To buy, or not to buy... that is the debate.

Zag · Post by **Zag** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:28 pm

Recently there was a bit of a dust up in certain blogs (mine included) on Rubberslug regarding people who buy / collect cels from series they have not seen or know nothing about.
There seemed to be an overwelming feeling that those people were BAD CEL COLLECTORS. Evil! Taking the cels out of circulation, thereby depriving TRUE FANS of the series of the chance to buy them.
I, personally disagree, but I'm curious, how do you feel?

hyelakingsfan · Post by **hyelakingsfan** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:09 pm

I was actually going to buy a cel from Naruto, and i hadnt seen any of the episodes but it went too high so i didnt.
I would buy cels from series i havent seen if i heard its a great series and also if it doesnt go too high. I wouldnt pay alot of money for a cel from a series i havent seen though.

MDKiller1 · Post by **MDKiller1** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:15 pm

Id buy a cel from a series I havent seen. Just because you never know when Ill watch it and if i pasted it up and decided I wanted the cel it could be gone when i go back to buy it. It would be like saying. I cant buy a painting from an artist because I dont know them personally. An if I decide after I buy it that I didnt like the series or the cel anymore I could always place it up for sale.

The only cel that I owe right now that I havent seen the series two is Words worth. I do own the series however. But I really dont think ill ever watch it. I dont really like Hentai at all, so thats whats holding me back from watching it. I do however love the cels they are very well drawn. But I wont buy any of the sex cels from the series

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:20 pm

Well, I voted no. Not that I think collectors who buy cels from shows they have not seen are bad or evil or anything of the sort. In fact, I have no opinion whatsoever on whether or not it is "bad" to buy a cel from a series you have not seen. This is just my personal feeling on it, and the way I, personally, collect. I have to feel some sort of connection to the show before I want to shell out the money for cels from it ... and, usually, that connection has to go deeper than just the artwork. Yes, for all the shows I collect, I love the artwork. Otherwise, I would not collect from them. But, there are many other shows for which I loved the artwork and, still, do not feel connected enough to the show to purchase cels from it.

I'm not sure if this makes any sense at all ... but, like I said, these are just my weird collecting habits. So, although I voted "no", I don't look at it so much as I am leaving the cel for a "true" fan ... instead, I look at it as saving my money to toss at artwork from shows I know I love.

ReiTheJelly · Post by **ReiTheJelly** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:32 pm

If I loved the artwork enough to justify the cost, I would purchase it. But I would also then immediately turn around and find a copy of the anime that it's from and watch it. If people know what show the cel is from, that's one thing. But personally, it annoys me when more than half of a persons collection is labelled "Unknown". To me, that indicates that they're not very serious about their collection.
I don't care if people haven't seen a series, as long as they're knowledgable about the characters. For example: I've read all the CCS manga, but haven't seen the entire tv series, yet I still collect cels from that show because they remind me of the manga and I like the designs.

Post by **Rekka Alexiel** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:22 pm

Depends on how well I liked it. Normally I'll pass up EVERYTHING that isn't from a series I collect from... but there have been a few exceptions to this rule. Generally though, I will not buy anything that I have not already seen and loved.

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:23 pm

Gee, who's business is it to tell anyone they are a "bad" cel collector?? If the "real" collectors were fast/dilligent enough they would have bought them first, n'est ce pas?

Although I can see how it could be annoying. If someone had the perfect face up red-eyed Pica and didn't know ANYTHING about the character or the scene but just thought that it was pretty and tucked him away in an "Unknown" category it might be enough to drive me into a full-fledged foaming at the mouth frenzy

Still, I voted for "buy it anyway"! Even though I've been trying to streamline my collection a little and get rid of cels I only had one of, if I had more money I certainly wouldn't feel any compunction about buying pretty cels from series I haven't seen!

Although, like Rei, if the cel is pretty enough I'd try really hard to find a copy of the anime so I can put it in context! (Speaking of which, if anyone knows where I can get a copy of "Ambassador Magma" I have a cel of the hot elf guy I'd like to put into context.....so to speak

)

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:37 pm

Lynxa wrote:Gee, who's business is it to tell anyone they are a "bad" cel collector??

Geez, no kidding! I can't imagine telling someone they are somehow morally bankrupt for buying something they can't identify.

Art is one of those things that you know what you like. If you can afford it, you buy it. If you can identify it, all the better. But gosh, don't look down on someone else's preferences. I can easily imagine someone having watched one or two series, discovers that you can buy cels, and then gets thoroughly mesmerized by various and sundry pieces of art that he/she may never, ever see. And who cares? (or, rather, who OUGHT to care?)

