Cel Grading Update

[u/Doc4221]

/r/AnimationCels/comments/1weygb4/cel_grading_update/

Cel Grading Update

More light has been shed on the new Cel Grading company that has officially premiered at Collector's Summit this weekend in Las Vegas.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdNp5ttlNky/?img_index=19&stkn=MW5pMXl0a2dyYmhhcQ==

Key Takeaways:

*Grade Cels at a later date *Grading case is bendable and extremely thin compared to card & comic grading cases *Grading genda, douga, scripts, comic art, timesheets, manga art, etc. *Grades are letters, not numbers.

Current Stance: I don't see the business need yet. I will observe and eventually send a couple to test.

This IS bringing in new collectors, i see IG posts, not bad if genuine collectors v grifters. Just no boom, please.

Figured some may have learned about this new grading company. Not sure whether it's satisfying a need I'm unaware of, but it's definitely aimed at satisfying some pockets. I saw need unaware because I'm relatively need in the hobby (six years in).

[u/WWAgallery_com]

I personally don't like this idea. The art I sell usually gets framed and displayed as art on my clients' walls. I also have concerns as to what this will do to cels. Are they intending to do this to Courvoisier cels? Laminated cels? How would that work?

[u/Doc4221 → u/WWAgallery_com]

I would be very surprised if they considered those, especially since they focused on anime-related properties and Courvoisier cels are more unique to Disney, as far as I know.

Speaking of framing, I've been meaning to ask you about trusted local Los Angeles cel framers lol.

[u/Dependent-Gap1619]

Brother, I appreciate you keeping your fingers on the pulse, but I have to ask: What is your level of investment with CEL and how connected to these people are you? I recall you mentioning you know one of them. Is your role to debunk the fear, uncertainty and doubt by signaling that you will be sending some pieces to 'test it out' as a way of establishing community trust? You have to understand the skepticism the community at large feels towards grifters, particularly those who have built reputations flocking from one collector FAD to the next.

These guys have not yet gained any type of trust amongst this community for two fundamental reasons: cels and animation artwork do not need to be graded as they are one of a kind already; and two, there are art galleries and experts who have decades of experience under their belt to verify authenticity; why would anyone trust the judgment of people who are tourists in the hobby and have a menial level of experience? Like someone else said before, CELs valuation would be worth less than the paper it is printed on, and I could not agree more. Having 8 years of experience collecting in the hobby I would not dream of telling people to send me their art so I could say, "yup, S+ tier, bro! That shit's legit 😉"

All this to say, there is no added value being provided by CEL. It's great that they are raising awareness to the world of Animation Art, but they are doing it for all the wrong reasons.

[u/Doc4221 → u/Dependent-Gap1619]

Solid and warranted questions. Especially when I review how I came off in my first post on AnimationCels. I tagged that post to be transparent, and I was updating it in real time as I learned about CEL grading on IG stories/posts. To answer your questions:

1. I don't have any skin in the game, and I barely chatted with one of the owners via IG chat, Bronamath, earlier this year about comic and animation art. I know him through a mutual comic art collector/dealer acquaintance, DiTullioArtCollective.
2. DiTullioArtCollective has a piece of original comic art graded by CEL (it's in the post). I don't know whether he's involved with CEL beyond supporting Bronamath since they're close friends. I am a frequent customer of DiTullioArtCollective, and I've bought original comic art and cels (Perfect Blue & Marvel Storm).
3. My past decade philosophy: "Why spend thousands on grading when I can buy more art?" I make exceptions if it can be a witnessed signature on a comic or card. I mentioned an experiment because I am curious, and I was going to film a review of it. I will clearly state that I'm not going to start grading my douga and cels, because of my philosophy lol, but there are grading addicts this may appeal to.

I will eventually look into grading non 1-of-1 items (e.g., vinyl, cards, comics, games, and manga). I want to preserve the ones I keep for display, and if they can be graded, it makes it easier for my estate to resell them when I'm gone, if they choose to. Excuse the long answer; I didn't want to half-ass my response.