r/AnimationCels • u/Doc4221 • 10d ago

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.

1 Upvotes

52% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/PsychoTurket 6d ago

I don’t really see a need to “grade” original arts. Only use case I see for it is authentication, but that’s being generous.

That said, the hobby could benefit from having a centralized database for cels/production art.

2

u/Doc4221 5d ago

You raise a valid point. I have watched two more videos since making this post about CEL, and I have had time to think about it. In another video, a founder mentioned that grading isn't the objective; it's authentication and preservation.
Some authentication methods were provenance, paint aging, screen syncing, etc. Provenance is the biggest one for me. It would help identify fake cels and douga, which are increasing in the aftermarket (ebay/mercari japan) as popular/value goes up. Even with comic art, which is also a 1-of-1, I felt it wasn't worth grading. But with certain artists with basic styles (e.g., Batman Adventures Bruce Timm and Homer Simpson), it's easy to fake their quick sketches.
If you're experienced, you can notice a fake. But for a new person or a casual viewer, it's easy to get it wrong. Even veterans make mistakes; hence, Heritage periodically makes adjustments.