Here you will find a huge selection of club mail outs, leaflets, magazines, cards, photographs, autographs, badges and lots of other random things from the Kate Bush Club. Even though I probably won't add every last thing I have, I will have a broad range of different items added here for everyone to see. I've also moved online purchases from Kate's official website to this blog page, and you can find all website orders at the bottom of this page following all club items.
I currently have everything categorized into several different sections. Each section is marked with one of the club logos and what that section pertains to.
When it comes to club magazines/mail outs/leaflets or other, I have blocked out the names, addresses and emails of those people that appear in the 'Swaps' and 'Pen Pal' sections. Regardless of whether or not these people still live at the addresses listed, it's still the internet and I want to be respectful of other people's privacy.
Enjoy!
MEMBERSHIP CARD 1980s (MINE)
CLUB MAGAZINE #1
This was nothing more than a folded sheet of paper.
MEMBERSHIP CARD 1978 (UNUSED)
Original unused Kate Bush Club membership card from 1978. The card is a sort of yellow/red two tone colour, with a Lionheart inspired drawing on the front and a photo of Kate on the back
(Lionheart era). The inside of the card has a place for your name, age, address
and signature. Below is a spot for the membership number, which would have been
typed in. All membership numbers began with the letter ‘K’. This particular one doesn't have a membership number on it, so it's therefore unused.
On the opposite
side is a spot for a photograph of yourself. The card also measures 3” x 4”
closed, and extends to 4” x 6” when it's open, so it's actually quite smallish.
The exterior of the card has a sort of shiny/glossy finish to it, and the
inside is a flat/matte paper. These would have been issued to people at the
time of joining the club.
MEMBERSHIP CARD 1980s (MINE)
My membership card from the KBC during the '80s, which I genuinely forgot I even had until I unearthed it again. The exterior of the card differs quite considerably to the 1978 version. It became a plain white card with a
large b/w “KT” logo on the front. The exterior back of the card was used for KT logo stamps (in some cases hand drawn) followed by a written date for club renewals. Mine have been whited out. Obviously!
The inside of the card is almost the same as the original
card layout, but with some slight changes. There’s also a place for your name,
age, address, signature and photo… along with your club number at the bottom –
which was typed in. I sort of coloured everything out, along with my club
number because… well, I’m not that dumb.
This card has the same dimensions as the original card,
measuring 3” x 4” closed and 4” x 6” when it’s fully extended open. Both the exterior
and interior of the card have a sort of shiny/glossy finish to it.
This was nothing more than a folded sheet of paper.
CLUB MAGAZINE #2
(The early ones were very primitive, but they got better through the years)
CLUB MAGAZINE #3
CLUB MAGAZINE #4
(Christmas Newsletter)
CLUB MAGAZINE #5
(This one comes with a separate, loose insert. I didn't see the point with scanning it in since it's only 'Swaps' and 'Pen Pals'. I would have blocked all the names out anyway).
CLUB MAGAZINE #6
CLUB MAGAZINE #7
(Nice early issue on the making of Never For Ever).
CLUB MAGAZINE #8
(This one comes with a separate, loose insert. I didn't see the point with scanning it in since it's only 'Swaps' and 'Pen Pals'. I would have blocked all the names out anyway).
CLUB MAGAZINE #9
(This issue has one very interesting mention. On the last page, under the heading “NEW PUBLICATIONS”, there’s a small article with regards to Kate writing her autobiography at that time, which would eventually have the title, “Leaving My Tracks”. I believe this article was the only official acknowledgement regarding it… or one of the very few. At some point Kate pulled the plug on it and shelved the book project indefinitely, and “Leaving My Tracks” never got published. This is just another sad reminder of what could have been. If you dig around on the internet, you might just come across a photo or two of the original publicity dust jacket that was intended for the book. I have no intentions of posting any of those photos here, but you should be able to find it somewhere out there.
This issue also comes with a separate, loose insert with the Pen Pals and Swaps sections on them. I didn't see the point with including this page as I would have blocked out all the names and addresses anyway.)
(This one comes with a separate, loose insert. I didn't see the point with scanning it in since it's only 'Swaps' and 'Pen Pals'. I would have blocked all the names out anyway).
