Advice for people new to cel collecting.

[quote]The thing I wish to add is your collection is your collection. [/quote]

Echo. This is very, very important. Do not collect to impress other people on the internet. Do not collect as an investment. You will become a very angry person. Cel collecting already has too many angry people. We here at Rubberslug want you to be a happy person.

Collect whatever you want. We'll love you anyway. Heck, collect cels of rabbits. Or bento boxes.

Other things to add:

1) After you collect for a few years is that you'll realize that these things are cyclical. Look at Gundam Wing prices now. Far from the strongest show in the series, it commanded prices that are maybe 300-500% of what they are now simply because it was popular on Cartoon Network. Right now, the big inflated series seems to be Inuyasha. Feel free to collect current "hot" shows knowing that in two years, the money valuation of your collection may drop by 1/3 to 1/2. If you're worried about losing money then diversify, which leads to point #2.

2) Watch a lot of anime. Watch animation from other countries. Study it for film-making technique. Basic illustration ability helps. This sounds insane, but keep in mind you are a bonafide art collector now. Know your art. Anyone who says that centered front-facing characters are the only good cels cannot draw. Period. Having some experience in figure drawing and/or understanding cinematography clues you in to the fact that many shows are filled with people who draw far less than perfect. (If you can find Studio Ghibli rough pencil sketches, you'll see what people who *can* draw look like.)

3) As a point about "collect what you love"... To me, the most impressive collections are from people who collect atypical series with a serious passion. I've seen entire collections based on Saint Seiya (http://saintseiya.rubberslug.com/) or Aishite Night (http://linda.rubberslug.com/). I haven't seen either of these shows, but I know that only maybe 1 in 1,000 anime fans will share their passion. That's respect right there. I'm not saying go run off and collect an older show, but find something you connect with.

I happily endorse the tips given above, particularly the advice to collect something that you love. Whether it appreciates or depreciates in value, if it is something that you truly want, you will get your money's worth in possessing it.

But two additions:

1. Make a budget and stick to it. With today's easy credit, it's very tempting to "impulse buy" and find yourself more in debt than you expected. I've seen too many people have to sell off nice pieces in order to finance that new "wishlist" cel that they had to bid into the stratosphere to get. The hobby is getting and owning things that you wanted and like having: not getting and getting and getting and getting.

I set a pretty firm upper limit for anything I'm watching and a cap to the total amount I spend in a month. I miss a lot of cels by dropping out of auctions or sitting out updates. But I have nice cels anyhow, and I get to keep them.

2. Treat your cels gently. They are more fragile than you think. Don't handle them more often than you need to. Store them in the dark and in a stable environment. Get a good cel book, or even several if you get oversized cels, so you don't worry (as I did for several months) about dog-earing that tall cel every time you take the cel book out of the shelf.

In short: enjoy the thrill of the chase, but also don't lose what you spent your energy getting.

I agree with you. I think before you buy any cel be it an american cel or a japanese cel you should do your homework. Check out the series locate the cel in the series. Then in the case of ebay or jy check out the feedback and see if they are reliable. After all that buy the cel with confidence knowing that it is real. Well to all new cel collecters good luck.
Starfighter

I agree, a new cel collector should do their homework, but I also think they should just try to buy one. I think the quickest way to know your way around the collecting buisness is to buy a cel. Also inorder for one to learn from their mistakes, one has to make one. I don't want a person to go out and over pay or buy a fake, but inorder for a person to reconize the tell tale signs of a bad deal they need to experiance it first hand. Also, when first starting out, don't go for the highpriced cels, figure out what you want, and then see if you can afford it. If you can't put it in your wishlist or buy the genga or douga of the same scene, they are much cheeper than the cels and they can be just as lovely. A new collector should start slow and when they feel confident enough with the cel community they should dive right it.

Honestly, I would warn a person to be careful when considering cel collecting as a hobby. Cel collecting is very expensive. Not because a cel can cost hundreds, but because it is VERY hard to stop and just one!

Everyone here can relate: "Oh, I'll just get one..." Then pretty soon you have hundreds. @_@

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1) Always INSURE YOUR CELS when mailing!!!

2) Be polite. The cel community is small and you don't want a bad reputation; you'll be pretty much shunned.

3) NEVER USE SCISSORS to carelessly open your much- anticipated cel package. It pays to be careful and spend an extra few minutes.

4) RESEARCH and LEARN about cels and how to spot a fancel. Learn what fancels are. Always get an idea of what a certain cel costs. Of course there are periods of inflation and slumps, but always get an idea.

5) If in doubt, ask. There are cel forums and mailing lists available. We are a small community, and people are more ready to help each other!

6) Have fun. Cel collecting has its ups and downs, but mostly ups. ^_^