I’ve been collecting cels for around 3-4 years 
now and have built up a small collection. Its 
true that tastes change and so does the market 
(up and down). The vast prices I paid for those 
Tenchi cels a few years ago seem a looooong way 
off. 
Recently I’ve picked up a number of – how shall I 
word it – more “economical series” such as GTO 
and Princess Nine and added these to my 
collection. Unlike previously when I was picking 
up Bebop, Tenchi & Utena cels I have been far 
less obsessive about the individual quality or 
supposed “A” gradeness of the cels preferring to 
pick up more “fun” cels with fewer centered head 
shots. Less concerned with eyes being opened etc 
etc. I’m very happy I’ve done that as whilst I 
love my collection – some parts of my gallery 
exhibit a more “sterile” quality than others. By 
having a more varied collection adds only to the 
fun.
I’ve been lucky because although I live way off 
in NZ with a cruddy currency. I am not a student 
and have a decent job and am financially secure 
(by local standards) and have rarely come under 
major pressure to sell.
There are just as many amazing cels for sale 
these days. One just has to look harder.  Some of 
them sit in collections already – so one has to 
be prepared to make offers. Surely no-one in 
their right mind jumping into a series at this 
late stage like Bebop or FY now can expect 
anything except the very occasional sale from a 
personal collection. If course the lesser cels 
get recycled.
Price differences between the Japan and US 
markets have narrowed sharply due to the deputy 
services. (Yay!).