Best place (deals) to buy Itoya portfolios?

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:41 pm

I've been looking all over the net today for the best deals. So far Dick Blick has had the best prices for the sizes I need for my cels. The 11X14 books are $8.48 each (for standard cels w/ backgrounds), and the 13X19 books are $16.18 each (for regular sized pan cels). They also give FedEx shipping (next day, 2 day, and ground).

I've also found a seller on eBay that has decent deals for Itoyas.

Does anyone know of other sellers/stores that have deals just as good or even better than Dick Blick? Of course if you want to keep it secret I understand.

glorff · Post by **glorff** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:55 pm

Be sure which series of book you are getting, since there are more than one there is a very definite difference

Sugarflower · Post by **Sugarflower** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:39 pm

glorff wrote:Be sure which series of book you are getting, since there are more than one there is a very definite difference

Thank you for the heads up glorff. I was given an Itoya book some time ago with a cel purchase and I've been looking for ones that are the same as it.

This is the series I was planning to buy. Is this the correct Itoya for cels?

SME · Post by **SME** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:02 pm

Dick Blick is a great place to buy Itoya books. Sometimes I get mine on Ebay, but overall Dick Blick has the best prices. Sometimes on Ebay people make up the difference in price by raising the shipping prices to absurd amounts, so you might end up paying more than you intended.

I don't just order Itoya books from Dick Blick, as my sister makes fancels so she gets some of her supplies from there. Whenever she needs an order and I need a book, I just tell her to order them from there and shipping is relatively cheap.

Here are a few other places I know where you can buy cel books from (I have purchased from all these places). Just keep in mind shipping and/or hidden costs:
- Dark Harbor
- In 2 Art
- Mister Art

Hope my small list helps a bit!

wELCOME cONSUMER · Post by **wELCOME cONSUMER** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:06 pm

I do the same as SME. Whenever we need art supplies, it's just cheaper to buy a cel book (art portfolio) at the same time to save on shipping. Local art stores are good places to buy them as well. Even The Container Store sells them.

birdie · Post by **birdie** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:31 pm

Someone posted this in another thread so I can't take credit for knowing this, but AC Moore sells them. It's a chain of craft stores and they offer coupons that brings their already low prices down even more. And no shipping.

iwakuralain16 · Post by **iwakuralain16** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:46 pm

They are out of the 18x24. THat is the one i need >_> Good thing I found this topic. I have been needing a large portfolio and none of the art supply stores around here sell the large itoya portfolios. >_<

sailorsv13 · Post by **sailorsv13** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:32 pm

May I ask a question about Itoya portfolios?

While they are very nice and I would like to store my cels in them, I have instead been purchasing portfolios that can be zipped up as I figured the Itoya folders could be easily exposed to UV. So I guess my question is, if you use Itoya portfolios, how do you store them so that they are protected from UV? I need a lot more storage space and would like to spend much less than I have been on portfolios, so Itoya would be wonderful if I could just protect the cels from light.
Thank you!
~ Bri ~

cutiebunny · Post by **cutiebunny** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:36 pm

I put the dust bunnies to work and make them protect my cel books underneath my bed(where the light shall never touch them..mwahaha!). I only take my cels out to scan them, so happily, due to the books where they've been stored, I think that I've done well in the preservation area.

But, in regards to the topic, I buy mine on E-bay. I recently purchased the largest size ones(17x28?), and, with a little sticky putty, in some cases, I put two cels per page(in their own baggies, of course).

kizu · Post by **kizu** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:41 pm

I second Dick Blick. It's the only place I get them from. I get those Art Presentation Profolio things. Although 8 bucks for 11x14 that's kind of cheap. I pay around 10 for mine...

Anyway to answer the other question... I store mine in the closet. On hangers and since I dread going into my closet (you can guess why), it's basically good enough for Dracula to live in (another reason why I stay away from the closet).

Golden Boy · Post by **Golden Boy** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:02 pm

sailorsv13 wrote:May I ask a question about Itoya portfolios?

While they are very nice and I would like to store my cels in them, I have instead been purchasing portfolios that can be zipped up as I figured the Itoya folders could be easily exposed to UV. So I guess my question is, if you use Itoya portfolios, how do you store them so that they are protected from UV? I need a lot more storage space and would like to spend much less than I have been on portfolios, so Itoya would be wonderful if I could just protect the cels from light.
Thank you!
~ Bri ~

I usually hang an 11x14 Itoya on a hanger and stick it in the closet and I'm good to go. The hanger keeps it upright so you don't need to worry about the weight of the book pressing on the cels and if it's in the closet no UV gets to it.

just my 2 centavos,
gb

wELCOME cONSUMER · Post by **wELCOME cONSUMER** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:20 pm

Golden Boy wrote:
sailorsv13 wrote:May I ask a question about Itoya portfolios?

While they are very nice and I would like to store my cels in them, I have instead been purchasing portfolios that can be zipped up as I figured the Itoya folders could be easily exposed to UV. So I guess my question is, if you use Itoya portfolios, how do you store them so that they are protected from UV? I need a lot more storage space and would like to spend much less than I have been on portfolios, so Itoya would be wonderful if I could just protect the cels from light.
Thank you!
~ Bri ~
I usually hang an 11x14 Itoya on a hanger and stick it in the closet and I'm good to go. The hanger keeps it upright so you don't need to worry about the weight of the book pressing on the cels and if it's in the closet no UV gets to it.

just my 2 centavos,
gb

That's a really great suggestion, hub. Never would've thought of that. Very clever.

But are Itoya's that easy to expose to UV? I mean, isn't keeping them closed enough to protect them from UV? It's not exactly as though they're clear or anything. I guess I never thought it was a problem. Should I take some special precautions? Now I'm worried.

otakusin · Post by **otakusin** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 6:22 pm

sailorsv13: Since I have a nephew and a stepbrother that likes to get into things I decided to hang them in my filing cabinet, nice little locks. Before that though I used comic book, magazine, etc. storage boxes with wire hangers cut and hung in the boxes to hold them upright. It may seem an odd way but I had no room in our closets to hang them, lol. Worked quite well, until the munchkin's got into them, lol. Thankfully I had a filing cabinet that worked, size wise.

RalphVboy · Post by **RalphVboy** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:38 pm

I get my art supplies and Itoya portfolios from Jerry's Artarama. Here's a link to their Itoya section:

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount- ... supplies/3

They get 2 thumbs way up from me for both fast shipping and wonderful customer service ^_^

- RalphVboy

Moop · Post by **Moop** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:53 pm

Golden Boy wrote:I usually hang an 11x14 Itoya on a hanger and stick it in the closet and I'm good to go.

This is what I do, too. Works like a charm, and I love the fact that it takes all of the weight off of the paint.

(I also do it with my 14x17s, but I have to jury rig an extension for the hangers.)