That's the first time I've ever heard that song, and I have to say it kinda annoys my ears.

P.S. It just occurred to me that it's probably appropriate to point out that I own a LOT of cels from shows I haven't seen, simply because there are too many shows

My preference is to find out where the cels are from, try to find the show, and watch it. But if I can't, well ...

kymaera · Post by **kymaera** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:50 pm

Lynxa wrote:Gee, who's business is it to tell anyone they are a "bad" cel collector??

Mine. Please visit my website www.letmetellyouwhyyousucksobad.com
You can choose anything from the $1.99 value plan: "You suck." to the
$19.99 elite package plan: "You suck because you buy cels that you don't
really want just to piss off other people. That makes you a horrible person."
Visa, Mastercard and Paypal accepted.

kymaera · Post by **kymaera** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:56 pm

Now, for the serious reply...

Personally, I rarely buy cels from a series that I haven't seen simply because
a lot of the fun and attractiveness of cels is due to the fact that I like the
series, characters or scenes from the anime they are from. That's why I
buy dorky scenes from Gokudo instead of ones from Kenshin which others
drool over simply because I like Gokudo, but not Kenshin. I have bought
a few cels that I didn't know where they were from, but honestly only when
they've been dirt cheap.

That being said, I don't have a problem with people buying cels if they
haven't seen the series. If they want to collect solely for the artwork, that's
their prerogative and no one should deny them that. The only time that I've
ever gotten pissed off about someone doing it was a time when they bought
a cel and stated that they didn't collect the series, they were basically just
buying it to keep someone else from having it, which is a totally separate
thing.

Lynxa · Post by **Lynxa** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:56 pm

kymaera wrote:
Lynxa wrote:Gee, who's business is it to tell anyone they are a "bad" cel collector??
Mine. Please visit my website www.letmetellyouwhyyousucksobad.com
You can choose anything from the $1.99 value plan: "You suck." to the
$19.99 elite package plan: "You suck because you buy cels that you don't
really want just to piss off other people. That makes you a horrible person."
Visa, Mastercard and Paypal accepted.

Well now I know who to call when I start feeling like I've got too much self-esteem!!!

Ooooo! Can we hire you to send a "You suck"-o-gram to others?

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 6:58 pm

kymaera wrote: That's why I
buy dorky scenes from Gokudo instead of ones from Kenshin which others
drool over simply because I like Gokudo, but not Kenshin..

You've never SEEN Kenshin, twerp. Or at least not enough of it to know what you're talking about. I shall have to punish you.

:box2:

Kittens, he's picking on us again.

purplewiz · Post by **purplewiz** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:02 pm

I picked other, because while yes, I do collect cels from series I haven't seen (or have seen so little of that it's about the same thing), I don't just buy it if I like it. It has to reach out and grab me more forcefully if it's from an unknown series.

I don't just collect cels because they're moments from anime that I liked - I also collect them as a form of art. I don't need to know who the model or inspiration was for a painting in order to like it and want it on my wall. Some of my very favorite cels are from series I haven't seen, simply because I find them wonderful to look at.

In fact, it was a cel from a series I hadn't seen then and still haven't seen that started me collecting anime cels. It's still one of my favorites - I adore the movement in it and it makes me smile ever time I see it.

Marcia.

kisara · Post by **kisara** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:08 pm

Recon you know my opinion on this.

I'll tell ya I'm the one that started to kick up the dust on that one.

I'd appreciate it if people would actually read the original post, 'cause the way some people are putting it is sooo not how I said it. It's really not appreciated. No-one was ever called a "bad collector" for doing it, I only said it annoyed me. ANd I certainly didn't say anyone was "evil" for doing it! And it's not the people that buy a few cels or sketches from series they haven't seen. And it's certainly not people that collect from shows they haven't finished watching (I'm one of those people too). It's people that have upwards of 20 cels/sketches from a show they really know nothing about, other than the title and character names. That annoys me.

Anyway, anything else I have to say about it. . . Well, feel free to go read it.

kymaera · Post by **kymaera** » Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:45 pm

Lynxa wrote:Can we hire you to send a "You suck"-o-gram to others?

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Anime-Beta TNG

To buy, or not to buy... that is the debate.

Would you buy a cel from a series you have not seen?

To buy, or not to buy... that is the debate.