What's your cel collecting pet peeve?

graymouser · Post by **graymouser** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:27 pm

It's kind of interesting to see the variety of thought about posting/responding to gallery updates. I have to admit that although I view most of the updates posted here, I rarely leave a comment. Its for a couple of reasons.

The first is that I used to feel a bit repetitive after a while when commenting. Kind of like a broken record always saying "great update" even though I really meant it. I finally just gave up and posted or pmed the rare comment here and there.

The second is that I do not want anyone to feel obligated to reply to my comments. Even in other threads I tend to state my feelings and let it go at that. I rarely post my own updates for the same reason.

I also found the comment about the definition of hoarding interesting. It's true that different people define it differently. I would define a hoarder as someone who pretty much goes after most (or every) item of a particular character or show that comes up for sale. There are a lot of collectors but very few hoarders - if only due to cost. I do put a set limit on my own collection, but that is more for cost control and to keep my collection from getting completely out of hand. I can get very obsessive about organization. Everyone has their own collecting style as far as what and how much to amass. I realize that most people are more relaxed and impulsive about what they collect than I am. I think seeing other collectors' different styles and preferences is what makes viewing their galleries so much fun. It would be boring if we all collected the same type of stuff and followed the same rules.

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:42 pm

I'm in no way saying that trolling for comments by posting update threads is totally okay. And I'm not saying that everyone who posts an update thread is just trolling for comments. I feel like everyone should get a chance to show and tell, especially when they are excited about a find and just want to share their excitement with others. My pet peeve is that certain people post their updates and everyone flocks to their thread and "ooohhhhs and ahhhhhhhs" and smarms all over them, and other people go completely un-noticed and don't so much as get a nod. I'm not saying we are nothing but a bunch of high schoolers playing the "popular crowd", but I do think that there are people who are just starting out in the hobby who are eager to share their new items that get left out a lot and get discouraged. Actually, I think that is how a lot of competitiveness starts- by feeling like certain galleries/curators get all the attention and that we need to keep up with them ( which isn't how we should fee. It should be about love for the hobby and what we collect first and foremost ).

And no need to apologize, Sensei ^_~x My comment wasn't directed at you.

beatrush · Post by **beatrush** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:11 am

Maiko wrote:My pet peeve is that certain people post their updates and everyone flocks to their thread and "ooohhhhs and ahhhhhhhs" and smarms all over them, and other people go completely un-noticed and don't so much as get a nod. I'm not saying we are nothing but a bunch of high schoolers playing the "popular crowd", but I do think that there are people who are just starting out in the hobby who are eager to share their new items that get left out a lot and get discouraged. Actually, I think that is how a lot of competitiveness starts- by feeling like certain galleries/curators get all the attention and that we need to keep up with them ( which isn't how we should fee. It should be about love for the hobby and what we collect first and foremost ).

The problem is that with any hobby community, these are issues that are always present.

There are some individuals who are the "celebrities" of the group. Naturally, anything these people do will be noticed over others. Some of these people are very active in the community and hence they are known, while others just have deep pockets who can afford collections which warrant notice. It is kinda like Highschool, some students are popular and some are not.

It also depends on what each person collects and the popularity of the show. If someone updates things that are from a currently popular series (Vampire knight, Bleach, Naruto, etc....) or a well known series (Akira, DBZ, Mononoke, Laputa, etc.....), they are more likely to get more attention than an update from a less popular series (Tenchi Muyo, El Hazard, Blue Gender, etc.....). In some cases, obscure series will go un-noticed because people just don't know what it is. I will use myself for an example, if I update something from El Hazard, I do not get nearly the interest I get if I post up something from Bleach.

Now, it is unrealistic to say that everyone should appreciate everyone's update. We all have personal tastes as to what we like.

But sometimes, we are all able to look at an unfamiliar series and appreciate it.

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:18 am

I didn't say we had to appreciate every single person's updates. I am saying it would be nicer if a little more effort was put into keeping it from being so one-sided all the time. I don't think that is too much to ask. It is a community, after all.

beatrush · Post by **beatrush** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:23 am

Maiko wrote:I didn't say we had to appreciate every single person's updates. I am saying it would be nicer if a little more effort was put into keeping it from being so one-sided all the time. I don't think that is too much to ask. It is a community, after all.

