I spent some time last night looking through the previous C/S Resolutions and it was interesting to note that, even in 2006, the supply of new cels to buy and the costs of purchasing artwork were just as much of a concern as they are to some now. It seems to be a universal concern and at least one member has noted this in their post in each C/S Resolution topic we've had.
1. What was the best thing that's happened to your gallery/collection in 2014?
Gallery - I updated my RS gallery with a new layout. I mentioned in the previous year's C/S Resolution that I was hoping to incorporate some commissioned artwork in the new banner, but it just didn't work out too well. I settled for using some artwork that the same artist designed instead. I'm happy with the new layout and color scheme. It's less busy and I like that I can highlight a particular sketch and cel every month, a feature that other galleries use and that I enjoy.
Collection - My acquisitions doubled compared to the previous year, the majority of these all coming from conventions. Despite my repetitive complaints regarding line management at conventions, all but Anime Expo panned out. AX is such a crapshoot and from personal experience, years ending in even numbers are phenomenally bad. I did manage to get a super wishlist
Hakuouki Kazama sketch this year. And then there was that Shinya Kougami sketch drawn by the
Psycho Pass character designer, Kyoji Asano. Oh. Yes.
Experience - Meeting Akihiro Kanayama. Kanayama is a old school; He was busting tail drawing douga before I was in diapers. He not only worked on the original
Kimba the White Lion series, but he did the character design for
Ashita no Joe. Kanayama's father was killed by a US soldier in WWII, and because of this, he had a really negative opinion of Americans. His appearance at Japan Expo USA was his first visit to the US, and over the course of a weekend, I watched as he went from recoil to acceptance to contentedness. I also was really happy to see that Izumi Matsumoto had a lot more color in his cheeks. He looked pretty pale at PMX in 2013 and I was concerned for his health then. And let's not forget how beet red I turned when aiding the creator of tentacle smut, Toshio Maeda, at his panel at AX this year.
2. What was the most surprising thing that happened to your gallery/collection this year?
Gallery - The gallery redesign, I guess. That was something that I had wanted to do for a while, though. There's only so much one can take floating bubbles before it just becomes nauseating.
Collection - I bought less than 10 cels/sketches from both CCS and Sailor Moon this year. While some nice stuff occasionally pops up, I don't find myself drawn to it as much. With the exception of
Sailor Moon Crystal, I still love the anime but I don't find myself wanting anything that's popping up for sale. And yeah, SMC was the biggest shocker of the year for me. I can't think of the last time a series was hyped as much as this one was and became such an absolute disappointment.
I'm also going to have to eat my words over the promise I made regarding Akemi Takada's artwork.
Experience - I had one collector tell me that he liked a certain convention before a friend and I attended. That made me laugh. I applaud him for his balls, but still...wow...it's always amusing when someone takes this hobby so personally. Since he's a member of this board and assuming he reads this, I hope you realize that I, too, have lost out on plenty of items I've wanted at charity auctions. The difference, though, is that I don't hate the people that won those items. None of them won the items with the intention that, by doing so, they would deprive me of them. They won them because they wanted them and they were willing and able to pay more than I was to buy them. There will always be someone out there that has more money than you and is willing to spend it. Get used to it.
3. Which piece were you most proud of acquiring in 2014?
*The*
Psycho Pass Kougami sketch. Artistically, not even close to the best item I acquired this year. Oh Kou-chan, the things I would do for you
(I swears I'm totally normal IRL. Not a fujoshi. At all.)
4. What's something that concerns you about your collecting experience?
At least in the US, buying anime production artwork and collecting sketches feels like a dying hobby. I'm always surprised the amount of people I see soapboaxing how they support the industry by buying DVDs/BDs/merchandise but that they either don't know or don't care that there's a different side to the collecting experience which is just as valid. I'm sad that the main outlets where fans get their information, like ANN, never do anything to showcase the hobby. I realize this is because those that are paying the bills are the ones that are trying to peddle their mass produced anime/manga wares and they don't want to lose customers. I would like to see more outreach done but with the lack of artwork from new shows available, I don't know if getting more people interested in this hobby is realistic.
I'm also still on the edge with Kickstarter, especially with one company in particular who, while I'm happy has had a lot of success, seems to have gotten too big for its britches. Any company who tells me that I should feel grateful that, for $7000 I can get a color sketch from an artist is one that makes me laugh. Especially when, about a year ago, a similar sketch from the same artist sold on Mandarake for less than 1/3 of the asking price. I understand that the purpose of Kickstarter is to support projects and that the items offered as a reward are rarely, if ever, worth as much as their corresponding donation tier. But there's a big difference between an overhead fee I'm willing to pay and a fee that's more than 2x the selling price of a comparable sketch. It's hard for me to convince myself to support a project and its artists when what I'm willing to pay translates into a mass produced, printed shikishi reward level. I have not been too thrilled, thus far, with some of the rewards I've received (looking at you, Santa Company) and how my chain has been yanked (once again, Santa Company). I'm hoping that this improves in the future.
And, as already mentioned, as the exchange rate between Japanese yen and US dollars is looking more favorable, I can see myself spending more on Yahoo Japan in 2015 than I did this year.
5. What cel/sketch-related resolution do you want to make for 2015?
I'm really interested in maintaining and expanding my connections, both with other collectors and conventions/companies, in 2015. I'm sponsoring a Japanese guest to attend a convention in 2015, though I can't really talk about it at this time. I hope that this experience is beneficial both to myself and to the convention and if so, I would like to continue doing this in 2016. This sponsorship has been a drain on my fun funds, but I like that it makes me seriously question if I want to go after an auction in lieu of just casting a bid. As with last year, I still would like to cooperate with other collectors and continue helping friends get autographs whenever possible.
Collection-wise, I want to tackle my
Kobato artwork. 500+ backgrounds and I think I've scanned less than 1/10 of them. So while I won't give myself the lofty goal of finishing it all, I'd like to make a serious dent. Apologies in advance if, during the course of 2015, you get tired of background updates.
6. If you posted a cel/sketch-related resolution in 2013, how true did you stay to it?
I mentioned that I wanted to revamp my gallery and receive my Koge Donbo sketches, both of which were accomplished.
I have found a few very interesting forums about the art of animation that I am hoping to spend sometime digging in to get a feel for what people believe is going on. I was VERY worried about the prices taking a recent dive and then I got into a duel to the death over some CCS sketches this weekend so not so worried anymore...
. Also, maintain what I'm doing in my 1st answer.
I hope next yr I find the time to sit down and carefully look thru my collection again. Its gonna be tough, because I have five more months until graduation. I'll be super busy and stressed trying to scramble and finish school...not looking forward to that at all 