CLUB MAGAZINE #11
This one comes with two double-sided loose pages. One side features a crossword page with pen pals on the back, and the other page features a "spot the difference" puzzle with swaps on the back. I've only copied the crossword and spot the difference sides only. They can be found at the end of this magazine issue.
CLUB MAGAZINE #12
This issue comes with a loose insert, which features the 'Swaps' on one side and the 'Pen Pals' on the other side. I didn't bother to scan in this page as I would have blocked all the names out anyway.
CLUB MAGAZINE #13
CLUB MAGAZINE #14
This issue comes with a separate, double-sided loose insert. The inner portion of the insert features a "Sat In Your Lap" game, and the outer side list the 'Swaps' and 'Pen Pal' sections. I only bothered to do the game side, which can be found at the end of this issue.
CLUB MAGAZINE #15
CLUB MAGAZINE #16
This one also comes with a separate, double-sided loose insert. One side is the "Swaps" section and the other side is a crossword. I only did the crossword side as I would have blocked out all the names on the Swaps side anyway. It can be found at the end of this issue.
CLUB MAGAZINE #17
CLUB MAGAZINE #19
CLUB MAGAZINE #20
CLUB MAGAZINE #21
(This issue came with a fold-out poster, which I still have and included here as well)
CLUB MAGAZINE #22
(This issue originally included a fold-out poster, which I no longer have)
CLUB MAGAZINE #23
CLUB MAGAZINE #24 (Final Issue ever produced).
Quick note about this one: Despite rumours and wonderings from fans all over the net, this IS the last official club magazine ever put out by the KBC. There was never one created for Aerial, and to my recollection, there was never any talk or intention of one being done for it either.
This issue also comes with a double-sided folded insert. One side features a full colour wall calendar, and the other side features the 'Pen Pals' and 'Swaps' sections. I've scanned in the calendar side only. You will find it at the end of the magazine issue.
This is probably one of my favourite magazines. Enjoy!
This 8 page newsletter was mailed out in 1989. It features some random updates, artwork, poll results and a whole lot of Pen Pals and Swaps.
This leaflet was mailed out in 1990. It has information on This Woman's Work box set; a message from Kate and lots of other things.
This leaflet was mailed out in 1991. It has information on Kate's new single at the time "Rocket Man", as well as lots of other things.
Mail out from the Kate Bush Club from December 1992. The front features a facsimile handwritten message from Kate, and the back features a brief message about the next album.
This leaflet was mailed out in 1993. It has information on The Red Shoes album release and lots of other things.
Original club mail-out/welcome letter to the club for new members. The most interesting thing about this one is probably the early version of the Lionheart logo which was used on early club stationary and the original membership card. It also features the Brighton address along the bottom.
This mail out is the letter members received back in the early days of the club when they joined it, and they would also receive their membership card and autographed photo around the same time.
KBC Privilege Purchase Card (unused)
I've seen quite a few of these over the years that hadn't been used. Apparently there was a huge blunder with the cards at the time, which you can read more about in the first issue of the KBC Magazine on page 2.
Very simple club update letter from Kate in 1979. thanking club members for her Birthday cards & presents, briefly mentioning work on the next album and the upcoming release of On Stage.
Very simple club update by Kate, letting club members know about her London Symphony Orchestra appearance on November 18, 1979.
Information leaflet sent out by Lisa Bradley at the Kate Bush Club back in 1994 regarding Rubberband Girl single, The Red Shoes album and the short film, which eventually became known as 'The Line, The Cross & the Curve'.
Mail out from the Kate Bush Club from 1994 with some additional information regarding releases from 'The Red Shoes' etc.
Original order form for ordering The Red Shoes club magazine from the KBC. I made a cheap photocopy of it at the time and sent that in instead as I wanted to keep the one they sent me. Not too neurotic. LOL!
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Mail out #4 from April 1994 (Single-sided page only)
Mail out #6 from August 1994 (Single-sided page only)
Mail out #8 from November 1994 (Single-sided page only)
Mail out #11 from December 1995
Mail out #12 from February 1996
Mail out #16 from January 1997
Mail out #17 from May 1997
Mail out #18a from October 1997
Mail out #19 from August 1998
Mail out #20a from September 2000
Mail out #21 from December 2001
Old envelope for newsletter #21 that I still have. The back of the envelope has been stamped with the club address on it.
