So you are thinking about making a gynormous purchase

[sugarcels]

You don't have to sell cels (down by the seashore)! Do you have any DVDs or books that you no longer want? Look around your house for other stuff

[jcaliff]

You didn't give an option of skipping. ^^;; Easy option would be to skip the ginormous purchase and save up for it instead if that's possible or save up for something better later.

To loose weight ramen isn't really the thing to eat since it's unhealthy with lots of sodium which makes you not really loose weight. ^^;; Plus it messes up your body just living on ramen! ^^;;
If I didn't wanna sell anything from my collection then that's no option of course, no electricity, well that's a little going overboard in this cold. lol
A nice bonus from work would help out in this case. ^_^

Skipping is my answer as well. For all that we all joke about selling a kidney for something, if I can't afford something like that I don't buy it, regardless of how much I might *want* it. I just had to get my brakes done on my car and pay my Homeowners Association dues and my flood insurance for the year (can't work it into the mortgage payment since I'm not technically in a flood plain, though honestly I think the entire Houston area is one big flood plain and won't risk dropping it). No art, cel or otherwise, is worth going into more debt or destroying my back account over.

[ReiTheJelly]

This has pretty much been my philosophy: if I don't have enough money in my "fun" checking account to cover it, it won't get bought. Once in a blue moon, I have sold other items to cover a new purchase, but even then, I don't count my chickens before they've hatched and always have enough in reserve to cover purchasing the new item, in case my sales fall through. It's more of the fact that I don't want to completely tap out that account and always try to have something in reserve.

[Melle]

I agree with Rei on this one. If I end up needing to take longer with saving up on money, then so be it. It's a goal to work up to. It gives me time to wait and see if I really want the cel in general, if I still want it by the end of saving up, then it's a good buy! If I end up not wanting it by the end of saving up the money, well, then that's money saved for another time, y'know?

[cutiebunny]

I'm guessing this is one of those situations where the studio (or artist) is willing to sell a large amount of production artwork or original sketches for several hundred thousand yen. Your either pony up the yen or sit by as the artwork is either recycled, burned or never created.

It's a hard situation to be in, especially if it's a series that you absolutely love. You know that the studio will make good on their threat if you opt not to buy, but on the other hand, if you do, it will drain you. You'll have to deal with that sinking feeling that you just committed yourself to several months of payments while watching the dollar's value decline.

Logically, I would weigh out my costs for the duration of the payment. I'd total up my mortgage payments, insurance payments, HOA (if applicable), and whatever other liabilities I had to pay. Add in your food and other necessities in as well, and weigh that against the amount of money you'll have coming in assuming that you have a steady paycheck. If you can file taxes before you commit to the purchase and the payment plan won't go longer than a year, you can also factor in how much you'll have to pay the IRS (or receive back from them). And don't forget to leave yourself a financial safety net just in case the what if happens.

Emotionally, though, if you're already worrying about payments, you already realize that you can't afford that purchase right now. And even if you rationalize that you can afford it if you skimp on certain things, your body is reacting to the stress of having to come up with that payment every month. So, if you opt to buy the artwork, you'll also be 'buying' the stress and other negative emotions associated with it.

As much as I'd like to preserve everything that I possibly can, I realize that I'm only one person with one paycheck, stuck with the responsibility of paying for things I need in my real world life. And if a purchase is going to stress me out so much that I'll be worried about the dent it will make on my bank account, then, it'll be something I'll skip. Even if I like the artwork, the dread of having to make that payment will ruin any positive value I'll get from owning it.

[kizu]

OK so aside from my not so serious reply earlier in this thread. I don’t know how much a gynormous purchase is. To me about 10K USD is one (yeah I know I'm a lightweight compared to others who large might be 30-50K). I would really scrutinize myself about a large purchase like this whether it’s 1 piece or 3 pieces or 1000+ pieces. Check what kind of person are you and what you plan to accomplish with buying. It’s most important to be honest about it, how much do you like it (or do you truly love it), do you plan to keep it very long, do you plan to sell it to make a profit, do you plan to sell it to try to recuperate some of the cost? Do you think you can sell them or is it just wishful thinking? Do you have the discipline to not be swayed by something new that comes along while you’re making payments? I would not ever spend money that is for the essentials (food, shelter, clothing) regardless of what anyone says or how sad I’ll make myself.

I can say one thing from experience – whenever I had to buy a cel that had to go on payment plans for more than 6 months, I only do it if the cel won’t leave me alone. It was more torture not to buy it so I buy it knowing fully that I pretty much hamper my ability to put anymore into the hobby. I don’t touch my real life money (food, rent, transportation, electricity etc), I only touch my cel budget. So if I buy a cel of Saitou today you can bet I’m passing on every other nice Kenshin cel that comes on the market until that fund is available again. It hurts especially when most of the time good RK cels does come on the market (they seem to be in waves) but I make my peace with it.

Goodluck my friend! Whatever you decide - at the very least you can choose to be happy with your decision.

