1 of 1 Cels....What The...?

I miss the WB store especially the moving walls of framed lovelies. I suppose it is a good thing to a certain extent, otherwise I'd buy on a monthly basis and that definitely is counterproductive when saving up for a home in pricey Silicon Valley!

As for the Disney comments, I am honestly not surprised by the information WC shared. I do wonder what did you mean by "salt"? Were you being literal?

The primary concern I have about the one to one repros is a repeat of the Rilezu situations. Personally I think the key shots and/or the most desired characters/scenes from various series should have more than just one repro, i.e. perhaps 20-50 made. Since these are not actual production cels IMO there is absolutely NO point in limiting the reproduction so severely that the odds of obtaining one from a choice scene or character is are rare as getting the actual production cel! IMO this practice is completely asinine. I know not many people will agree with what I am advocating, but the fact remains since this are reproductions they might as well be in the hands of as many collectors as possible. Creating a one to one reproduction cel of an actual production cel IMO does not benefit the greater cel community or even the fans... just the ONE person who managed to obtain that repro... everyone else gets the scraps or nothing at all. You might call this perspective jaded, but ask yourself this, what's the point of paying hundreds for a mid-level cel when you can pay about the same and possibly a bit more to obtain an actual production cel? And for the record, no I have never bought any Rilezu reproduction cels... just the Ghibli ones for obvious reasons.

I think Disney prefers to do limited editions, so there is more than one repro created for any one scene/character. Also depends on the type, the more complex repros are lower in number.

The repros from CGI features go for thousands, just as if they were production cels. The last traditionally produced Disney feature was The Little Mermaid, so anything after 1989 is available in professional repros.

I was being literal about the salt comment. Disney's vaults are surrounded by walls that are lined with salt, it's a protection measure.

Personally, I like the idea of repros because they remind me of custom hankens. There will always be a desire to own the original production material, so I don't feel the market is damaged in any way by the presence of repros. When comparing the original to the repro, there are differences. But the fact that a professional artist/animator from the studio produced the work in the same way the feature was produced makes the repro special in a different way. The work is not time sensitive, unlike the production materials for a feature. The artist does not have to work against the same deadline when creating the repros.

Just depends on how you want to look at it.

Hm, not surprising about the Disney repros. Thanks for sharing the info WC. Btw, why line the vault walls w/salt of all things? Curious, if you know the specific benefits that salt creates, I'd like to hear more. The only thing I can imagine is the equalivent to the silca packs used to suck out the air in moisture sensitive contents. Thanks!

As for the reproductions I am all for them so long as they are not one to one. Disney has the right marketing idea/strategy IMO on the repros, "...limited editions, so there is more than one repro created for any one scene/character. Also depends on the type, the more complex repros are lower in number." I am all for these tactics, the problem is if history is any indicator one to one repros will go the way of Rilezu cels.

The WB was doing this for older materials by the mid-90s. I recall Chuck Jones production drawings with one of one cels (I can't recall if it was Wile E. Coyote, something from the Grinch, or perhaps both (obviously seperately)).

I'd think any collector who had previously purchased the actual production cel would be pissed off; the WB would be decreasing the value for the cel they own. While there is likely a certain advertising effect that might increase interest in an original cel by publicly offering a one of one cel, I think it would be more than offset by the fear of buyers that a given original cel is actually a reproduction, and by the way the potential market for the cel is being diluted by sating demand for that particular image by supplying it to the marketplace. The more of an image that's reproduced, the more magnified these effects will be (as long as the images are high quality; if a crappy modern on model image is created based around a cel, there would be a lot of advertising and no fear (or no more than normal) of copies in the marketplace; there would still be an element of dilution of desire for the image as it is available, but the advertising effect might offset this).

Obviously, if the original cel doesn't survive, or if it is in the hands of the producer, this isn't an issue. Even if the holder then sells the original cel, the buyer can adjust what he is willing to pay accordingly, as he is aware of the factors above. At the same time, if the one of one's aren't well and publicly documented, there is a significant chance that the marketplace is going to be harmed by an increasing assumption that any given cel from certain series is suspect because of the rights holder's creation of, essentially, fakes.

Mahoro, the underground salt caverns are to prevent moisture and provide extra protection for the Disney archives. It's similar to how crude oil and natural gas are stored. It's a cost effect and highly secure storage method. The vault security is extremely high with limited/restricted access.