Artwork is artwork, and we all love our artwork

[Gonzai]

However, things happen. People get sick, or lose jobs. Houses catch on fire,
earthquakes, floods, hurricanes - you name it. Disaster can strike.

We all like to believe that nothing bad can happen to us, but.... what if it did
and you were forced to sell your collection to help pay off things?? I have
thought about this often, and as much as it would hurt me to sell my artwork
(especially my Hikaru No Go), if push came to shove, I would.

So, where am I going with this?? Well, I thought about this before, and I
have to admit, that there is one piece of artwork that I have that I just
could not sell, no matter the circumstances (knock on wood I never have
to face that decision.

It would be my original water color shikishi that was done for me personally by
Takuhito Kusanagi. My reason for this is because it was made especially for me.
A good friend of mine went out of their way to have the character designer
do this for me, and the designer took my request and created something especially
for me. That makes this piece very special to me.

http://indomitablespirit.rubberslug.com ... mID=246370

So, I was wondering how others felt about this. Is there one piece of artwork,
that you would always hope to have, and what is it about that piece that makes
it so special to you??

[iceman57]

Because all the family joined to make this gift...
http://toshiro.rubberslug.com/gallery/i ... mID=269684

[D123]

Yeah I’ve been facing this decision myself hopefully I won’t ever have to but if I do I’d like to at least hold on to these
the first two are Black Lady’s henshin this character means a lot to me and it’s indescribable for me to even have a cel from these scenes ESPECIALLY the first one the other is my popular head shot of her that I would really have to think about letting go of
http://spiritedaway.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=225550
http://spiritedaway.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=225575
http://spiritedaway.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=225668

and these three from Yu Yu Hakusho the show means more to me then I could ever put into words
http://spiritedaway.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=234719
http://spiritedaway.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=234717
http://spiritedaway.rubberslug.com/gall ... mID=234716

I’m sorry it’s hard to choose just one

[sensei]

http://sensei.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=32823

This was what I called the "mother of all wishlists" in January 2003 when I went after it on Yahoo Japan, less than a month after Shopping Mall Japan went live. It was one of just a few images where I wanted not just "a" cel from the sequence, but this particular cel. But what are the chances? And then it appeared.

I've gotten many beautiful and important cels and sketches since then. But this one remains "the" CCS cel for me. It lives in my "World War III" cel book that will be tucked firmly under my arm as I rush out of my house to watch the Earth crumble to ruin around me.

[ReiTheJelly]

If push came to shove, I would sell everything. After all, nothing in my collection can feed, shelter or love me. Considering the nature of this hobby, there is a good chance I'd be able to repurchase the item at some point in the future, even if it took a decade or more.

[Cordelia]

Congrats on such a beautiful piece of original artwork! I can understand why you won't ever sell it, esp since it was customised for you with a friend's help. It has a big sentimental value for you.

While there are many cels and sketches that would pain me greatly to sell them, there is nothing I wouldn't sell if I have to. I agree with ReiTheJelly. These are ultimately material goods and, some of them and their equivalent, can be bought back with enough money. Of course I hope it would never have to come to that or there'd be some real tears and internal bleeding

[sensei]

While the above two comments are true (or else anime art collectors wouldn't be collectors but hoarders), I was trying to respond to what I took to be Gonzai's question:

Is there one piece of artwork, that you would always hope to have [emphasis added].

Yeah, if my household finances all went South, everything would go. And sooner or later everything will go, with the rest of my estate. That's life.

But one can "always hope to have" a certain piece.

[Gonzai]

Agreed Sensei. That is why I made the comment, "knock on wood I never have
to face that decision." I also agree, that if it came right down to it, I would have
to let it all go as well, but as you said, I hope to always be able to own this
particular piece of artwork.

Also, I loved your WW III dramitization. I could just picture the house coming
down, and you yelling, "Grab the artwork, and let's get moving!"

[sensei]

I could just picture the house coming down, and you yelling, "Grab the artwork, and let's get moving!"

