Well...I'm open about expressing how I feel, so 
I'll let everyone know what I think, & you can 
take to heart whatever you want out of this.  
Please, let's try not to flame.  If you disagree 
with me or anybody else on this topic, feel free 
to express your opinions, but leave the threats 
& "flaming" aside.  That just goes to show how 
weak you may be with dealing in a mature manner 
=P.

I've never purchased from Anime-Link before, or 
do I know any gross details on the whole Vampire 
Hunter D:Bloodlust legalities.  All I know is 
what I've read on this board.

I'd like to remind people just how many cels can 
be used in an anime.  Hundreds of thousands, & 
sometimes maybe even millions of cels.

  It is common knowledge in mass marketing of 
goods that when you have such a massive supply it 
is almost inevitable that you are going to lose 
some of your stock.  We all know that cels can be 
stolen from the studios.  For example Gainax's 
cels.  You know why this happens?  There's a 
market for them.  It all boils down to supply, & 
demand.  "Money talks, & bullshit walks" in this 
world no matter how much you want to admit it to 
yourself or not.  So, yes, some of the cels may 
have been taken out of the studio by the artists 
etc, so that they could then turn around & sell 
them for a large profit.  The BUYER may not of 
known this to be a stolen good, & if he/she did, 
then that will weigh heavily on their own minds.

But let me throw this idea out to you.  Instead 
of denying someone who used their hard-earned 
money to buy a piece of art that they hold dear 
in their collection, & prosecuting them...Why not 
let them be & use the information they can give 
you to trace it back to the ORIGINAL PERSON WHO 
STOLE THE CEL?!?!?! 
 
I mean...Seriously.  That's like someone coming 
out of the woodwork, & saying that your beloved 
pet of 10 years of which you adopted as a stray 
is rightfully theirs, & they demand by law that 
you hand it over at once!  What do you think you 
would do?  Hand over part of your family without 
a fight?  I think not.

This matter is a sticky one at the moment.  Until 
Rick provides us with official signed papers from 
all parties this matter is in regards to, I see 
no legal or moral right for him to come out & 
make these claims.  Dealers still have the right 
to sell these cels.

  I'd also like to see the official signed report 
stating which cels have been stolen.  That would 
have been a massive amount of paperwork to be 
done too.  Writing down every sequence number, of 
every scene in the entire movie...What if some 
cels were lost or stolen when you were going 
through the paperwork, & left unaccounted for?  
What if your paperwork somehow got in disarray, & 
cels you may have previously accounted for as 
being legitamately sold suddenly roll over as 
being stolen?

I think handing over exclusive rights to an anime 
as far as cels go just prove to be a big headache 
for everyone involved.  

First of all, you must realized with so many cels 
you may inevitably lose some, get some stolen, or 
leave some unaccounted for.  So, when one turns 
up not as one you have previously sold, you go a 
send e-mails to the owner/seller that it is 
stolen property & you are to return it at once?  
Don't make me laugh....Yeah...OK...I paid $1500 
for this cel...& It took me 2 month salary to be 
able to afford this...Sure...Why not!!!  IT'S ALL 
YOURS...FOR FREE!!!LOL!!!  You must be joking!
Secondly, since Anime-Link has exclusive rights 
to the movie...They also have exclusive rights to 
decide the price of the cels...Guess what?  

monopoly

n 1: (economics) a market in which there are many 
buyers but only one seller; "a monopoly on 
silver"; "when you have a monopoly you can ask 
any price you like" 2: exclusive control or 
possession of something; "They have no monopoly 
on intelligence" 3: (trademark) a board game in 
which players try to gain a monopoly on real 
estate as pieces advance around the board 
according to the throw of a die [syn: Monopoly] 
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton 
University 

According to Princeton University...They're a 
Monopoly.  So, go ahead with all your other 
definitions, but if what Anime-Link is saying is 
true...Then they've just turned themselves upside-
down.

I also think that the collecting community 
doesn't really think highly of the whole control 
of one series situation.  One dealer being able 
to control the market...That is just ridiculous.  
Get with the program.  Let the consumer decide 
the price they want to pay for these cels.  Let 
the prices fluctuate up & down just like every 
other cel business.  Sell some of your "cash-
crop" at normal gross price, & let the market 
take it from there.

I've never bought from Anime-Link, but I will say 
this.  

They have some very nice cels that come into 
their hands.  Sometimes the prices they put up 
are totally way above market value.  Sometimes 
there's someone out there willing to pay that 
price...Inevitably driving the market on.  But 
that's to be expected.  For Anime-Link to be 
coming out into everybody's faces with this whole 
Vampire Hunter D:Bloodlust cel controversy has 
tarnished their reputation with me.  I'd like to 
see them throw out a little bit more cels more 
often on their website from VHDB instead of 
keeping them all sitting in a stockpile 
somewhere.  I hope they find better means to go 
about this.

But first, I think the entire cel community would 
like to see cold hard proof that they own 
exclusive cel distribution rights.  Signed, 
sealed documents.  The real thing.  No copies.  I 
would also like it all posted over their website 
if it is in fact true to let the consumer know.

Until then, dealers, sellers...My hats off to 
you!  Keep those lovelies coming ;)~!