Cels destroyed during shipping?

I ordered some cels off ebay and they showed up today basically ruined.

The outer manila colored envelope was slightly torn open and had a bit of a bend in it [right along the bold red 'DO NOT BEND']. That I expect. No water damage or anything on the outer envelope. What I didn't expect was:

The cels inside were in a glossy black [not clear plastic like I'm used to, but slick black] portfolio envelope [15x10]. The portfolio was sucked down and wrinkly and had a funny smell to it.

The cels inside were in cell bags and the bags were completely wrinkled [think raisins]. The two that I opened also have a funny chemical smell and perhaps a slight residue [hard to tell].

The cels were discolored [the clear part now is yellow] and not a little, like half the front of one of the cels, almost as if they all had oil or something on them. The drawings are in ok [marginal] shape, acting like they were exposed to very humid air.

I tried [with a microfiber cloth and filtered water] to see if the yellow funk would come off the front of one of the cels. With minimal pressure the yellow didn't, but the lines on the cel did [which hasn't happened to me before]. Not like scouring cleaning a sink pressure, a very light touch.

The yellow discoloration on half of one of the cels was only on the front, not the back. From behind the paint looks great, it is the front that is ruined. It's almost like someone threw the envelope into some water, but the outer envelope didn't have any signs of water damage.

So is it: 1] Generally bad heat and humidity and somewhere along the line the envelope got left in the sun or 2] someone wiped them down with something other than water or 3] the stupid black portfolio envelope leeched chemical nastiness all over my three cels, or 4] a combination of two or more?

Just how long does it take cels exposed to heat [not direct sunlight, heat] to be completely ruined?

I can post scans if anyone is that interested. Or post the eBay vendor's name after I hear back from them.

Wow! I've had some questionable deals (extremely dirty cels, for example), but nothing anywhere near what you're describing.

I really hope someone can answer your technical questions. It would be a shame for the cels to be permanently ruined. But if the seller listed these as being in good condition, then you should be able to get your money back.

Hm, without examining the cel and the package firsthand these are my thoughts...

First, it seems like you got a bad bunch of cels. Do you still have the comparison pic of the items before you purchased them? If they are large, in color, compare them to what you actually received. You might wonder, what the hell for since the cels you received are damaged. Well IMO you need to determine if you actually bought misrepresented items, or if the items were actually damaged during transit possibly by the USPS.

Second, search for your USPS insurance form and if you did not receive one, obtain it (or at least a copy) from the seller via fax. Keep ALL of the packaging, take pics, dated, and obtain a insurance claim from the USPS. I advise speaking to someone at the USPS office and find out exactly what documents you need.

Third, be prepared to bring and leave the entire package including the damaged cels you received at the USPS while your claim is being investigated. Expect at least two weeks, though my experience has been over a month. In the past the seller had to file a claim on my behalf but I find it's faster when I do itmyself on my end so I can track the progress. You will however, need the cooperation of the seller/sender, so it is good to keep them in a loop. If you haven't already done so inform the seller what happened ASAP.

Fourth, for future reference, video record yourself opening any important packages with a date on the video too just in case you need to file a report.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Was from Japan and the cels weren't particularly expensive, so I went SAL rather than EMS, so no insurance. I'm guessing I'm pretty much SOL, but the seller hasn't gotten back to me yet.

The cels were over represented on eBay [all were labeled in "excellent condition"] and having the cels in front of me I can compare them with the posted eBay pic and see if they were damaged before hand. That's understandable type damage and caveat emptor and all that.

It just boggles my mind how quickly they were destroyed during shipping/transit/packaging. It's like someone left the envelope out in the sun, but SAL airmail from Osaka to my local post office where I picked it up shouldn't have exposed it to the elements.

Meybe they left a bag of mail on a runway for a couple hours. But still, do cels get destroyed that quickly? Or was it the crappy packaging?

Hm, that's too bad, but since they were inexpensive cels can you post in your gallery the presale pics and the what you got pics? Thanks. As for lack of EMS that stinks, but if it is worth keeping in the future perhaps you should at least send it via air mail with added insurance.

Regarding the heat exposure and the condition of the cels you received, it is possible but none of us know can for certain. Lets see what the seller says after a few days and if no response ping them again and leave a question if needed via ebay. Also, hold off on leaving feedback until this is resolved.