With Free Gift Gulp Drink Powder. This seems to be a Rare “Pilot Copy”, sent out to newsagents just before publication of the official edition, to garner interest and tempt orders. It doesn’t have a printed cover price and instead has “NOT FOR RESALE” in the location of where the price was printed for the main distributed print run. There is also the words “COMPLIMENTARY COPY” printed across the top of the glass on the main image. Apart from that, it seems to be identical to the official edition that was published in early June 1970
Cor!! No. #3 cover dated 20th June 1970 With Free Gift What Is It? Mystery Gift
Cor!! No. #3 cover dated 20th June 1970 With Free Gift What Is It? Mystery Gift
Cor!! cover dated 6th October 1973 With Free Gift – Ratty Raassper
Cor!! cover dated 6th October 1973 With Free Gift – Ratty Raassper
Eagle Volume 15 No. 43 cover dated 24th October 1964 With Free Gift – Draughts and Chess Set (Rare)
Eagle Volume 15 No. 43 cover dated 24th October 1964 With Free Gift – Draughts and Chess Set (Rare)
Krazy No. 1 cover dated 16th October 1976 With Free Gift - Krazy False Teeth
Krazy No. 1 cover dated 16th October 1976 With Free Gift – Krazy False Teeth
Krazy No. 2 cover dated 23rd October 1976 With Free Gift – Superjet Joke Camera
Krazy No. 2 cover dated 23rd October 1976 With Free Gift – Superjet Joke Camera
Lady Penelope No. 1 cover dated 22nd January 1966 With Free Gift Signet Ring in Packet. This auction includes the first three issues of Lady Penelope comic, plus the one-off Summer Extra Special from the same year
Lady Penelope No. 1 cover dated 22nd January 1966 With Free Gift Signet Ring in Packet. This auction includes the first three issues of Lady Penelope comic, plus the one-off Summer Extra Special from the same year

The auction includes two more comics – this time, two World War Two rarities – paired here with preliminary trial artworks by highly esteemed comic artist Roy Wilson, executed prior to his final drawing for publication. As we’ve previously noted, Roy was a perfectionist and would often draw a half, or even a full, strip but decide it wasn’t quite good enough for his own high standards and consequently would re-draw it. So this is very close to the final version used for the comic and has the benefit of showing how he constructed his drawings.

Golden Fun No. 121 cover dated 10th February 1940, paired with Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson. The art was a trial run for the first panel on the front cover "Lieutenant Daring and Jolly Roger, the Bold Sea Rovers" strip and is half inked. It measures approximately 11.5 x 4.75 inches, on fairly rigid card. Indian ink over pencils. The reverse side has several other pencil sketches that don't seem to related to the cover strip in question
Golden Fun No. 121 cover dated 10th February 1940, paired with Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson. The art was a trial run for the first panel on the front cover “Lieutenant Daring and Jolly Roger, the Bold Sea Rovers” strip and is half inked. It measures approximately 11.5 x 4.75 inches, on fairly rigid card. Indian ink over pencils. The reverse side has several other pencil sketches that don’t seem to related to the cover strip in question
Radio Fun No. 286 cover dated 1st April 1944 April Fool issue, plus Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson. The panels were destined for the left hand panel in the last row of the rear cover "Stymie and his Magic Wishbone" strip. It seems he had two attempts at the same panel, one seemingly finished and the other only half inked. They each measure approx 7.25 x 4.5 inches, on fairly rigid card. Indian ink over pencils. Pen note along the top reverse side edge of both
Radio Fun No. 286 cover dated 1st April 1944 April Fool issue, plus Preliminary Artwork by Roy Wilson. The panels were destined for the left hand panel in the last row of the rear cover “Stymie and his Magic Wishbone” strip. It seems he had two attempts at the same panel, one seemingly finished and the other only half inked. They each measure approx 7.25 x 4.5 inches, on fairly rigid card. Indian ink over pencils. Pen note along the top reverse side edge of both

• Check out the current full Phil-Comics catalogue here on eBay 

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