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

Just curious, but are offical reproduction cels like these (discussed in this thread) marked in some obvious way?

If so, wouldn't it be a similar situation to reprinted comic books in that later printings (reproduction cels) don't subtract from the value of the first printing (original cel), they just make copies of the story (artwork) available to less well funded collectors?

I know fan cels can sometimes look very close to the original cel, but that is a separate issue than "offical" reproductions.

The professional repros from a studio like Disney or WB are clearly marked and typically come with a certificate of authenticity. It will provide episode and run information, like what number your repro is out of how many were made total. There shouldn't be any doubt about an original vs. a repro or any danger of fake repros.

The comic reprinting is a good comparison because the first run or original will always have a particular value that is set apart from reprinting and repros. There are different levels of "fandom" when it comes to collectors and the market reflects that. The original will always be worth more because of its significance in animation history, whatever role it might've played in production.

Hm ok, but what does the salt actually do? Remove moisture? Maintain a certain chemical balance? Thanks!

A friend of mine, who used to be a regional manager with the WB galleries, was telling me that print and digital technology has advanced enough that offering a 1 0f 1 "Dream Image" was an idea that was floating around. This means anyone could pick that favorite image that they have been trying to acquire and the studio would make a 1/1 image. NOTHING would be hand done and the studio wouldn't have to use what's left in the archive for reference. Basically, they would digitally clean up the screen shot, have a print made and do the same for the Characters involved for a Cel overlay. Pricing would be comparable to current 1/1s or Gallery priced production cels. I HATE this idea and I hope we never see it come to pass. This kind of process belongs in a DVD set as a freebie. I have enough trouble strugling with the Hand Painted 1/1s without the idea of a studio taking all of the unique attributes of a hand made piece of art. I guess it all comes down on what the public is willing to pay for. I used to run a Thomas Kinkade Gallery (still makes me cringe to this day) and I sold lots expensive art that T.K. didn't even sign. Most of these limited eds. where signed with an "auto pen" which scans his signature and reproduces it. But they would still sell. It still keeps me up at night (not really...that's the caffine). All this talk about salt is making me crave some popcorn.
~Mark

There are two dangers relating to fakes that are unrelated to the general issues of betrayal one of one cels might represent. The first is partially an annoyance, assuming a decent seller; namely, that someone will sell a repro unknowingly or unmarked as a repro. Assuming a decent but stupid seller who sells not knowing it's a fake, a buyer who understands what is going on will ask for and receive a refund once they receive an item and see it's a fake. A malevolent seller who has sold it as a cel instead of a production cel however might leave the problem with the buyer. Stupid or malevolent sellers will pas sthe pain on to naive buyers in either case, however, which might end up harming the buying community by disillusioning a segment of the buying population.

The second, more serious, danger is that quality fakes may start being altered to appear real.