I'm sorry, I've been silent on this topic for a 
long time, but oh my god, I just have to say 
something now.  That is a magnificent cel.  It's a 
great shot, from a very dramatic scene, and I 
would love to have it... 

...but some damn bugger has written all over it.

Yes, I know, we're collectors, hobbyists, and at 
the core of it, anime fans.  And it's a great 
thrill to meet the people responsible for our 
favorite shows and movies.  But as I see it, we 
also have a responsibility to preserve these 
unique works of art, as well as we can given the 
essentially ephemeral nature of the medium.  A cel 
is a cel, and an autograph is an autograph -- if 
you would like to collect and display both in one 
place, it seems that the rational choice would be 
to add a new blank acetate overlay to a cel and 
have that signed, or mat and frame the cel 
and have the artist, writer, or seiyuu sign on the 
mat.

The cel itself is a gorgeous and singular work of 
art, and while yes, a current owner does have the 
right to have it signed, cropped, or 
otherwise modified in any way he or she chooses, I 
still mourn for the original unblemished artwork, 
now forever marred by extraneous ink.

Of course, this is just my two-cents' worth.  But 
I'm as disinclined to purchase this once-beautiful 
cel as I would be a stunning painting of 
waterlilies with the words "Nice to meet you, 
enjoy the pond, Monet" scrawled across it in huge 
swoops of black paint.

*cries*