Can I list a nude cel/sketch on ebay? Thanks for the advice!

[ashenfairy]

It's been ages since I used ebay so I have a quick question, I have a lovely sketch of nude mima from perfect blue that I'd like to put up. Personally I think it's acceptable under the art clause in ebay's policies as while it's nude it is art and there's nothing terribly sexual about it. But, from having has various auctions previous cancelled in the past I'm a bit worried. I know there are "hot words" I have to stay away from or the auction will get pulled no matter what's in it and I know it used to be you could have the auction up if you added black bars over the naughty bits but, it seems not to be that way now. I'm not getting any clear answers from ebay's policy listing info so I'm curious if anyone who has either bought/sold any type of "questionable" art recently has any advice for me.

thanks in advance!

[edit] thanks for the advice all, I'll be sending her to ebay tonight without any editing as it seems I'll be fine if I stay away from the dreaded "h" word. (which I have no reason to use so it shouldn't be an issue)

[iwakuralain16]

perfect blue cels??!! I love that movie.... and i have not once thought of buying or trying to find any from this animation...


If you do list it, PM me because i want to bid. ahaha

[Startyde]

You could list the most depraved cel in existence as long as you don't use the work "hentai" in the listing. You could list a cel of a bunny rabbit eating carrots and if the description had the word "hentai" it will be pulled.

[majinuub]

I never understood ebay when it came to selling auctions like these. I remember the 1st time I auctioned a non-explicit cel(it was just a characters face) from a hentai series and it was pulled. I noticed other sellers selling hentai cels and look at their auctions. Some of them were more explicit than mine. I thought it was because I wrote the words "hentai" in the title. I reauctioned the cel without including the words and it wasn't pulled the second time.

I believe you'll be fine though since I've seen other sellers sell cels of nude anime characters without any problems. They may pull the auction if you include the words "nude" in the title though.

[ashenfairy]

Thanks for the advice all. I know that I can't use the dreaded H word in an ebay listing ever but it's been awhile since I've been looking or selling and I wasn't sure if their polices had gotten worse.

perfect blue cels??!! I love that movie.... and i have not once thought of buying or trying to find any from this animation...


If you do list it, PM me because i want to bid. ahaha

I sent you a PM

[RoboFlonne]

You can put a censor circle around anything nude on the picture and that should work!

[sletia]

Is it up yet?! *jumps up and down*

[ashenfairy]

Is it up yet?! *jumps up and down*

I'll be listing her this evening:

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlovesmybuggyQQhtZ-1
I can send you a PM when I do if you'd like. ^_^

[hobbywhelmed]

Ebay has a process where, if somebody finds an auction that they think breaks any of the numerous listing rules, they just enter the number into an online form. What usually happens is that the auction is pulled, since live EB personnel rarely check out these things in person (even when you request that they do, if you've had an auction pulled).

I found some people in the forums who boasted of whiling away a boring evening by "turning in" lots of "unpermitted" listings.

Then, too, periodically, the bay will do a keyword purge above and beyond the in-place automated purges, as for the above noted H word - I remember when Yaoi was the purge-word for awhile.

Technically, any nudity is supposed to be in the adult section. Some sellers seem to get away with it, particularly the overseas sellers (BTW, since I've been following the sellers' forums there, a tidbit came up that Chinese sellers have no listing fees (ebay is trying to increase their presence in that part of the market). Which explains the onslaught of listings from that part of the world!). Some people cover up the offending parts, although technically, that's not sufficient, according to discussions of the rules. If you don't get pulled, it just meant that you didn't trigger the automated purging software and that nobody spotted your auction and turned it in for a righteous buzz.

Oh, also - I'm not sure of exactly what triggers the pull, but they'll pull fancel auctions for mentioning that you do commissions, or for linking to a site with samples of your work. They'd really prefer no linking to any site you might have at all, even just for background info.

[ashenfairy]

Technically, any nudity is supposed to be in the adult section...Some people cover up the offending parts, although technically, that's not sufficient, according to discussions of the rules. If you don't get pulled, it just meant that you didn't trigger the automated purging software and that nobody spotted your auction and turned it in for a righteous buzz.

That's where my issue came in right there, Ebay's current rules (which I dillignetly read through for like the millionth time before posting this) Say that You can have nudity on artwork It's just a limited window of artwork. "Nudity is permitted if it is part of an artwork that is considered fine art, such as certain paintings, carvings, figurines and other similar items." although I don't know that I'd consider cels to be "fine" art (but, try telling that to Disney collectors that shell out $5K plus in many cases).
So, there's this clause "Topless and suggestive images are permitted on vintage postcards, pin-up photos and animation." Which clearly lists animation and in my case She's topless as the sketch is torso only so I'd think it should be allowed under those rules (which ultimately it is for the moment). My question came becasue I know I've had auctions that did in fact follow those rules but were pulled anyway because, it contained one of the magic words that gets anything pulled. So I was basically looking to see if there were any new magic words I shouldn't be using or if the polices had gotten any more strigent even though they haven't been updated in the site rules. From what you're saying is in fact the case if zero nudity is supposed to be allowed that kind of overides the polices I cited earlier. Also I more interesting question become that if that's the case what about transformation sequences? Will those be banned in the future they certainly aren't sexual but, they are Nude. Thanks for all that info though! Also the thing about china is interesting as well I kind of wondered about that!

[hobbywhelmed]

I know about the "fine art" clauses too -

The problem is the image/wording police who, as I said, can turn in an auction simply by putting the number in a form, and ebay will pull it automatically rather than investigate if the charge (I don't even know if they have to specify the charge!) is warranted or not. Their actions are really spotty, so you may well have a chance. The last anime cel with nudity that got lobbed off, that I saw, was several months ago.

[ashenfairy]

I know about the "fine art" clauses too -

The problem is the image/wording police who, as I said, can turn in an auction simply by putting the number in a form, and ebay will pull it automatically rather than investigate if the charge (I don't even know if they have to specify the charge!) is warranted or not. Their actions are really spotty, so you may well have a chance. The last anime cel with nudity that got lobbed off, that I saw, was several months ago.

To clarify I wasn't trying to imply you weren't aware of the clauses (sorry if ti seemed that way) I was more pointing out hey the clauses are there so how can ebay come yoink my auction when I read their rules? Although if it's just a bunch of people who hang out on their forums and have nothing better to do than auction search I suppose that no matter what it will be kind of a craps shoot. which is annoying but, worht being aware of. thanks again for your useful info!

[hobbywhelmed]

Oh, don't worry, I enjoyed you quoting the clauses! Yeah, are we "fine art" or aren't we! We should be, if Tom & Jerry cels are considered a fine collectible!

And I'm sure there's a 90-year-old out there that's highly amused that the vintage nudie postcards you had to hide away are now considered fine art!