See, though. . . Improving things doesn't mean 
going on a buying freeze until the cels are $20 
each. It's not going to happen. (Yes, Ryouko - I 
wish they were worthless too. I'm not a big 
Fushigi Yuugi fan but I love the art and it 
wasn't ALL angst. ^_~) I do think teaming up with 
other collectors works!! I'm not saying it would 
be easy - you'd all have to work to allow each 
other "equal" stuff and be honest with each other 
(and yourself!!) about what you really want from 
the show. . . Meaning you can't say "I HAVE TO 
HAVE IT!!" to everything. ^_^;; (Not saying that 
you(mouse) do, that's just a kidding example. ^_^)

But it also means that you work to overcome the 
need for instant gratification. The need to bend 
to the idea of: I have the money, I want it, so 
I'll buy it. PATIENCE has saved me a *lot* of 
money on more than one occasion. ^_~~~

> If people see something they want, they're going
> to go for it.

Not always true. I could point out at *least* 10 
or 15 cels on various dealers sites that I would 
love to have - some of which I even *almost* 
ordered at the price they're at now - but haven't 
bought. Most are nowhere near out of my price 
range and if I wanted to go on a little splurge, 
I could probably pick up five of them without any 
real financial pain. So why haven't I bought 
them? For the same reason NO ONE else has. They're
all overpriced. Maybe I'll buy them sometime, but 
most likely only after talking the price down - 
or during a sale (if there is one). I'm holding 
back since if I jump at cel XYZ just because I 
want it and have the money, people will take 
note. The next cel XYZ to come along will be 
equally as expensive if not more so because the 
other one sold for that. So then if I want the 
next cel XYZ, I'm looking at cutting into my 
budget for other cels. But if a dealer has to talk
their price down $50-$100 or more to make a cel 
move, they're NOT going to quickly price another 
one that high.

And take YuYu cels for example. . . I'm a big fan 
of the series - did I shell out for them during 
the fad? Hell no. The fad will pass (already is 
starting to) and some people who bought those 
cels will be looking to sell. I've gotten more 
than a handful of my cels for *less* after giving 
up during fad-driven auctions and rebuying them 
later when the owner, post-fad, can't sell them 
at the high "fad price".

> BTW...I hear from sources that Animegame has to
> pay pretty highly to even get these cels.  
> Perhaps they paid this much for it?

I don't doubt dealers pay a LOT for some of the 
high end cels they put up on their sites - I've 
never doubted that. However!! A dealer is not 
going to buy a cel for an amount more than 
they're sure they can sell it for plus a markup 
for themselves. (That would be a foolish and/or 
dangerous business move.) Having *lots* of money 
invested in stock that doesn't move - or doesn't 
move well - isn't productive to keeping your 
business alive. Given that, I'm going to guess 
there's a pretty high markup on the cel, which 
(from the dealer's POV) is a good idea for 
something high end - after all, they're taking a 
financial risk that it won't sell! Besides, 
Animegame seems to have taken the business angle 
of moving *less* stock for a higher markup, as 
opposed to other dealers who choose to move 
*more* stock for a lower markup. Both are valid 
ways to do business, but the latter is naturally 
going to be better liked by buyers.

Yes, dealers sometimes have a high cost to aquire 
certain cels. But if all the cels' prices are 
really that high because that is (or is almost) 
what they paid for it. . . Then they need better 
(ie cheaper) sources for cels to sell - because 
these ones aren't selling above their aquisition 
values.

The simple fact is most cels aren't worth that 
much to anyone, no matter how nice the condition. 
And even if some of them might have a personal 
value that high to someone, there are few people 
who can shell out that kind of money - or *would* 
even if they could. (No matter what anyone says, 
I *know* there have to be more people out there 
like me who will pass up an overpriced cel on 
principal alone.) If only the people who *can* 
and would shell out that kind of money would 
together - as a team! - start to excercise more 
self-imposed limits. . . I think that would make 
a *LOT* of difference on cel prices.

(And before anyone flames me. . . Do I blame 
someone for breaking the bank to get a wishlist 
cel? NO! ^_^  Watch me do it myself when one of 
mine shows up! ^_~  But if *EVERY* cel to come 
down the line is a "wishlist" cel worthy of 
breaking the bank yet again. . . You need to 
reevaluate your idea of wishlist.)

Many Sharp Smiles,
--Drac

BTW, mouse:

> And by saying a real fan wouldnt really mind
> paying the price, this wasnt meant to exclude
> people, or put myself on some sort of pedestal.

I think people aren't used to your definition 
of "a real fan will pay that". . . That's usually 
used to mean: "if you don't or can't pay that 
then you're NOT a real fan", which is a snotty 
attitude. As opposed to what YOU mean, which is 
more: "to a real fan, the cel might be worth that 
much when it isn't to someone who isn't a fan". 
Your definition of it makes more sense and I like 
it a hell of a lot better than the former. ^_^