To Buy or Not to Buy: The First Big Question Answered

By Aaron LaPedis

Armed with this chapter book from Ultimate Secrets from The Garage Sale Millionaire, you will be able to answer the question of what is worth collecting. Go in depth into the items you want to look for when collecting, as well as the ones you want to avoid. The knowledge contained in this eBook will set you up to be a savvy and efficien

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aaron LaPedis
• Release date: Apr 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869307347

Aaron LaPedis

Aaron LaPedis is an award-winning author, collector, radio host, and philanthropist based in Denver, Colorado. He is also the author of The Garage Sale Millionaire, a personal finance book that teaches readers how to find and sell valuable items from garage sales and other sources. LaPedis has appeared on several media outlets, such as PBS, Discovery Channel, and The Hallmark Channel, to share his expertise and passion for collecting. LaPedis is also the creator of A Boy Named Penguin, a children's book series inspired by his son Logan, who is on the spectrum of autism. The series aims to raise awareness and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder and celebrate the uniqueness of every child. LaPedis has won the Silver Nautilus Award for his books and has been a finalist for the Colorado Authors' League Award. Aaron is also the founder of Fascination St. Fine Art, a gallery that showcases artwork and sculptures from various artists.

Book preview

What to Buy

I’ll let you in on a little secret of mine, so you don’t get off track or overly excited when you find something you believe to be of value. Don’t be fooled if an item is old, or looks expensive. Just because an item is old, doesn’t necessarily mean it has any real value. An item that looks expensive could very well be a lesser-valued reproduction or replica.

Many people see something old and don’t understand that there’s a lot more to consider than age when determining the value of an item. Of course, sometimes older items are indeed worth money, but age is not the primary factor in assessing a collectible’s level of value. For example, a newspaper from July 1969, when American Astronauts first landed on the moon, has no real value. A 200-year-old family bible, although having an emotional value attached to it, also has no market value. By comparison, however, a 150-year-old empty liquor or spirits bottle could actually be worth $30,000.

Animation Production Cels

An original animation production cel is a transparent sheet on which an artist draws in order to create an animated cartoon. Animation production cels are currently hand painted from behind onto celluloid acetate.

In the early years of animation, these cels were made out of thin plastic or nitrate, with paint on the back or front of the cel. Each cel represents one frame of a character’s movement on film. The animation production cels with the highest collectible resale value are from the late 1920s to the 1960s.

One of the main characteristics to observe in determining an animation production cel’s value is whether or not the paint is flaking. A pristine cell will be intact, exhibiting no signs of degradation to the paint. Additionally, these cels can be restored with little value lost.

The other main determinant in verifying the value of an animation cel is the cartoon character depicted. Animation production cels worth the most money upon resale will feature Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, or any other

main or famous cartoon character. Secondary characters such as Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Elmer Fudd will not fetch as much money upon resale as their main character counterparts. Additionally, do not let mini-framed prints from Disney or Warner Bros. confuse you into believing that they are authentic animation production cels.

A fantastic resource for learning more about cels and their value is Tomart’s Value Guide to Disney Animation Art: An Easy-To-Use Compilation of over 40 Animation Art Auctions Organized by Film, Character and Art Type by Thomas E. Tumbusch and Bob Wilbaum (1998). This book organizes all Disney animation art sold at major auctions since 1993 by film, character, and type of art. Although it has not been revised or updated in the twenty years since its initial publication, it is still a very useful tool when used in combination with