About Moi
I am salary person slaving away at the hands of capitalist, but note I’m not anti-capitalist I generally believe in free markets and human capital. I slave away because I like to buy things and put food in my mouth. *grin* I like anime more than manga. I like watermelons more than apples. I can’t cook but I can play the piano a little and make an average looking website. I pretend to be dumb but I know I’m not. My friends think I’m somewhat of a cold-hearted person, thus my nickname “Ice Queen”… But I think they’re all wrong. *grins and kicks the “friends” – they deserved it*
About the Collection
The collection you see right now was started late 2005. The genre of focus is anime or “japanimation”. The anime of focus are Rurouni Kenshin, Robot Romance Trilogy (Combattler, Voltes V and Daimos) and anything connected with the Shinsengumi. Major focus is given to Saitou Hajime of Rurouni Kenshin who is my most favorite character of all time. There is also an attempt to have a representative collection of notable anime characters in various series (my pathetic attempt to keep cels that I love but don’t fit in one of the above). I consider my collection personally significant and am proud of the collection I’ve built.
The Collecting Experience
1st few months – Bought everything that she “liked” and can “afford”. Thought that it’s possible to get at least one cel of favorite characters in various series and thought that any series started needed to have cels of the main cast (completist)… Was more concerned about quantity than quality…
1st year or so – Started realizing not all the cels are loved equally, some are more loved than others, more taken cared of than others… Realized that nicer quality cels bring more satisfaction. I found out however that “quality” is not simply in beauty of the piece itself but the significance of the piece to me (aka maybe butt ugly but if I love it that much… to hell with “quality” – but prefer for cel to be personally significant and be of nice aesthetically as well.). Realized that it’s not really possible nor practical to have a completist collection for most or all the series. Realized that some degree of specialization needs to occur to get the better pieces on the most favorite series. Started to have buyers remorse on some of the artwork, realizing what she’s done… LOL.
less than 2 years – Purchases became more controlled after the 1st year. No longer “amassing” finally decided to become a “collector”. Slowly sold off cels that could be sold at a reasonable price. The goals have been clarified specifically for each series… Goals are no longer as vague as they were before… Pursued cels are now personally significant and easy on the eyes… Spending however did not decrease as the money spent in random purchases went into specific purchases that typically required more investment in time and money.
2 years – Learned to be a little bit more patient… Learned to spend more too *sigh*… Knows now what is “significant” to the -personal- collection. Refuses to buy anything on impulse, purchases are done more thoughtfully. Deciding on pieces to add to the collection is now a lot easier however locating the right piece presents the most challenge (aside from saving up for that piece).
What are the joys I’ve experienced in hobby?
1) Learning so many things like some mistakes are unavoidable and in fact necessary to develop an eye and a goal. That patience is a hard thing to learn but not impossible, in fact -nothing- is impossible in this hobby even your “dreams”.
2) Meeting some like-minded collectors and sharing the experience with them
3) Knowing that you own something that is not only unique but is a part of who you are an expression of oneself.
4) Having something that you love that demands your time and attention which makes you love it even more…
What are the issues I’ve experienced…
1) Self-discipline is most of the time hard. The mere fact that collecting is a personal joy and want, self-discipline is not a “natural” product of those things.
2) Yes it is possible to meet collectors who do not share your views, values and even your taste. Sometimes it’s a dog eat dog world out there.
Advise to newbies?
1) Know your situation; is it really a good time for you to collect cels? Do you have the money, patience and time to invest in acquiring the things you want?
2) Try to have a vision of what you’d like your collection to be early on but don’t force it. Learning about your likes and dislikes takes some time so take your time and learn about yourself! Don’t do what the others do… Do what -you- want to do. In the meantime don’t overspend so that when you know what you want you have the money to spend for it!
3) Nothing is impossible! Dream anyway! But be prepared when the dream “appears”.
4) In the course of collecting whether involved in a community or with just a few select people, it’s always wise to treat others with respect, understanding and honesty. If you treat others like that, it is normal and reasonable to expect this back from others… however keep in mind that you may not always get this back and in such cases take comfort in knowing you did the right thing.
5) Take care of your collection because down the line you may find that the cel you love the most has deteriorated due to poor collector habits… and even if you don’t love the cel anymore down the line and you try to recuperate your cost, it’s hard to recuperate your cost for a poorly taken-cared of piece of art.
6) Don’t let anyone tell you how to enjoy your collection. If you want to enjoy it privately then do so! If you want to share, teach or just “show” then that’s fine too. It’s your collection, your money and your sanity, take care of it.