No turning back

[sensei]

Some recent posts have complained of the lack of interesting threads, so I thought I'd adopt a topic from our Sunday newspaper's magazine, which has a weekly write-in column based on interesting experiences. This week the topic is

Tell about a time when you realized there was no turning back.

In the context of this forum, this suggests the time when you realized that you were no longer a person with a couple of cels or sketches, but a committed collector.

I'd say this was the day when I randomly clicked on the old Anime Beta dealer's site just after Nick had updated, and found there a cel that I had no idea I might ever actually own. I happened to have the money in my account, and so I got it -- my first wishlist -- and ever since then I've been lurking somewhere, waiting to see if something equally nice will appear out of the underbrush.

[Sui Kune]

Oh man, definitely when I bought my very first cel. I knew it, too, which was why I held off for so long to start (besides concerns about my cel climate, which I've hopefully rectified with my trusty dehumidifier). When I collect something, I don't just go halfway, I tend to go all-out. (But luckily, for me to collect something, it usually takes huge emotional dedication.)

And now, two years and I don't even want to know how much money later, I'm so incredibly proud of my collection and have no regrets.

[ReiTheJelly]

I'm with Sui Kune -- I knew from Day One that I'd be a collector. Over time several aspects of my collection have changed, but I've always known this was a long-term hobby for me.

[teggacat]

Great topic Sensei
having been an anime fan for several years I had admired cels from a distance, not really knowing quite what they were,
not interested enough to research it, and always thinking "that looks cool but...I'd NEVER spend $200 dollars on something like that!"
well, one day I broke down and purchased my first cel for a mere $15, when it arrived and I held that cel
in my hands, saw it up close, well, that was 9 years ago........
and that $200 cel was a kenshin cel and I regeret to this day not grabbing it

[kizu]

In 2005 I bought my first saitou cel - just the eyes. Nothing much... I also bought a very well made fancel which I didn't think it was at the time. Both sat on top of my doujinshi collection for over 6 months. I said to myself that's all I need - now I have a Saitou cel and there's no need to further collect. But then I wanted something nicer after finding out that my fancel was a "fancel". Lost a lot of auctions in the interim and kept coming back to that one OP cel at advance agent. It was an expensive cel which stopped me from buying it in the early days of 2006... But after losing so many times on auction - I said - I'd buy this one and that'd be the end of it. That was sometime in the latter half of 2006.

Lo and behold... After getting that cel I was a goner... There was no looking back.

[animeobsessed]

Once Goldknight was sweet and introduced me to this forum, I was in big trouble. There was no turning back once I bought this cel and started chatting with my wonderful friend, Gonzai! :

[JWR]

Well I can say that I have pretty much been a collector from very early on. I know I started with stamps when I bought a set of international stamps that had been issued as a memorial after JFK was assasinated. I went form there to coins , baseball cards and many other items.

It was in the late 70's when I bought my 1st piece of original comic art. That really triggered a life long persuit. I did not buy my 1st Anime cel until 2002.

Some might laugh but went we started buying them it was "Wow this stuff is so cheap".

The comic art I collected from the artists I liked ran in the $1k - 3K range per piece, Cels being $50 - $250 at the time were a "bargan".

[Cordelia]

I knew I wanted cels when I knew they were available for sale. But the prices for the series I watched weren't too friendly for a beginner.....so I waited and waited. Eventually I caved and bought a really cute Sasami cel from ebay. The moment I held it in my hands, there was no turning back. The colours were vibrant, the lines were sharp and clear....I was mesmerised! Dang, I even liked the smell of it *LOL*

Of course, one wasn't enough....and my tolerance for spending $$ increased slowly but surely. So yupz, I'm still collecting after 12 years, and I hope to do so for a long, long time. I think I will as long as there is quality artwork for sale.