Mail out #22 from December 2004 - letting everyone know that the new album would be out sometime next year.
Simple announcement reminding members of the album's release, as well as club magazine announcement and media magazine interviews.
The Sensual World T-Shirt Advert (1989)
An original order form from the Kate Bush Club to order the Sensual World t-shirt and a last chance offer to order the Cathy book.
I can't really recall when this one went out, but it's basically a photocopied notice sent out to anyone that was enquiring about back issues for club magazines.
I can't even tell you when I got this short letter from Lisa Bradley at the KBC. I'm guessing late 80s. I was always writing her letters and asking what I consider to be stupid questions, but she always responded. Thank you, Lisa : ) Here is just one of them, and probably the only real letter I'm adding, as the rest are really none of anyone's business : p But anyway, I was trying to find out if the video clips from The Wedding List in Kate's Christmas Special for the BBC were from a video that was never officially released or not, and this was what Lisa had to say about that.
This is some miscellaneous Homeground thing that must have belonged to my friend years and years ago. I didn't know what else to do with it, so I decided to shove it in right here.
With the release of Aerial just around the corner, and the KBC pretty much non-existent by that point, three surprise items were sent out to club members. These included a colour photo announcement, a promo CD and a Christmas Card.
The Aerial colour announcement was the first thing to be sent out by the club in December 2005. Admittedly, no one was expecting to receive this, so it came as a nice surprise to people. Even though these were done on a computer, each one had our first name printed onto them - which was cool..
The promo CD & Christmas Card were sent out together in December 2005 to KBC members, and they were officially the very last things ever given out from the club before it officially went defunct. I received my CD and card about one week after getting the Aerial colour announcement. Interestingly enough, not every member of the KBC received the promo CD or the Christmas Card. I had read people complaining in some places that they never received one, and I think there were a couple of reasons for that. Even though the CD was limited to 2,000 copies, they certainly didn't have 2,000 in stock as many were given out to radio stations prior to the release of Aerial. Also, I think if you kept up with the mail-outs, like I did, you were probably more inclined to get this.
The promo CD is a compilation of previously released tracks, and quite a few of these were given out to radio stations prior to the release of Aerial. These radio copies then quickly made their way onto Ebay and began selling for ludicrous amounts of money. It made me laugh to see what they were selling for, especially as we all got it for free a few short weeks later.
The CD sleeve is a flat matte card sleeve, and the Eat The Music photo that's used in the centre is very shiny/glossy.
For more information on these and many other badges, visit my Badges Blog Page or click HERE.
Lionheart Resin Badges:
Version 1: Two-tone red and gold sold through the club and on tour.
Version 2: Hand-painted variant sold through the club and on tour.
Lionheart Club and Tour Badge:
Both sold through the club and on tour.
KT Badge:
Small and Large versions sold through the club and given out as part of the membership package.
Multi-Image Badge Set (1980):
Sold through the club.
Breathing Badge Set (1980):
Sold through the club.
Original autographed photo that new members would receive upon joining the club. They would receive this at the same time as their membership card and welcome letter to the club.
Personally autographed photograph that I received from Kate via the club back in 1987 after writing a very long letter to her.
Through the lifespan of the club, or maybe I should say, through most of the lifespan of the club, there were a variety of different photographs available to its members. New members normally received an 8 x10 photograph, which was usually signed by Kate - but there were also photos that members could purchase when they were made available. Most photographs were black & white and varied in size. To my knowledge, none of the photos had any markings on the back – no printing company stamp and no club stamp… just a blank white backing. I have no idea how many different photographs were sold through the club over the years, but what I can tell you is that none of the images were “unseen” ones.
Club photos have become increasingly rarer to come across these days.
Official tour photo that you could only purchase through the club in the late '70s for 35p. It measures 8" x 10" and has a flat matte finish.
Early ‘80s club photo measuring 5½” x 3¾”.
