I know exactly what you're talkinag about. If I 
lose out to someone else who really wanted the 
cel in question, but I can tell they just adore 
the cel and it sits in a prized space in their 
gallery. . . Then I don't mind losing. Because 
part of the fun of cel collecting (for me) is to 
be able to hear other people go on at length 
about how much and why they love a given cel. ^_^
I can listen to cel exeuberance for as long as 
anyone else can dish it out. ^_~

However, it makes my blood boil to see someone 
win a cel against me - something I really wanted -
only to turn around and sell it for an outrageous 
price. What better way for someone to show that 
they don't give a damn about either the cel or 
the market for that type of cel. >_<

Yet, I don't have any "white elephants" (I love 
your use of the term!) in my collection. If 
someone resells a cel I wanted at a price high 
enough to jack it into orbit, they won't find me 
going after it.

But I did satisfy myself with one "lost cel" 
recently! I had been longing for the cel of 
Shampoo and Ryoga in the bath from Noriko's site 
for a long time but never had the money for it 
(despite the *VERY* resonable price tag). Suddenly
I came into *LOTS* of overtime and I could afford 
it, but it was marked as on hold. ~_~ Less than a 
week after it was marked as sold, it was tossed 
up onto Ebay. (And of course, the seller just 
so "hated to have to sell it". What baloney.) 
Incredibly, (and I didn't think it would happen) 
I won it for almost what it would have cost to 
get it from Noriko herself. For all their trouble,
the reseller made a whopping profit of about $3 
as near as I can figure - and it serves them 
right.  I don't think I'll feel bad about that 
too quickly!! ^_^

Many Sharp Smiles,
--Drac