My Apologies, that is what I was trying to get at actually. We should all try to have more of an open mind.

Maiko · Post by **Maiko** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:26 am

beatrush wrote:
Maiko wrote:I didn't say we had to appreciate every single person's updates. I am saying it would be nicer if a little more effort was put into keeping it from being so one-sided all the time. I don't think that is too much to ask. It is a community, after all.
My Apologies, that is what I was trying to get at actually. We should all try to have more of an open mind.

No, I understand where you're coming from. Just wanted to make sure what I meant was clear and not misunderstood.

beatrush · Post by **beatrush** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:44 am

Nene wrote:Just thought of my own minor gripe which I don't think has been mentioned in this thread. The over-use of the term "hoarder". It's as though a select few people have coined what they believe to be the maximum number of cels someone can own before they own too many and fall into the "hoarder" category. That behaviour more puzzled me than annoyed me though. It makes you understand why "black hole collectors" remain hidden if they have a substantial collection.

I think the only person I can think of who truly fits the definition of Hoarder is a person on YJ. This person has literarily a bottomless wallet and buys almost every Dirty Pair cel that comes up for auction on YJ. I seen this person drop 3K on cels in one month (bought nearly every Dirty Pair cel that appeared on YJ during that time). Then the next month, they were still able to buy up every new Dirty Pair cel that showed up that month.

It is also almost next to impossible to outbid this person also unless you are willing to shell out a fortune to do so.

Post by **sensei** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:22 am

graymouser wrote:I think seeing other collectors' different styles and preferences is what makes viewing their galleries so much fun. It would be boring if we all collected the same type of stuff and followed the same rules.

Couldn't agree more, especially after voting in the 2009 Beta Cel Awards: so many beauties, and I found myself voting for so many without having an idea of which series they were from. That's also one of the reasons I really enjoy the occasional Open House events, even though they can be really time-consuming to participate in. (I think the last one took me an entire month to work through the entire list ... but I learned so much about series and about display strategies that I didn't mind.)

Maybe we should have a "Newbies Open House," just for people who never have participated in one of these? I agree that reactions to my updates was one thing that really got me excited early on about going ahead with my gallery. For that reason, I do try to drop in my 50 yen on update threads, though if there are exams on my desk I sometimes get lazy.

majinuub · Post by **majinuub** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:55 am

I've yet to encounter anyone who fits under the term "hoarder" as I'm under the impression that its a person that buys up everything, and I mean every single production art from the series. I can see when it can get annoying if a particular collector is buying up "every" piece from a rare series even if they already have sequences to it.

beatrush wrote:...if I update something from El Hazard, I do not get nearly the interest I get if I post up something from Bleach.

Ironically I'm more likely to visit your updates than I would a bleach one

.

I only posted update threads if the update may go unnoticed on rubberslug, If I'm really excited about owning something or if I feel like an attention whore

. I do like criticism in my update threads as well but that's just me...

I'm gonna add another peeve that may step on a few toes:
Paying high prices for production art from a series you know nothing about and I'm not talking about buying cels that are cheap and if there are no bids on them. While I'm glad that the winner saw the same appeal that I would for a particular piece, I'd find it depressing if I were outbid on something only to discover the person knows nothing about it and it ends up getting slapped in a section with other series and without any description on the character/scene.

cutiebunny · Post by **cutiebunny** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:12 pm

majinuub wrote:I'm gonna add another peeve that may step on a few toes:
Paying high prices for production art from a series you know nothing about and I'm not talking about buying cels that are cheap and if there are no bids on them. While I'm glad that the winner saw the same appeal that I would for a particular piece, I'd find it depressing if I were outbid on something only to discover the person knows nothing about it and it ends up getting slapped in a section with other series and without any description on the character/scene.

But then again, by winning that item, it's possible that the owner might be drawn to watch the series.