I was actually reflecting on this recent story in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... story.html

There really is a "World War III" box (actually seven of them) that the National Gallery has packed up in case All Bejeezus Breaks Loose. They really are labeled "World War III" and there is a contingency plan for security guards to whisk them to an undisclosed location in case any alien spacecraft gets the museum in its crosswires. I think I'd just grab my first cel book and maybe the portrait of "Ole Jesse" that has hung in one of the family homes since before the Civil War and call it good.

[kira]

i constantly have to worry about natural disasters since i live in tornado alley. i always knock on wood and pray really hard that nothing happens to the house were i live at the moment.

i really dont have one specific piece of artwork that i could only keep. i am atached to my whole collection, some sections more so hen others. i hope i never lose it due to the elements but i would inderstand if it happened. it would upset me but i would get over it in time.

*points above to sensei's post*
i try and stay away from anything that will freak me out and i cant sleep. not that it might not happen but i would prefer to think that it wont. or i would like to stay quite ignorant and worry free.

i think though that i might keep the itoya that would leave with you in emergancy cases in mind.
i know that this topic and the what would you do with the artwork after you leave this world, might seem strange but probably should be kept in mind.

[tex-chan]

This is a hard question, as I'm super attached to pretty much everything in my collection -- just as others have mentioned. There would be several pieces I would always, always hope to have ... but, if push came to shove and I had to choose just one that I would always hope to keep, it would have to be:

http://texsbishieluv.rubberslug.com/gal ... mID=145328

Which probably comes as no surprise to anyone. That cel was -- and still is -- my super-ultimate-holy-grail-dream-cel. I still can't believe I found it and was able to purchase it.

If I got to choose more than one cel that I would always hope to have, I would say pretty much everything in my "favorites" section + my Orphen Hankens -- for a start. But even that's hard to quantify, because I know there are many Saiyuki pieces that I would be like: "Oh, yeah! I have to include that one!" Ugh. Being indecisive is hard.

Come to think of it, I might just have to adopt Sensei's wonderful WWIII cel book idea! I really like the thought that I might have a shot at grabbing up and saving my most favorite pieces -- after I had rescued the kiddo and all the pets, of course!

[star-phoenix]

Wow, what a tough question. Honestly, if push comes to shove, anything is possible. My Disney collection will always be the last I let go, but among them, this piece is the last one I will ever let go.

http://starphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=325360

Hubby bought this for me as a present.

[kizu]

I have 2 hard artwork cases one of them is what I call the black box (has my most favorite pieces in it). In case of a fire - these cases are all I can take with me. I'm still trying to figure out how to take truly oversized pieces...

As for what I'm willing to let go, I know for a fact that I can't tell that until the circumstance arrives so I've stopped thinking about what should go. I have a vague idea of what I would let go off given the right circumstances but other than that it's just no use... LOL! Mostly because the ones I won't sell are the one's others keep asking me to sell. So in a funny way, I find out that way what I really want to keep. Life is complicated!

[sugarcels]

Reading this thread has inspired me to put together a "special" portfolio for my most cherished cels (that are small enough to fit)

Some of my cels, I don't think I'd be beyond devastated if I had to sell them off or they got lost in a fire. When it comes to a Medabots cel versus the life of my cat, I will take my cat.

However, there are a few cels that I would not sell unless it was a matter of paying off a bill or living in my car:

http://sugarcels.rubberslug.com/gallery ... mID=232362
http://sugarcels.rubberslug.com/gallery ... mID=211337
http://sugarcels.rubberslug.com/gallery ... mID=310114

[toonybabe]

These are the two cels I could never part with:

Sonic and Sally OP cel
http://likeabutterfly.rubberslug.com/ga ... mID=256956

Unico and Cheri
http://likeabutterfly.rubberslug.com/ga ... mID=247333

This sketch by Iwao Takamoto would be really really painful for me to sell too:
http://likeabutterfly.rubberslug.com/ga ... mID=286242