> for resale to us in the U.S.. But how do you 
> think the dealers and sellers in Japan obtain 
> their inventory? Its not as if they can walk up 
> to Ghilbi or any other studio any offer to buy 
> some cels, there is ALOT of under the table (ie 

Uh, yes, that's exactly what happen for the 
largest shops : they just buy whole bunch of
cels directly from studio. Then they resell
large quantity to other shops and dealers.
Ask Anime Taro : they did this for several
anime. Ask Anime World Star.

As for cels from other cels, they are usualy
bought from private person who got them in
perfectly legal way. (I already mentioned AMG
movie cels : they were sold by AIC to people
who when to see the movie. Then shops bought
back cels from those people. It's the same
for Escaflowne movie)

What were you thinking ?!?

> No anime cels were intended by the company that 
> owns the licensing for resale nor redistribution
> OUTSIDE OF JAPAN that is why it is illegal.

Yeah, when AIC America decided to sold part of
AIC cels directly to US dealers, they never
wanted them to be sold outside of Japan -laugh-

> Cels made in Japan were meant to stay WITHIN the 
> boarders of Japan,

-laugh- My! AIC still didn't realized that my
address is not in Japan ?!? 
Sorry to disapoint you but I regularly get large
quantity of cels directly from AIC in a totaly
official way. It doesn't seem to bother them
that I am not in Japan and that I don't sell
in Japan.

> and when anime studios do have public sales
> they do not open up their cels to people 
> outside of Japan NOR will they sell it to 
> you if you are  someone who might take it
> out of the country.

Obviously you never went to a sale from a studio.

May I kindly suggest that you learn a little your
subject before posting your stupidity all over
this board ?

> some of the older dealers who've existed prior
> to 1989 who actually have direct contacts with
> the studios in Japan and they will verify this
> information.

Let see... I definitively remember AIC posting
information in english with help for foreigner
who wanted to go to their sale. They even
grouped foreigner together so that it was easier.

I also definitively remember TOEI letting 
foreigner go first or making them skip the line
to their sale to help those who couldn't speak
japanese.

Ghee, AIC even invited me to go to their office
and directly buy cels from them as I was leaving
Japan a few days before their sale.
(and yeah, they invited be because they did know
that I had to leave Japan before the sale)

Cheers,
Yann Stettler