1) How long have you been collecting cels?

It's been a year -- a very expensive year.

2) How much do you spend on cels per month? (Average)

Way too much. I have slow months but I average in the mid
three digits.

3) What is your favorite cel? (Post pic)

See URL above if the pic doesn't post. This cel just makes me so happy to look at it!

4) Assuming you buy cels off the internet - what is your
   favorite site to buy them from (not necessarily where
   you buy cels most regularly)?

Taro, Chaos and many very nice private collectors ^_^

5a) Do you concentrate on specific characters or series or
    both?

Both but I'm a sucker for interesting scenes, backgrounds,
layouts, gengas, etc.

 b) If you collect for a series, do you go through the 
    trouble of finding at least one cel per character?

I have certain preferences to certain characters but I 
sometimes hate the character design of others in a series.

6) Have you ever purchased a cel from EBay or Yahoo or some
   other auction site?

Yeap. Even sold one through it (*please don't throw tomatoes*)

7) Do you have family members who also appreciate cels?

Unfortunately, I live rather far away from my family and
when I discuss cels with them, I act vague so they don't know
how much time and cash I'm spending on them.

8) Do you have friends who appreciate cels?

I have numbed most of my friends to the prices and have even
given cels as gifts. One friend, as he held the cel in his
hands, exclaimed, "you know, I can see the appeal of this."
But I doubt he'll become a collector.

9) In the space of this form box (i.e. the entire message
   cannot force scrolling either vertically or horizontally
   in the reply text box), please explain WHY you think 
   cels are so addicting - imagine you're trying to explain
   to someone why they're so great. 

I've met a lot of nice people through the hobby, first of all.
Second, I view it as inexpensive (if you can believe it)
art collecting. I appreciate the process of animation as
shown through layout, genga, and douga, etc. Plus, as
people have mentioned before, it's an incredible rush
since the market is so unpredictable. You never know 
what's around the corner and sometimes you are betting
200 dollars now that an achingly beautiful cel won't
show up tomorrow. In some ways, though, it could be
perceived as a safe "high" because chances are you can
turn around and sell your collection if needed -- that is,
if things are still in demand.

On a side note -- and I hate to discuss prices in terms of
shock -- but goodness have Sailormoon prices for early
season cels gone up! I can't believe some of the prices I'm
seeing. Must have really gone up in demand and gone down
in supply.

OK, what a boring post. I hope I didn't put everybody to
sleep :)

Wendy
 
 

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