Ichigos wrote:Howdy all! I’m new here and I just purchased my first animation cel off of eBay. It is currently being shipped to me so I do not have it in my possession yet. (The cel is Jadeite from Sailor Moon in case anyone was curious) It is also coming with the sketch!
Congratulations! A collection begins with one properly cherished cel, and if you are patient and lucky, it will be followed by many more.
1. The cel I purchased already has the fading red lines! How should I store this cel? Is there any way to prevent them from getting worse?
From what I hear, that is typical for SM cels, and while there is no permanent remedy (it's caused by the instability of the artwork itself, called "intrinsic vice") you can keep its progress to a minimum by storing it in a dark place where there is climate control to keep changes in temperature/humidity to a minimum. You should also be sure that it is not completely enclosed (i.e., sealed in a bag without holes, clipped corners, or a slit side) so that fumes can vent to the outside.
I would frame it, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a good quality frame. Is there an alternative option for storing it? I was thinking a folder with that see through plastic stuff (the name slipped my mind). Does anyone know where to purchase that kind of thing?
There's a lot of discussion on the wisdom of framing. I don't do it, myself, but several Betarians have successfully framed valuable cels, and they can provide some guidelines. (Short version: be sure that the framer is experienced with handling cels.) For most purposes, an Itoya Profolio is an OK option. They are stocked by major art chains like Michael's and can be bought online at many websites and on eBay. Get the 11 x 14 size which will hold standard-sized cels, plus production backgrounds and most pan cels as well.
The cel and sketch I bought say “A8” at the top. What does that mean?
That's the "registration number." A is the layer the image was on, and so your cel was the first one put on the light table. There may have been others stacked on top with (for instance) a mouth layer, another character, or something on a table. Anything that moves in the scene had to be painted on a cel. The tabs at the top went into pegs on the light table to keep the images "in registration" or in synch with the images on the other layer and not wobbling around on the screen. The 8 is the number of your cel in the "cut" or specific series of motions in which it appears. So there were at least seven other cels of that character that appeared in that cut before yours, and maybe others that came later. If the "A8" is circled on your sketch, it's a "key cel," which means that it was copied from a sketch that the animation director for that episode drew. If not, it's an "inbetweener" designed by a junior animator to make the key images blend together smoothly.
I have some (I believe these are dougas) from an anime called Tokyo Mew Mew. I’m not too worried about them getting damaged as much as a cel. But what is a good way to store production art?
You should put them in a fresh bag that is rated as archival. (Lots of places sell these, too.) I insert a piece of cardstock with them that is just a little bigger than the sketches, so they don't accidentally get bent or creased. Then slip that into your Profolio for storage. (Sketches tend to multiply like rabbits, and when you start running out of space, then we can talk archival boxes. But that's down the road.)
Dougas have the numbers in the upper right corner (usually). Gengas have the number in a circle alongside the characters. The sketch that will come with your SM cel will be a douga. Gengas are often more interesting as they were done by a senior animator under the direction of the animation director.
What are steps my family should take when receiving the cel? I really wish I could be here when it arrives.
Beside putting it in a safe place where the dog can't pee on it and where you can find it when you come home, I don't think there is any special attention needed. I'd say don't even open the package but put it where you can deal with it later. Then you'll want to change the cel bag and put the sketch into a separate bag for safety, and slip them into your Profolio. Some curators store sketches separately from cels, but for a small collection I'd say bagging them separately is the only precaution you need to take.
Thanks for asking and happy hunting in the future!
to Providence RI to give my talk to the American Folklore Society 
on Princess Tutu.