Early '80s club photo measuring nearly 6" x 4".
The Whole Story photographs - I Can't remember if these were given out with memberships or sold directly through the club, but these official photos were only available through the club and were available in different sizes. The first measures 9.5" x 7.5" and has a flat matte finish. The second measures 10" x 8" and has a full glossy finish.
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  Circa 1980. B/W and measuring around 5½” x 3¾”. As you can see, this one isn't in very good shape anymore. Additionally, there was also an 8" x 10" version of this photo as well. An autographed version was given out to people who had joined the club around this time as part of the membership package, but there was also an unsigned version you could purchase through the club.  Circa 1980. B/W and measuring around 5½” x 3¾”.  Circa early '80s. Colour and measuring around 5½” x 3¾”  Circa 1982. B/W and measuring around 8" x 10". Typically used by Kate for autograph requests via the club. An unsigned version was also available to buy. I almost didn't bother to scan this one in as it's in pretty rough shape. I did crop it down a ¼" or so on the left-hand side, and slightly along the top as these two areas are really destroyed.  Circa 1990s. B/W and measuring 8" x 10".
This, along with a more closely cropped version, were typically used by Kate for autograph requests via the club. An unsigned version of the full shot was also available to purchase.
 Circa 1990s. B/W and measuring 8" x 10".
Typically used by Kate for autograph requests via the club. An unsigned version was also available to purchase.
Incidentally, there was also a full colour publicity photo of this shot used for promotional purposes.
 Circa 1980. B/W and measuring around 5½” x 3¾”.  Circa '79/'80. Colour and measuring around 5½” x 3¾”. Not one of the better club photos, in my opinion, and doesn't seem to scan well either.  Circa 1984. B/W and measuring 8" x 10".
Typically used by Kate for autograph requests and also part of the membership package at that time. An unsigned version was also available to purchase.
 This one hasn't aged well, but it was available to purchase through the club.  Circa 1980. Colour and measuring just under 6" x 4".
If I remember correctly, there was also a full colour 8" x 10" version available, but don't quote me on that.
 Circa 1984. B/W and measuring 6" x 4".  
Official photo cards that you could only get through the KBC back in the day. They’re like other official photographs that were sold through the club, but with a couple of differences. Not only were these a fraction thicker than the regularly produced photographs, but these particular ones also had the KT logo featured in one of the four corners on each one.
I can’t remember offhand how many of these were produced, or if they had individual titles or a simple numbering system when you ordered them. But I can tell you that they were all 8” x 10”, had a flat matte finish to them and were available during the early ‘80s – so roughly 1980 to about 1983/84.
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Merchandise insert from 1980.
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Early merchandise insert showing mainly tour items for sale.
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I have decided to move all website orders from Kate's shop to this blog page. I thought it made more sense to have everything here, instead of scattered all over the site in different areas.
50 Words For Snow - Coffee Mug:  50 Words For Snow coffee mug that used to sell on Kate's website. As you can see on the sales receipt, I purchased this near the end of 2011. Shortly after receiving the mug, it disappeared from the site completely and has never been seen on there again.  When this mug first arrived, I was very surprised that it didn't get smashed in transit due to the cheap flimsy box it was sent in. As you can see from my original photos that I took at the time, the mug never came in a separate box of its own (just a small plastic bag), and it was only packed with the smallest amount of tissue paper possible.      I have to be honest and say that the mug was an immediate disappointment. I deliberately over flashed one photo, which you can see below, because I wanted everyone to see one very disappointing feature about the mug, which is how it's made. If you saw the mug on the website at the time, you would assume that the image was laser printed onto the mug, or some kind of decal used - but no. If you look at the over flashed photo, you will see that it's just a large, rectangular piece of paper that's been affixed to the mug, then lacquered over with some kind of coating. I don't mind saying that the whole thing is a pretty piss poor job too, which is even more noticeable when held up to the light.  The rest of the mug is bare, which also includes the bottom.   This is one item that I'm not impressed with one bit. I can't recommend anyone wasting their time searching this out because it's not worth it. As I mentioned earlier, this mug disappeared from Kate's website shop right after I ordered and received it, so if you never got an opportunity to purchase one yourself - you aren't missing much. 50 Words For Snow - Christmas Cards:         The back of each card has a Fish People logo, and each card measures almost 6" x 8¼" so they are a fair size. The greeting inside of each card is exactly the same: "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year". Nice to see that someone isn't afraid to actually write Merry Christmas on their cards. The set also comes with 10 plain white envelopes.      
