addiction

[akadro]

It is such an addiction that I am wondering how to stop or reduce. Well I guess it is like to quit smoking, it is impossible to reduce. I have smoked for 8 years and I have quit since 2003 (thanks Allen Carr)

Anyway not talking about smoke but cel. I am not collecting the cheapest serie around, and when you have serveral cel that cost 1k you start counting your whole collection. I have done this for reference in case I need to sell something. Wow how much I have been spending it is mad.

Well I buy some stuff on ebay and sell them here (Switzerland) as stuff are hard to find and really expensive I have serveral sales per month so it helps me to buy my cels. Otherwise I won't spend my entire own cash on this addiction.

I know 1 solution to stop collecting cel, for me it will be to sell my ENTIRE gallery in one go, not one by one, try to find someone fortunate enough to buy them all. I don't know if I will but I may sell it. I won't have the patience to start the collection again and will stop.

Will see if this fortunate person comes up to help me on this addiction

dro

[iwakuralain16]

I am guilty of all of these:
• Did you ever promise yourself or others to cut down on the cels you buy, and then break that promise ? yes o_O
• Did you ever lie about the amount you spent on cels? yes
• Does your spouse, partner or family approve of what you do to buy cels? no. haha
• Do they feel that you spend too much time on your hobby?
• Does not being able to check cel auctions/sales for some reason make you irritable? yes @_@
• Do you find yourself thinking about cels when you’re at work or doing something else? of course, im at work right now lol


Clinically, answering "yes" to three of these indicates a potential dependency that ought to be addressed. As a long-time collector, though, I'd add to the list two more hobby-specific questions:


• Does buying a cel make you happier than unpacking a cel? I like unpacking the cels... haha
• Do you appreciate a new cel more than one you've had for a year or more? I like both...


hm... i think it is an addiction for sure. lol

[klet]

• • Does buying a cel make you happier than unpacking a cel?
  • Do you appreciate a new cel more than one you've had for a year or more?

I think that those particular problems stem from the online aspect of cel galleries. So many collectors don't take the time to actually look through their real collection. I myself am guilty of that. I'll look through others' online collections and feel that there is no way I can compete. But, that is the best time to pull out the old cel books. You will regain an appreciation of all your old cels. I guarentee it.

Of course, some cels that I bought a year ago might not thrill me as much because my quality expectations have changed. In those cases, I end up selling off some of the older stuff. But only some. They're never from what I would consider my "main" series.


You know what I think the worst thing that can happen in this hobby? Losing a really nice, really expensive auction. It makes you want to go out and buy yourself presents.

[kizu]

• Did you ever promise yourself or others to cut down on the cels you buy, and then break that promise ?

Yes... and it's only been a month or so..........

• Did you ever lie about the amount you spent on cels?

Not yet!
• Did you ever suffer negative consequences as a direct result of buying cels?

Not yet! But I have a feeling it'll be around the corner...

• Does your spouse, partner or family approve of what you do to buy cels?

I don't tell anyone that's ummm not an anime lover which means my family... Although I think if they knew, I'd get spanked or "sermonized".

• Do they feel that you spend too much time on your hobby?

Yes... But all my serious hobbies are like that. *cough* Shinsengumi...

• Do you feel a rush of euphoria when you buy a cel, then afterwards feel depressed or remorseful?

Yes... but once I get it on hand... the buyers remorse goes away.

• Does not being able to check cel auctions/sales for some reason make you irritable?

Yes... as well with doujinshi

• Do you find yourself thinking about cels when you’re at work or doing something else?

Thinking about it? LOL... I talk about it.

• Do you buy cels to cheer yourself up when you’re having life problems or are depressed?

I tend to look more at what I have or will have. *smile*

• Does the amount you spend on cels lead to financial hardship or difficulties?

Hmmm right now I think it will.. But I'm new so hopefully by then I'd found a way to be more selective... I think I'm selective though on what I buy... But some shows one can't really pick because of rarity and sometimes price. *cough* Macross... Giant Robots... Kenshin...


Clinically, answering "yes" to three of these indicates a potential dependency that ought to be addressed. As a long-time collector, though, I'd add to the list two more hobby-specific questions:

• Does buying a cel make you happier than unpacking a cel?

Hmmm no... Both makes me uber happy.

• Do you appreciate a new cel more than one you've had for a year or more?

I'm new.. so everything is new.. I'll think about this in a few years... But then again I don't buy anything that I plan to just unload later.. Perhaps I might if a real life emergency comes up or... I buy a house.

^__^ Am I addicted? My wallet seems to say so.. but I'm not sure...

[Ronin]

I consider that "Buy It Now While It's Still Available".

Hahah sooo true!!

But the thrill and enjoyment of owning the cels too is almost as high, but I would say that the "thrill of acquisition" is what drives my collection. But I have been better lately...

