Jeesh guys...

Usagi's House is one of the nicest places online 
to buy cels, Heather is a really nice person and 
a dear friend. She had every right to be 
offended, because even to ~me~ it sounded like 
you were insulting her. I think the posters' 
apologies were good, and I can see now that it 
wasn't intended to be an insult. However, the 
flamers *GRRR*

It's VERY VERY frustrating for cel dealers right 
now, which is why I have gotten out of it pretty 
much, because of people not knowing what the HUGE 
rise in cel interest has done to the cel market 
in Japan.

When I was buying cels 4-5 years ago, they were 
much much cheaper and I was able to let them go 
at cheap prices, the same was true for Heather. 
Now, to pick up an incredible cel... it's going 
to cost you. The Japanese know that we love cels 
and they are jacking up the prices right and 
left. I know Heather and other dealers are 
frustrated because buying cels now isn't worth 
it, but most are TRUE fans (especially: Usagi's 
House, Asylum, Anime Chaos, Nichibei, 
Noonchesters, Anime Link, Animanga, and exCel) 
and they want to provide these wonderful cels for 
you. However, they are soooooo expensive now in 
Japan that in order to make a little money of the 
cels ( this IS their living, I know for a fact 
that several of these dealers make their entire 
income off of cel and anime good sales) they have 
to charge prices that they know the customers 
can't pay. But it's a vicious circle, you see? 

So lay off Heather; she's frustrated and has 
every right to be. WHY should she keep trying to 
keep this hobby alive among USA dealers if she 
gets attacked (even if it was unintentional at 
first).

You have to accept that YOU are driving the 
prices up. The more people interested in cels, 
and the more the Japanese see that (especially on 
Yahoo and eBay), the higher the prices are going 
to go. I'm willing to still pay that and bid high 
on stuff , because at this point there isn't much 
we can do to solve the problem. And in many ways 
it follows the fact that for the past 10 years 
anime fans have been doing everything possible to 
make anime popular in the USA. With popularity in 
an enormous, basically rich culture (compared to 
the rest of the world) comes inflation. With 
inflation comes higher prices at US cel dealers, 
just to make ends meet.

I have a LOT of respect for Heather and her 
business, and I'm glad to have her as a friend, 
and I hope she doesn't quit the cel business just 
because people don't understand her position. :(

Thank you,
Marisa