This card set is available all year round from Kate's website, and I definitely recommend buying yourself a few sets.
Director's Cut - Lithographs:  First of all, before I get to the lithographs, for the benefit of anyone that lives outside of the UK, I just want you to be aware of the fact that if you do order these from Kate's website shop, you will be charged hefty shipping charges - and I do mean hefty. It’s one of the biggest reasons why I decided to pass on the canvasses at the time, because the shipping costs were a lot! So when the lithographs came out, I didn't dream the shipping charges would be as high. After placing my order, I got an additional email the next day letting me know about the additional shipping charges, which really surprised me. At that moment, I had the choice to bail out from the order completely and forget the whole thing if I wanted to, but I chose to go forward with it because I really wanted these lithographs. I just want anyone that lives outside of the UK to know what to expect, just in case you’re thinking about ordering these but haven't yet. So consider yourselves warned... and I do mean warned! When I originally got these in August 2011, I took photos of everything, including the packaging itself, just so people knew what to expect. As you can see from my photos below the lithographs came packed flat with a large cardboard front, and some kind of a cheap particle boarding back. I knew from the thickness of the lithographs that they couldn't be rolled up into a cardboard tube and sent that way, but I was a little disappointed with this packaging because the particle backing was cheap in my opinion. The backing on mine had a huge crack in it, which I'm not sure if you can see in the photo or not, so clearly it doesn't take very much to damage it. Thankfully there wasn't any damage to my lithographs, but I won't be at all surprised if it eventually does happen to someone out there. Inside, the lithographs were wrapped with two very thin layers of tissue paper which didn't fully cover them either - they were then taped to the particle backing. I would have much preferred having them wrapped with additional plastic. After all the money I spent, I expected something just a little better than this. If they had been damaged in any way, it probably would have cost me another fortune in shipping just to get a replacement.    As for the lithographs... Although they are the same size as the canvasses (500mm x500mm), just under 20 inches squared, the 100mm "frame" around the lithographs does bring the actual picture part down to 400mm x 400mm. They're actually a nice size though.   I am pleased with the lithographs and they are very nice quality. However, I probably should point out that the pictures themselves have been printed using a very flat matte finish to them. I was expecting a bit more of a gloss finish to them as presented in the LP format version of the booklet. I feel they lose a tiny bit of something, which I really can't put my finger on. Either way, I'm not complaining. They're awesome. One more bit of advice for anyone ordering outside of the UK. If you're going to order any of the lithographs or canvasses from the shop, be sure to order all the ones you want in one order. Not only will you have to pay hefty shipping charges on each order you make, but I also got hit with C.O.D. charges when it arrived at my front door - so that's another thing to take into consideration. Aerial - UK Poster  Measuring 23" x 17" this poster was only ever available for purchase through Kate's official website shop back in 2005/2006 when Aerial was first released. It was for sale on there for quite some time before it finally disappeared along with the rest of the Aerial themed merchandise. I've never seen this poster come up for sale anywhere since. Aerial - Official 2006 Calendar  Issued in 2005 for the 2006 year, this spiral desk-style folding calendar was only available to purchase through Kate's official website shop at the time, and quickly disappeared after about a year. It's considered rare now, and it's pretty difficult to find. Unfortunately, I don't remember the original price of this - but it was pretty cheap compared to what you would pay for it now.     The calendar stand measures 8" x 8" unfolded, and folded it has a resting position of 6" x 8". I should point out that the back isn't one single page of card - but two. It's folded in half similar to a french fold, with the two loose ends joined at the spiral. So all you need to do is pry them apart a little, and push up the bottom portion at the seams to create the base for it. Since I never used mine at the time it remains unfolded.     It's a pretty standard desk calendar, and each page features full colour artwork from the album. The pages are blank on the opposite side, but have a good thickness to them with a nice sheen finish to each page. Anyone who bought this at the time will tell you it's a nice calendar. I've done my best to scan this in for you to see. Apologies in advance for any space dust or other weirdness. My scanner needs cleaning.       Remastered Pop Up Shop/Online Shop If you're looking for more information on the shop event, including what merchandise was available, prices, raffle prizes, etc. you can check all of that out at katebushencyclopedia at this link
Like many people out there, I couldn't get to the Pop-Up Shop, so I waited for the items to make their way to Kate's online shop. While I'm not a huge collector anymore, I still enjoy picking up the odd thing here and there if I'm interested enough. Admittedly I wasn't blown away or awed by the majority of the items, and only a few things really grabbed my attention. In the end, no matter what people did or didn't buy, all the money went to a very good cause and that's the most important thing to remember here.
