What am I missing here...?

Okay, let me preface this by saying I'm on my work machine, which won't let me install anything, so all I see, instead of Japanese characters are those hideous boxes.

With that said, I was prowling YJ (don't need to read it, just be able to view it *heh*), and found three Sesshoumaru auctions, but was shocked at how low the prices were, and it got me to thinking about a few things (and, depending on the answers, I might throw my own hat into the ring for these auctions!)

Through online auctions, especially one where you don't speak the seller's primary language, how can you tell what it is you're getting? Good luck? Hope?

How can you tell that what you're purchasing isn't a fan cel or just an outright fake?

Heck, this spans across even to eBay or any other online seller who you can't verify through other buyers if they're legit or not.

Mostly I'm looking at these three auctions:
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n36695410?
http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m27239898
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n36696338
and wondering; are the prices still low because there's still a few days left? Or, are they fan cels? Or is there just something there that I'm missing because, I admit this openly and candidly, I know bupkiss about cels (despite buying them) and/or because I can't read the language?

I tend to buy cels I like, but I haven't yet reached the point where I feel comfortable spending much over $100 for a cel (though there have been times I've been tempted), so I know I'm incredibly novice, but I'm wondering which (if any) of my gut feelings were right;
Fan cel(s)?
People waiting to snipe?
Something else?

Or maybe it's just I don't know the market all that well for Inuyasha cels yet, though it seems all the Sesshoumaru cels I've ever seen listed on eBay and other sites that are in English, they seem to go for a couple hundred, so I thought I had a general idea for the market for them as well.

So what am I missing here?!

And thanks :) I consider it all good education :)

Yeah, I know my name's all over the forum here lately, I'll try to shut up for a bit after this.

You'll find that auctions on YJ almost always start at ridiculously low prices. But, as you can see by your first auction there, it really doesn't take long for the prices to go up.
And since there's still three days to go on that one, and the price has gone way over the opening price, it will most likely end at an even higher price.

Also, auctions on YJ tend to have most of the action (and price jumping) in the last five minutes or so. It's a combination of sniping, and the loveitorhateit extension thingy YJ has.

Anywho. Don't be fooled by the low openings. ^_^

As to whether they're fancels or not, um... dunno.

Wow, these are really beautiful! I'm certainly no expert, but I think these are fan cels. They are with what looks like production backgrounds, but they look like fan cels to me. Also, there is no numbering, and my translation program (thru Rinkya) translated them as being "replica". So, I took this, along with the low starting price, to indicate they are fancels. Really really beautiful fancels, but fancels nonetheless.

Most really primo Sessh cels I've seen in the past couple of years have gone for way, way more than it looks like these will reach. I guess there could be a lot of last minute sniping in the works (well as much as you can "snipe" on YJ), but I still don't think these auctions will reach the level most really super Sessh cels hit.

But ... like I said, I'm no expert, and I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time ... and probably not the last, either. *sheepish grin*

Good luck if you decide to go for them! ^.^

I'd noticed that they always do begin very low (well, for the most part, there are always the exceptions), but as I've never really "sat" to watch the end results, I honestly have no clue if there's the mad dash at the end with sniping (like on eBay), or if it's just more relaxed or what.

I'm afraid that I don't understand what you mean by "loveitorhateit extension thingy"; does that mean that sellers can extend their auctions after they've already been posted? Even if someone has bid on them?

Not sure I like that idea!!! :p

I try not to be fooled by low openings, but as I generally bid for cels from a completely difference series, I'm still trying to guesstimate when I bid on that series what's "normal" and what's not...I'm crash-course learning (much to my wallet and boyfriend's chagrin).

Thanks for the response though! :)

*files away for future knowledge*

WOW Tex-chan, GOOOOOD eyes!!! I hadn't even NOTICED that there was a distinct lack of numbering on them.

Hmm, knowing they're fancels, I may or may not try for one, but I know they sure had me fooled if that's indeed what they are.

I will admit right now, one of my fears is spending money on a cel and finding out later it wasn't what I thought it was (I thought it was a production cel, just to find out later it was a fan cel). There are some really great fan cels out there, and some not so great ones. The not-so-great-ones have less of a chance of fooling me (I hope anyways!), so I'm always trying to figure out how I can tell them apart. My subconcious knew that fancels aren't numbered (unless someone's a dirty rotten sneak), but I don't think I've ever really stopped to ~check~ that before I purchase. I guess I've been real lucky up to now, but I think now I'll ~always~ check auctions for sequence numbers before buying!!

Thank you!! Even if I do opt to bid, I can bid accordingly for them as reproduction/fan cels and not as production cels! :)

(Wish I knew who had done them though...I may not be a professional, but I'd sure commission them in the future *g*)