[ashenfairy]

First of all, are you really an addict? Honestly answer these questions (adapted from an online definition found at a professional mental disorders site):

• • Did you ever promise yourself or others to cut down on the cels you buy, and then break that promise ? All the freaking Time! See my latest RS weblog post though, we have actually cut down a lot and that's the sad part!
  
  • Did you ever lie about the amount you spent on cels? Nope why would I? It's our hard earned money and we're both collectors so it's not an issue.
  
  • Did you ever suffer negative consequences as a direct result of buying cels? Eh...I've been depressed about missing out on major wishlist cels but, that's a consequence of not buying. I've been worried about my finances because of buying them though.
  
  • Does your spouse, partner or family approve of what you do to buy cels? My family has no idea what I spend on cels and I'm not going to tell them! My partner is fine though since she's a cel addict too!
  
  
  • Do they feel that you spend too much time on your hobby? I don't think so. But, I don't really know again, Jen is fine but, I don't know what anyone else thinks.
  
  • Do you feel a rush of euphoria when you buy a cel, then afterwards feel depressed or remorseful?Sometimes if I forgot about a big bill, or when I buy something that I feel I didn't need but just wanted cause it was there
  
  • Does not being able to check cel auctions/sales for some reason make you irritable? It can though I've been able to break myself of looking at them for months at a time (almost 6 months is the longest so far)
  
  • Do you find yourself thinking about cels when you’re at work or doing something else ?Sometimes
  
  • Do you buy cels to cheer yourself up when you’re having life problems or are depressed? Most definately
  
  • Does the amount you spend on cels lead to financial hardship or difficulties? Sometimes, usually only for high end wishlist cels that pop up and I haven't had an oppertunity to budget for, as of yet though I've only put cels on a credit card once.
  
  • Does buying a cel make you happier than unpacking a cel? Sometimes yes
  
  • Do you appreciate a new cel more than one you've had for a year or more? Usually not, I usally appreciate the older ones more unless I bought the new one as an upgrade

AHA! I knew I'm addict...Kind of.....a recovering addict though, We only buy a few cels a month if that now instead of the like 2 a week we were at for awhile. The problem with recovery is though that I don't want to stop collecting. I just want to cut down a bit, and mainting a healthy level of addiction* is way harder that cutting it out of your life completely.

*healthy level of addiction, definetly and oxymoron but, you other addicts should know what I mean!

[Caroline]

the worst is when you fork over money that you dont have... i am this close to shelling out a few thousand dollars for a cel. maybe i should take a poll first. PM me if youre interested and tell me if you think the cel is worth it... *lol*

[ashenfairy]

the worst is when you fork over money that you dont have... i am this close to shelling out a few thousand dollars for a cel. maybe i should take a poll first. PM me if youre interested and tell me if you think the cel is worth it... *lol*

Given the sort of things you collect the cel itself probably is worth whatever the price tag is. However, no matter what it is even if it's the most beautiful piece of art in the world, it isn't worth jeopardizing your sanity by pushing yourself into debt.

[Caroline]

i know... i know...

this is such a painful hobby!!

[guerrierinconnu]

I'm an addicted to cels too....

It's terrible and sometimes i force myself to not jump into yahoo jap and Mandarake !! But it's hard....

it's more terrible with me because i'm also a cel seller.... and i buy lot's of cel for my shops each month...sometimes i want to keep for myself lot's of of these cels i buy for my shops but i must not !!! i have to eat and pay my bills....

arrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhh why anime cels are so wonderful ??!! ^__^

[dave1999artwork]

Actually when I saw the thread title 'addiction,' I didn't think of cels funnily enough, I thought about drugs.

Collecting cels makes you feel slightly happier at the time, but that's was in the first three years for me. After that I just did it automatically without considering my bills. The fact that I was behind on my electric bills for seven months one time made me feel really depressed, but I still carried on buying/bidding/downpayments,etc.

I'd create a link to a search under my fave series on yahoo jp, add it to favourites and check it everyday when I answered email.

Food money has never been a problem for me- I don't think I've ever spent over $30 a week on my grocery shopping. Anyone who doesn't have a family to feed, and spends $100 + on groceries has to be a pig or rich (I dont reckon anyone here is).

I think the longer I've owned a cel, the more I'll like it as opposed to recent purchase, cuz the hobbie was still really enjoyable and rewarding then/ plus I guess I was younger.

Finding them online (never thought I'd see that, but there u go) was alot more fun then getting them in the mail. Sometimes there'd be a fee too when the seller had stated it's full value ($400 worth of used accetate = $50 customs fees), that was never nice.

I'd only ever thinkabout cels at work if I knew they were on their way in the mail.

I probably spent longer than I should have done on it, yes.