NEVER FOR EVER MUG:
One thing I have noticed is that the images on the mug are noticeably smaller, and positioned differently then they appear on the mock up photos on the website. Even the mug handle is shaped differently. It doesn't really matter though as it's an absolutely stunning mug to say the least. All the different mugs are stunning in their own way, but this is the only mug that won me over hands down. It's gorgeous. I think it was a much nicer idea using some of the album's interior artwork for this, instead of doing something typical like slapping the album cover on the mug - this is what makes it so striking in my opinion.
It's a pretty standard mug with a height of slightly over 3½" and a diameter of 3¼". I really can't say if all the mugs have the same dimensions, but I would assume this is the case.
I'll just add that if you're going to use this mug, and I think it would be a shame to (unless you bought more than one), I would definitely recommend hand washing it. Even if it's a dishwasher safe mug (and I really don't know if it is or not), dishwashers do have a tendency to cause fading to mugs over time that have printed logos and other designs on them.
BADGE SET:
This official badge set was a must have for me. Each badge measures 1" round and features a different design. I personally would have preferred something a little different on the Fish People logo badge, like another album cover or some other related type of artwork. While I don't mind the Fish People logo, I do think sometimes the merchandise branding does get a little annoying when it's overused. It's a huge part of why I passed over so many of the items to begin with.
The backing card measures 4" x 2¾" in case anyone cares to know that. I'll also be adding them to the Badges Blog Page when I have the time to scan them individually.
BAUBLES:
Two different baubles were available. Each listed as limited edition fine bone china with silk screen printed images on both sides.
The baubles do have a slight bit of a weight to them, and they measure about 8" round in diameter. The ribbon comes already attached. I'll just add that it's nearly impossible to get a really decent shot of them without any flash marks or lamp light reflections of any kind. I might attempt to redo these photos again sometime in the future, but for now these will have to do.
50 WORDS FOR SNOW
I actually wasn't very keen on this one to start with and nearly didn't get it. It's very unfortunate how online photos don't seem do this bauble any justice at all. Seeing it online and seeing it in person are two completely different experiences altogether. I'm sure my photo isn't doing it any justice either, but I have to say it's pretty nice in real life.
DECEMBER WILL BE MAGIC AGAIN
I think this one came as a big surprise to a lot of people, especially as many of the items were more focused around Kate's later work from the Sensual World onward. It was definitely a fast seller on the website, and it's not difficult to see why. It's stunning and photos really don't do it any justice.
If this one truly has sold out permanently on the website, I guarantee it will become a pricey collectible once it starts turning up for sale on auction sites.
And that's it for me. I really had no interest in getting any of the other items.