[sensei]

Interesting. I do remember being surprised and fascinated by the visual impact of the first cels that I purchased. I had them together in a little stack in a priority mail envelope, and about once a month I'd get them out and just look at them, one by one. But there were other things I liked to look at too, like my little stack of AMG pencil boards or my brick from the Blair Witch house with the skull-headed figurine on top. For me it took another Rubicon to make it clear to me that this was where my collecting instincts were carrying me.

The wishlist buy was the moment that told me, "whatever you see on the screen, that image could really exist somewhere out there ... and you could not only get to see it, you could get to own it."

Now I am here with you
No second thoughts
I've decided
Decided.

Past the point of no return...

[cutiebunny]

I've always collected something. When I was a little kid, it was foriegn currency/US Bicentennial Quarters, pencils and Panini Stickers. In 1993 when Sailor Moon first hit the airwaves, I started buying cards & other merchandise at the anime stores in the area.

At the time I got into cels, I was more or less at the limit of card collecting. I pretty much had a copy of every Japanese Sailor Moon card produced, and the ones I didn't have weren't worth the time and deputy fees to purchase. Cels, and now shikishi, filled in the void.

My only real collecting regret, other than the various auctions along the way that I lost, was that I would have loved to have started earlier. But no one in my family and none of my friends were either into animation, or knew anything about collectibles. But, I studied a lot throughout school, and I could easily see that I would have been frustrated knowing there was a convention nearby, but being unable to attend because some teacher thought it would be fun to give her students a last minute assignment due Monday.

[blueshinma]

So when the internet was young I was, well ....... err ....... um, OK I was trying to buy the La Blue Girl box set. I found the web site they also had cels for sale from Iria and Guyver, it took over 10 minutes to load each 20 image page. I bought a cel of Kei and of Zeiram (gave the Zeiram to a friend) Framed them all..... poorly. Then I never looked back. And no, none of my Miko cels are posted I knew all it was all over when I picked up this Sailor Moon cel: http://thistledown.rubberslug.com/galle ... temID=9698 , the background was disintegrating and the lines were fading to light brown. I took it to a framer who worked for the Smithsonian mounting/framing historic documents. Paid over three times the cost of the cel to frame it and I still think it was worth it! It would have never survived in a cel book!

[D123]

These stories all sound familiar just like what I experienced with my first cel

I think anybody can go back , but I guess when I first realized there was no going back is when I first used a deputy then won my first Black Lady cel and sketch sets all at the same time on YJ

but really, recently I feel I realized there was no going back as I’m seeing more animations the more artwork I want to find and also I’ve realized how nothing else collecting wise gets me this excited and brings so much joy. I really consider myself as a full fledge animation collector now and I can’t get enough of it and take great pride in it

When I collect something, I don't just go halfway, I tend to go all-out. (But luckily, for me to collect something, it usually takes huge emotional dedication.)

Sounds just like me

[star-phoenix]

When I bought this cel....

http://starphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=110381

That was the moment I had spent more than $35 on a cel. Then, the C-R-A-Z-Y research collector surfaced when I bought this cel.
http://starphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=213327

[frozentime]

I guess the addiction actually started with the very first cel I bought. Prior to this I had intentionally avoided getting started, but I thought I could get just this one beautiful cel and be satisfied. As it turned out, I was so satisfied with the feeling after the purchase that I was standing in line at the next Con trying to be one of the first to hit the dealers' tables before the good cels were gone--It was kind of a different game back then. I probably didn't realize there was no turning back until that point I guess, even though the hook was set with the first purchase.

The one responsible:

http://robert.rubberslug.com/gallery/in ... emID=70926

[rosesleep]

The first collectibles I ever purchased as a young child were Sailor Moon stickers and cards. Eventually my interest lead to Pokemon and Digimon trading cards, and boy, were those the days! (I used to steal Pokemon cards, no regret :p) So early on in my college career (still studying gotdamnit), I venture to antiquities such as photos, dolls, and autographs.

Last year or so, I rediscovered my love for Sailor Moon and was determined to own at least 3 production art. I said 3 but... well.. it became a habit that is hard to die