Advice for people new to cel collecting.

My best piece of advice is to buy your first few pieces in person. Scanners make all cels look pretty, but in person you can really see what the cel looks like. What condition is it in, is there any chipped paint, etc. There's a lot of cels I passed on seeing them in person that are now scanned in people's galleries and look great.

The internet has really changed cel collecting. Now anyone can have a gallery online or sell cels on eBay. Buying from a reputable animation art dealer who knows cels and knows what you collect is the best way to start a cel collection.

To slightly contradict myself, if anyone is collecting cels that are harder to find (not every cel was saved) don't be terribily picky thinking your dream cel will someday appear. What's extremely easy to get right now might be nearly impossible 5 years from now. If you want to buy it, buy it. Don't wait. I regret passing on cels that weren't perfect because I thought I could get the one I wanted. Silly me.

I agree with MacKettric. Buy what you like as it may never come again. I have also passed on cels and had major regrets later. Sometimes it worked in my favor and I got a second chance and other times it was to bad for me. If you got the cash get the stuff you want especially if it is a stand out piece because you can bet if it is there will be competion to purchase it.

For once I don't have to do the writing =) The following is taken from a true veteren of the anime arts Ed Noonchester. If this were Star Wars, he would probably be Yoda =)
(with better grammar)

These are his words below about the authenticity of cels, that is, fake vs real cels.

"How can you tell if a cel is real or a copy? That is, perhaps, the most frequently asked question. It is not a question about care of cels, but it is a very important question. I wish there were a simple answer for this question. I have been collecting and retailing cels for over twenty three years so I have seen it all. The reason that people make copies of cels is to make money. There is no profit in making a copy of a cel that you will sell for $10 or so. All fakes are made of very popular and expensive shows. It is more likely that a fake will be made of Evangelion than almost any other title because the show is so popular and so expensive. I have seen fakes of many titles over the years including Castle Of Cagliostro, Galaxy Express 999, Ah My Goddess, and (of course) Evangelion. Japanese studios do not make certificates to verify that a cel is real. One studio, AIC, has placed a seal on the (some) cels to verify them on such titles as El Hazard, Tenchi Muyo, and Blue Gender. A fake cel is made to sell for good money, but not enough to pay to have the pencil drawing done as well. Not all good cels come with the pencil drawing, but if the cel does then it is almost guaranteed to be legit. If a cel comes with the matched, production background then the same can be inferred. If a cel from an older show or movie shows almost no wear over the years, then you might be careful. A cel that is twenty years old will not look like it was made last week. If it looks like it was made last week, it probably was. Another way to tell would be the index number in the upper right hand corner. This is used to match the cel with the story board and the background. If it does not have one, watch out. Last, know your source. With so much being sold on E-Bay and Yahoo-Japan, it is much harder to know your seller. "

by Ed Noonchester.

Since I used his words, I feel out of courtesy, I should plug his site with a link (Not that I have ever bought any of his cels, I haven't so far.)

http://www.animeed.com/cel_index.htm

Im new to this myself, about a year old to collecting and I have only one thing to add. Talk to other collectors and many people have said this in this thread but one more reason is that people help out each other. Some of my favorite cels have come from tips from fellow collectors, and I have inturn helped others find cels. Helping others helps you. Its like having extra eyes all over the place.

Remember the best part of collecting is shareing, showing off that bad ass new cel is nothing without people to look at it and say "wow thats cool". So when you see something that wows you send some feedback to the owner, give congrats, chat, and have a good time I do.

Everyone else has pretty much covered the essentials to beginning a cel collection. The only thing I'd like to add...MAKE A WISHLIST. I know a lot of people here (and on other sites) who will actually e-mail you if they see a cel they know you want come up for sale. I've met some really cool people that way. People can't help you achieve your dream if no one knows what it is! :)