At the time of posting this on February 1, 2019 most of the items are still in stock on Kate's site. I would suggest to anyone who wants to purchase something, but hasn't yet, to do it now while you still can. Most of the items have been restocked several times after selling out, and it's only a matter of time before everything sells out for good. THE DREAMING BANDANA  The most important thing to know about this is that it's 100% cotton. The second most important thing to know is that you must hand wash it only! That means no washing machines, no dryers, no irons, no bleach, nothing! Basically it's not worth wearing and getting it all full of your stink. However, if you must wear it, you should be very careful even with hand washing it. Judging how thin the cotton is, it's doesn't appear like it would last long.  Personally, I'm not planning to wear mine because I'm not hair challenged. I do, however, think it would be much more interesting as a standalone piece of wall art or as a backdrop for a framed badge collection. The artwork on this is nice and done by Timorous Beasties yet again! Although it has little to do with the Dreaming, in my opinion, the artwork on this appears much more sharper and crisp than the puzzle. Oh, did I mention I've got the puzzle? No?? Well I do, and I'll get to that if I can ever find the time to put it together. I have a lot to say about it.  The bandana measures just over 20" x 20" squared. FISH PEOPLE - JIGSAW PUZZLE  Much of the latest Merchandise from Kate's online shop doesn't really appeal to me. There's Far too much unnecessary branding on everything now, and the rest I find very unappealing. This is why I passed on most things during the Pop-up Shop event back in 2018 - too much branding on most everything. It comes across as a bit much. However, I did manage to pick up the jigsaw puzzle which features some fantastic art by Timorous Beasties. I do the odd puzzle here and there and thought this could be interesting... it's not. The entire thing is a disaster in my book. Don't worry, I'll get to that in a moment. The box measures 9" x 13". There's nothing printed on the back or along the edges, except for a bit of info along the top edge. It's a pretty sturdy box. However, it's a very tight fit (especially when taking the lid off) and you could easily cause damage if you're prone to box violence. The puzzle pieces come in a sealed bag, which is also filled with a lot of crap. I think it's just sediment from where the puzzle is cut into pieces, but there's a lot of it, so you might want to dump the bag onto a large towel or something first.  Unfortunately, the artwork doesn't look as nice as it does on the website. On the box, and even the puzzle itself, the finer detail of the cross-hatching looks pretty saturated to the point of almost looking like black areas. Much detail is lost because of this, and in my opinion, and it looks quite awful to be totally honest. It's a shame as the overall design is a fantastic one.  I didn't finish the puzzle... never even got close to finishing the puzzle. A couple of reasons for this: Apart from the design the only other colour is grey. Lots and lots of grey. Too much grey in fact, and it was doing my head in every time I tried to continue on with it. The other problem lies with the actual puzzle pieces. The pieces slot into holes that are too tight or too loose, and you're left constantly questioning whether or not they are joined correctly, and because the background is grey, you have absolutely no reference point(s) to go by, which is even more frustrating because you don't know if it's right or not. SPOILER: It usually isn't. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I had to start over because it was wrong. This isn't the worst thing I've ever spent money on - believe me. But, because this was expensive to begin with, not to mention the amount I paid on top of that for shipping, I did expect something a little better than this. Perhaps others who have gotten this puzzle may like it better and that's fine, you can do that. However, I cannot recommend this to anyone with a clear conscious. There's absolutely nothing enjoyable about attempting to do this puzzle. THE DREAMING PADLOCK ENAMEL PIN  This artwork, or maybe I should say the padlock design, is featured on the Escapologist Edition of The Dreaming LP with new artwork by Timorous Beasties. Based more around Houdini rather than the album as a whole, it measures just over an 1" by just under 1". The measurements are at the widest points, of course, and probably a little off... but whatever! I only got this one because it is an official pin, but I really didn't think I would like it as much as I do because it looks quite different on the website mockup. It's completely different, as you can see, and I quite like one. Seriously like it!  If this is an enamel made pin, I would like to know where the enamel is. It just looks like a plain metal pin. The back closes with a butterfly clasp, and as I've stated before, I'm not too fond of this type of closure. So if you must wear it, then I would suggest buying an extra one because you're going to lose it. I've scanned the back of mine, terribly I might add, but there's no markings of any kind on it.  The backing card features more artwork by Timorous Beasties on both sides. However, it's so dark that I didn't think it was going to scan well at all. Overall, I'm happy with this one. If you collect pins/badges this is a must for your collection. I highly recommend it.   This will also be added to the Badges Blog Page when I have a chance to do so. This is also currently the last thing that I've bought from Kate's website, and it will probably remain the last thing unless more merch is eventually added and I'm interested enough in it. As I stated on my post for the jigsaw puzzle, many of the items really didn't appeal to me for one reason or another, but I got surprised by this one. |
