Just a thought for a discussion, as some people have felt it's been quiet lately.
Since retirement I've had to watch my buying more closely than before; plus storage space starts to be a logistical issue. So I make fewer "just for fun" purchases, even if they are inexpensive, than I did five years ago when my collection was growing rapidly. It takes an extra incentive to make me hit that "submit bid" button.
Many such bids get motivated by logic: that cel will go with something I already have, or fill some little gap in an existing gallery.
And then others are just "juicy."
1. Thumbnail is a "trawlstopper." I run my eye down auction pages very quickly, and only once in a great while does something really stop me dead. "Whoa! What's that?!
2. Cel/sketch is not a familiar "type." Most series have an identifiable "feel," with the characters in typical poses or expressions. So when an oddball image comes up, it makes me curious. "Yeah ... what is that??"
3. Image is a significant moment from a significant episode. I have my little clutch of research materials handy, and so usually I can track down a given image to its context. "Ah ... OK ... so it's that!!"
4. Someone you respect is bidding against you. With Rinkya or other SMJ bidders one can't always tell, but there are some handles that, even with most of it reduced to asterisks, you can still identify, long-term Japanside collectors with (alas) very discriminating tastes similar to mine. "So ... we meet again!"
5. (Most importantly) You win the auction anyway!!!!!
Anyone else have any personal ways of identifying the "something really good" items that come along every so often?
In my case I am in a simular spot since I have cut back on the amount purchased for my current direction is drifting more back to comic art which is by nature more expensive on a per piece amount. My recent piece from Vaughn Bode is an example of that.
I still do check out YJ in my normal sequence of searches, just not finding that much that jumps out and yells "BUY ME". I do still find that I can find "smalls" (term I picked up from watching American Pickers on History channel) and by that I mean nice cels or sketches in the 1000 yen and under opening bid range from series that my wife and I still remember well enough to be able to identify whats going on.
There have been a few items that caught my eye that I did not know much about. I have been lucky to have friends here that have been able to identify and give me info on them. The Hankens I got from Sister Princess are an example for Keropi gave me links and info that helped me identify all of the characters.
"Like the wind crying endlessly through the universe, Time carries away the names and the deeds of conquerors and commoners alike. And all that we are, all that remains, is in the memories of those who cared we came this way for a brief moment." Harlan Ellison
I had cut down a lot of buys in the past few years, although this year I have been extremely naughty, and you will all find out when I do my next update in July.
Lately, what makes me go for a piece is more along the lines of "how significant is this piece" rather than "oh, this moves me in a way that brings back sentimental feelings." One thing I have realized, my "feelings" tend to change as I grow older and it is very reflective of my bidding. In fact, I rarely even bid on auctions anymore. However, I did place a bid (and won) a very unexpected and interesting item. This is an animation piece from Disney that Disney later banned and omitted due to its racial implications. It was originally produced as a reflection of times way back when. Now, you would never ever even imagine seeing a thing like this in our times. The piece (will be updated in July) is very artistically beautiful. But, what drew me the most to it rather than going for a different piece, was this piece had so much character and so much depth in it, hence the old saying "a picture has a thousand words."
I'm still at that stage where EVERY piece is a good piece to me as long as it has my characters in it. But for something like a complete setup or an eyecatch those are the really good pieces that I have to check the auction 5 times a day just to make sure it's still there and bid bid bid forever on. ^__^
But for me, if it's outside of my series it has to be a really significant scene from a favorite episode or make me smile every time I see it. (I only have 2 of those).
I look at other series' cels but none of them really jump out at me to collect them. Sometimes I'm tempted so I'll wait but at the end of the week the draw is gone. Cels, to me, aren't 'impulse' buys. I genuinely treasure even the strange ones with a random head or missing pants. Because each one of those tells a story too.
that cel will go with something I already have, or fill some little gap in an existing gallery. 
