Using Mandarake

[bricks]

Hey guys i was wondering if buying something off Mandarake is different then buying off yahoo auctions. There are a few cels on there i wanna get but i wasnt sure how people feel about Mandarake. Thanks!

[sensei]

It is different in two ways. First, Mandarake is a major anime-related store that stands behind the products it sells, so you have more assurance that your item is what it's purported to be if it sells on that site than you do for a Yahoo Japan cel. (Obviously, there are YHJ seller who have very strong reputations, but you also have a certain number of private owners who sell their possessions, just as with eBay.) For the Big Web Auction, you sometimes get certificates of authenticity, especially for high-end items.

Second, because it has such a strong reputation, you can expect the competition to be stronger for most auctions. So expect to bid and pay somewhat more for a Mandarake auction than for a YHJ auction.

There are lesser differences as well: the way the auto extension works, for instance, and the fact that you can't use a proxy service but must register and bid in real time yourself. But I'll let the thread play these out.

[bricks]

Cool thanks Sensei! That makes a lot of sense. Added security with added price tag. It seems to be worth it considering Authenticity is the point of cel collecting IMO. I'm new to collecting so i don't want someone to pull a quick one on me

[JustVan]

Cool thanks Sensei! That makes a lot of sense. Added security with added price tag. It seems to be worth it considering Authenticity is the point of cel collecting IMO. I'm new to collecting so i don't want someone to pull a quick one on me

On average I trust Manadarake more than the average YJ person, with some caveats. Mandarake also seems to ship internationally so that's a nice perk so you're not paying extra fees for a middle man. (Though since they tend to sell for more than YJ I guess you can factor that into your costs.) Overall, though, bid with confidence. Do your research, of course, but it should be fine.

[cutiebunny]

But, unless you're going after Ghibli cels or some highly demanded cel from a bank sequence from DBZ or Sailor Moon, counterfeit cels aren't going to be too much of a problem on YJ. Most Japanaese sellers are honest and they label things accordingly, with fan cels usually translating to "member cel". Most people lookin for a quick buck aren't going to take the time to find a punched piece of acetate and then buy the paints to color it. It's a lot easier and cheaper for them instead to draw a squiggly Totoro on a shikishi board, claim it was drawn by Miyazaki and sell it on YJ.

The only time the guarantee really matters, IMO, is if you're going after autographs of people whose signatures are often duplicated. For example, when Mandarake sells a Eiichiro Oda One Piece sketch, that guarantee is extremely valuable as Oda is one of the most widely counterfeited artists around. If original artwork is something you want to collect, as long as you stay away from the really popular artist sketches that are being sold on YJ, you'll be fine. I would never buy anything claimed to be from the hand of artists like Toriyama on YJ, however, your average lesser known mangaka or anime artist is fine.

[bricks]

Wow ok! thank you guys for the info. That gives me a good feeling about it.