|
And what about those watching today's cartoons on TV instead of doing
their homework? Good production cels for contemporary cartoons are in the $200 to $500 range.
Animation drawings in black and white have always brought less than
their colorful cel counterparts. These pencil drawings are created by the
artist and represent the concept of the character before it's put into
production form. Some collectors are only interested in these black and
white drawings, and are happily able to purchase them for much less than the cost of a cel.
The highest prices are for Disney production artwork
from the 1930s and 1940s, and these are generally in the $10,000 to
$40,000 range. Below that, the next level is for Warner Brothers
production artwork from the 1950s and 1960s: these are in the $3,000 to $10,000 range.
Limited edition cels are much less expensive. Although limited editions
are signed by the artist, numbered, and dated on the studio certificate,
they weren't used in production and are therefore less valuable. Retail
prices for limited editions are in the $50 to $2,000 range. This section
of the market allows collectors to acquire a colorful decorative image for
the fraction of an original's price.
The number of limited edition and serigraph cels
on the market right now is bringing down the prices paid for original
artwork. Whenever collectibles are reproduced it severely effects the market for originals.
Collectors should hold onto their original cels during this
buyer's market. In addition, we predict that computer generated
animation will make the original production cels more sought after, pumping the market back up.
Currently, Disney is still using production animation cels for its
television shows, but it's an endangered practice that may not continue. A
future area of the market could potentially include cels from those shows,
such as Duck Tales, The
Little Mermaid, Aladdin
and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
With the advance of technology, it's very likely that this artwork will soon become obsolete.
One consolation for those watching today's Disney shows: They're
actually witnessing the end of a dying art in animation production — and at the same time researching a future collectibles market.
 
|
Placing a Value on Animation Art