I find that this happens to me whenever I head to Mandarake and hit the dollar bins. There's a lot of artwork out there that, for a few hundred yen, is pretty neat in itself. And that's why I buy it. When I get home, I try to do some research on it to see what series it's from. And if the storyline and/or artwork interests me, I'll end up watching it. I've watched a lot of series this way - Vampire Miyu, Da! Da! Da!, Tenshi ni Narumon, etc. So yes, I can see where you're coming from in terms of not having the appreciation when I buy an item, but that doesn't mean that I will never appreciate it to the extent that a 'fan' of the series does.

Additionally, in my case, unless one goes to Japan or has access to someone who doesn't mind purchasing stuff for them there, some of these items would never make it outside of Japan. At least, when it's displayed in a gallery, you know it's out there. Most Japanese collectors don't display their artwork.

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:12 pm

sensei wrote: "See my mighty collection, vermin, bow and worship!" Nah, I know that there are collections that make mine look like a cigar box full of gum wrappers. Overall, I don't think it's what one has that signifies a good collection, it's what one does with it.

Lol...I try to hold myself back from doing something if I realize that my ego is becoming too big for the rest of my body.

Nene wrote:Interesting subject.. I always found that announcing updates and expecting lots of comments to be quite arrogant in that sense, which is why I've only done it a few times before I realised I wasn't comfortable doing so.

I don't recall ever creating a thread strictly because of something new I had gotten. I've always tried to avoid posting something I got in the last 3-6 months anyway. I'm glad others post their updates though because I only check the front page of Rubberslug 2-3 times a day. I don't run my cursor over the gallery titles much either.

Nene wrote:Just thought of my own minor gripe which I don't think has been mentioned in this thread. The over-use of the term "hoarder".

I've always thought of a "hoarder" as being either:

1. The term used for jokes i.e. "What shows are you hoarding the most?", "Well...you know who I'm hoarding right?"

2. Collectors who go after a lot more of a particular type of item (character shot or anime) than what most of the others do in their category with more than a few collectors annoyed at them because of them doing that.

I would say that Japanese Senti collector falls in into the proverbial "hoarder" category. He won 32 out of 35 of the premium character background shots from the show that showed up within a three year period. I don't even have a guess as how many thousands of dollars he must have spent on all of those. (?$18,000, ?$20,000+). Well...his desire to pay just overwhelmed the rest of us. What can we say? We just didn't want it badly enough compared to him. Congrats to him even if he is a Black Hole Collector (TM). Lol

graymouser wrote:The first is that I used to feel a bit repetitive after a while when commenting. Kind of like a broken record always saying "great update" even though I really meant it. I finally just gave up and posted or pmed the rare comment here and there.

I feel the same way about the being repetitive part.

I am not good at commenting on other people's artwork. Usually I can't come up with much to say.

majinuub · Post by **majinuub** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:21 pm

cutiebunny wrote:
But then again, by winning that item, it's possible that the owner might be drawn to watch the series.

I find that this happens to me whenever I head to Mandarake and hit the dollar bins. There's a lot of artwork out there that, for a few hundred yen, is pretty neat in itself. And that's why I buy it. When I get home, I try to do some research on it to see what series it's from. And if the storyline and/or artwork interests me, I'll end up watching it. I've watched a lot of series this way - Vampire Miyu, Da! Da! Da!, Tenshi ni Narumon, etc. So yes, I can see where you're coming from in terms of not having the appreciation when I buy an item, but that doesn't mean that I will never appreciate it to the extent that a 'fan' of the series does.

Additionally, in my case, unless one goes to Japan or has access to someone who doesn't mind purchasing stuff for them there, some of these items would never make it outside of Japan. At least, when it's displayed in a gallery, you know it's out there. Most Japanese collectors don't display their artwork.

Oh no, don't misunderstand, I fully understand if you walk into a store/ bid on a lovely piece of production art from a series you've never seen, especially if it's a really good price. I've done the same thing you did with Gokudo and Midori No Hibi(both of which became 2 of my favs after buying my 1st cel from each). I'm speaking more towards a gallery perspective than a collectors one. Seeing someone shell out a large amount of money for a "pretty" cel then to see it reappear in the gallery with the implication from the owner about where it's from kinda annoys me. It can also be a bit of my distaste for "misc" sections showing

.

I also want to note that no one is obligated to look up said series or back off any unknown cels they deem affordable.