[Gonzai]

Wow - never expected so much rationalization in this thread.
I really did it as a light hearted way of telling myself, "WOW, I am
really going to get all this artwork." It is actually several thousand
dollars, and a pretty hefty amount of sketches for characters that I
absolutely love, and a anime where I think the artwork is amazingly
beautiful.

I would never buy anything that I thought I could not afford, and this
will not even come close to what I paid for my Samurai 7. I know
from expereince from that, that I will never make a mistake like
that again. As much as I loved the artwork, it set me back for quite
a while. But, this should not be near as painful. Oh, and Kizu,
$10, 000 in anyone's eyes should be a gynormous purchase.

By the way, I was all about the 6" heels and red light district. Frankly,
I could only eat ramen so long, and my little grandaughters would not
like the fact they could not watch their cartoons on Saturday mornings,
not to mention, they prefer a nice warm house when they are around.
Oh, and I live in Iowa, so I am not crazy enough to sit at the bottom of
a interstate and beg for money, though, I have to give props to those that
still get out there in the sub zero weather to get the best spot available.

[jenn-b]

I'm going to have to go along with Gonzai here. This was meant in jest and as fun. I'm amazed that anyone would actually think she would consider starving herself or going without heat for artwork. I've often said that I would sell my soul for artwork...but that will never happen. I'll never get what I paid for it! HA!

[sensei]

I have read some very sad messages on collectors' forums in which people did AA-type confessions of things they claimed they had actually done to scout up the money for "wishlist" purchases. I'm sure the other contributors have read still more, or have had unpleasant experiences when everything came due at once. Like any form of the pursuit of pleasure, it has its risky side, which can skirt with or even emerge into a full-blown psychological addiction.

If of course you have the funds, then full speed ahead and damn the snipe bidders. But I think many people have been through their ramen periods in life and can well see that there was some hard reality behind what you intended as a set of silly options.

[Gonzai]

Yep - as I stated in my post, I had been there and done that.
I bought my Samurai 7 artwork for a set yen price and made
payments. Of course, when the payment plan started out, the
yen rate wasn't too bad. Then, for the next 6 months of payment, I
got to deal with it steadily declining, and that was as painful as
it gets. Ate my share of ramen at that time.

Oh and Jenn, I noticed you did not rule out the Interstate or
red light district.

Of course, you know me better than anyone, so maybe..........

[star-phoenix]

I have gone on a 12 month payment plan for a piece before (not gonna say which one). But, with a purchase of that caliber, I limited to only buying that one item for an entire year and no more purchasing until paid. I even instructed the seller(s) to not contact me again about any other potential deals for 1 year until payment is completed and I have recovered all funds. That is normally how I control my spending with items. I am just as horribly addicted as the next person here! But, with the years and my experiences, I managed to get way pickier with my art, and way more strict with my spending. It takes a lot of self control!

Oh, and hubby says we don't need heat this year! We have a nice warm dog with thick fur we can cuddle up to!

[sugarcels]

@Gonzai, I knew you were kidding about the "options," LOL In my poor, 30-year-old mind, however, I would consider a ginormous purchase anything over $100, heh. I cannot fathom paying thousands of dollars for ANYTHING. But if you can afford it, go for it!

[Sui Kune]

Right now would be me going through my first real gigantic purchase, two actually bundled into one. (The Saturn genga, and only weeks earlier an indescribably rare giant Raikou [Pokemon] plush I've been after for ten years.) My plan was halt all purchasing and pay off the credit card, which I'm finding to be easier said than done due to needing cosplay fabric. XD However, I couldn't be in a better position for such a plan, because right now I don't have to worry about rent and college expenses...yet. Double-edged sword of still living with your parents, but I'm appreciating it as much as I am longing for the day I'm well enough to move out.

In the future though, I'll have a Kidney Cel savings. I have stupidly-expensive taste and have a bunch of cels on my wishlist that I imagine would fetch quite a bit. Thank god though I'm not in addition a Rei Ayanami or (a big enough) Miyazaki fan. XD;

[rosesleep]

Right now would be me going through my first real gigantic purchase, two actually bundled into one. (The Saturn genga, and only weeks earlier an indescribably rare giant Raikou [Pokemon] plush I've been after for ten years.) My plan was halt all purchasing and pay off the credit card, which I'm finding to be easier said than done due to needing cosplay fabric. XD However, I couldn't be in a better position for such a plan, because right now I don't have to worry about rent and college expenses...yet. Double-edged sword of still living with your parents, but I'm appreciating it as much as I am longing for the day I'm well enough to move out.

In the future though, I'll have a Kidney Cel savings. I have stupidly-expensive taste and have a bunch of cels on my wishlist that I imagine would fetch quite a bit. Thank god though I'm not in addition a Rei Ayanami or (a big enough) Miyazaki fan. XD;

*HIGH FIVE* Yep, still in college and living with my mother! I have to take advantage of it until I move out

[ToriPagac]

ramen for the win