Sylia · Post by **Sylia** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:29 pm

The "black hole collector" thing is pretty annoying at times. It sounds childish to hear people frequently whining about cel collections they cannot see, as though it's a right to know every cel that's out there. I understand people saying that they enjoy it when people publically post their collections; that's fine. It's just the pushy attitude of others I don't like. A bit like when a person might post a thread 'demanding' to know who won something, and expecting an answer. Not everyone wants to very publically post about what they have. A gallery takes time and effort, and puts you at risk of getting a lot of flak over what you have or how much you have; there's a lot of jealousy around and competitiveness naturally, and if you're worried about other collectors you don't know making it personal or just knowing that you're around at all and studying your habits, then I can understand people wanting to remain invisible. Therefore if someone chooses to put their collection online, it is a privilege that they do so. No-one is obligated to though. And to be honest, watching the 'cel community' from the outside and some of the more immature antics including the rudeness over the type of collector you are, witchhunts over a variety of topics, the more attention-needy attitudes of some, and silly cliquey highschool popularity behaviour, I think that people are well within their rights to stay the hell away sometimes XD.

And really I find it very pushy if people are harassing someone who's at least expressed an intention to make a cel gallery one day, but hasn't gotten round to it or hasn't put everything up. If you're my friend and I know there's a particular piece you wish I'd update, that's fine lol. But otherwise, moaning about how annoying it is that someone didn't put a gallery up as fast as you like is just annoying. Procrastination is an awful habit I agree (and one I suffer from, freely admitted

). But nonetheless it's not most people's place to be busybodying themselves with my unfinished personal projects. Not everyone is in the right personal space to finish what they've started; sometimes for vast stretches of time. Similarly, I don't think most people are 'promising' to create galleries in order to lie to or deceive everyone; I'm sure they're genuinely interested in it but not everyone puts their nerdy hobbies ahead of having a life. Of course, if you're getting paid to do something that you never finish, that would be a different story.

Also, not meeting up to your personal standards doesn't mean that someone doesn't love what they get and deserve to have it as much as anyone else. I think that people use labels sometimes to imply that some collectors aren't as good as others. And if you can hide in the support of a "community" and do that... so much the more distasteful. Which brings me on to a little side point- I don't like all the surreptitious little remarks about collectors from other cultures, especially the ones not strongly represented on Beta or RS. Seriously, all of the remarks about, for example, 'Japanese collectors'... I understand people feeling sad that they might not be able to see the art again for a while if a collector there doesn't go public with it, although 'public' for most people here tends to mean Beta, RS or some similar place. I don't recall the centre of the world ever having to be the predominantly western gathering of collectors that are these two websites.

Anyway, I also don't enjoy people wasting their time obsessing and complaining over insignificant little things. So I suppose I've just let myself down by caring enough to have a load of pet peeves myself in the first place XD. Oh well... That can happen... It's like, you might be smart enough and have enough awareness to know not to do something, but not always big enough to avoid doing it. Human beings are silly

.

Belldandy16 · Post by **Belldandy16** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:30 pm

i can actually totally understand someone not wanting to publish their collection online (most likely not for the reason im going to give but i understand the need for privacy)...

quite a few years ago i was totally collecting comic book art. there's a website out there where you can post your art (just like Rubberslug) so i had a gallery.
well, one day i got a call from a representative of an artist saying that this one VERY large lot that id just recieved (and posted) was stolen!
long story short, in the end i was out $400 and all the BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL artwork that id just aquired.

to this day im still sick of what happened (it hurt so bad, i dont collect comic book art anymore OR display my pieces i have left... i deleted the account i had at that website).

and ya know what was the kicker?
the artist never thanked me for returning his pieces (the rep actually told me i could keep them but since i was the "big person" i sent them backâ€¦ and he NEVER thanked me

).

so i understand totally someone who wants to remain anonymous.

Sylia · Post by **Sylia** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 2:15 am

Gosh... o.o

That sucks, Bell. I'm very sorry to hear about it, especially how much it cost you. That's one of those collector worst nightmare type of deals

I think I know what art site you might be talking about as well, it's been ages since I last browsed that place but it's absolutely massive lol. Kind of frustrating to browse though -if it's the one I'm thinking of- since half the store links are often dead

.