One of the things I noticed when I first started collecting anime cels was the wide variety of opinions as to what "Excellent" and "Very Good" meant in relation to a cel's physical condition. I've bought a few cels that were marked "Excellent" which had major spotting, minor tears and creases. I've also bought cels marked "Good" that were nearly spotless, with vibrant colors and not a trace of line fade. Since most resellers use low-res scans that don't pick up flaws very well, it's nearly impossible to tell what you'll get until you have the cel in your hands.What I propose, is that resellers use a grading system to give potential buyers a better idea as to what they're actually buying. Since I've also collected comics for the last 16 years, I borrowed the commonly used 100 point scale used by most of the comic book price guides and modified it to fit the conditions cels are most often exposed to. Let me stress, this scale is only useful in determining the condition of the cel itself, not the appeal of said cel. How much someone is willing to pay will depend on how much beauty they see in it, just as with any other unique piece of art.
At any rate, this is only a proposal. My grading system may seem arbitrary, but I tried to be realistic in the amount of points allotted and deducted, since almost all cels have a flaw of some kind. Use it or not, as you like. If anyone can come up with a easier system, I encourage them to share with the rest of the cel collecting community through the forums. With enough interest, we'll eventually come up a universal grading system that everyone can live with :-)
The KF Scale 100 Perfect
99 - 90 Excellent
89 - 80 Very Good
79 - 70 Good
69 - 60 Fair
50 - 01 Poor
Grading the Cel:
Cels should start out at 100, then have amounts deducted for each flaw. The final total will determine where it belongs on the scale.
Perfect Cels:
As the name states, the cel has no flaws. No trace of line fade or paint chipping. No spotting, dirt, creases or tears on either side. Paint colors will be smooth with no evidence of repair or restoration. Bits of paper (presumably from the drawing) stuck to the back of the cel is common and is acceptable, so long as it's purpose isn't to hide any damage to the cel.Line Fade:
This is common to both machine and hand traced cels. It can usually be corrected by overlaying a blank cel on top of the original and tracing in the missing portions. This is common practice in Japan and should be considered restoration work. It will increase the cel's value if done properly.
Minor line fade (subtract 1-4 points) will appear in only two places at most, with the total amount of fade covering no more than 10% of the total image area. To fall into this category, the line must still be at least slightly visible.
Moderate line fade (subtract 5-10 points) encompasses up to 25% of the image area. The majority of the line should still be visible under close inspection, but it may have breaks within where no ink can be seen.
Major line fade (subtract 11-20 points) encompasses up to 50% of the image area. Whole portions of the line will be invisible. Restoration might be difficult to accomplish without the original drawing.
Catastrophic line fade (subtract 21+ points) encompasses from half to all of the total image area. Restoration will be impossible without the original drawing. This should fall into a special grading category, as the cel's visual appeal would be so low as to prevent most collectors from desiring it.Paint Chips:
Paint chips or flakes usually occur when unsticking a cel. They can sometimes be corrected by placing the flake or chip back into position, then using a heat gun or hair dryer to get the paint hot enough to reliquify. Once cooled, the chip will blend back into the image.
Minor chips (subtract 2 points) are no bigger than 1/16 inch.
Major chips (subtract 4 points) are up to 1/8 inch.
Flakes (subtract 8 points) are up to 1/4 inch but no more than 2% of the image.
Moderate flakes (subtract 15 points) are up to 1/2 inch but no more than 5% of the image.
Major flakes (subtract 25 points) are up to 3/4 inch or encompass about 10% of the image area.Spotting:
Paint spots usually occur when cels are being shuffled around at the production studio. They can also occur when multiple cels are stacked together without any backing, resulting in bits of paint sticking to the cel. Rubbing alcohol can remove these spots if used extremely carefully. Small spots between 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch which are too close to the image to be easily removed should subtract 1 point per occurrence. Large spots up to 1/4 inch should subtract 3 points per occurrence.Stuck Cel Layers:
Another all too common occurrence. Stuck layers which are correctly aligned should subtract 3 points. Incorrectly aligned stuck layers should subtract 10 points, due to the fact that they greatly effect the visual appeal of the cel.Dirt Between Layers:
Dirt can usually be wiped off with a soft cloth, provided you can get to it. Cels with dirt trapped under stuck layers should subtract 8 points, so long as the image itself remains clear. Really dirty cels where the image is affected should subtract 15 points.Stuck Backgrounds and Drawings:
Stuck backgrounds should subtract 8 points. Stuck drawings should subtract 6 points. The reasoning behind this is that unsticking a stuck cel will usually cause damage to it. Even if unsticking results in no damage to the cel, the background or drawing will probably suffer damage. Over time, stuck cels can warp or get paint cracks because the paper will expand and contract at a different rate than the cel material. Only keeping the cel at a consistent temperature and humidity level will prevent this.Creases:
Light creases up to 1 inch which do not effect painted areas should subtract 6 points per occurrence. Creases up to 2 inches should subtract 12 points per occurrence. Creases affecting the painted areas up to 10% of the image should subtract 13-16 points. Up to 25%, subtract 17-20 points. Up to 50% subtract 21-25 points.Tears:
Tears are common along the holes at the top of the cel. Tears up to 1/2 inch should subtract 6 points per occurrence; 3 points if they are within 1 inch of the top of the cel. Up to 1 inch, 12 points per occurrence; 6 points if within 1 inch of the top. Larger tears should subtract points equal to the percentage of the cel affected.Double, if they contact the painted areas. (i.e. If a tear goes 1/4 of the way across a unpainted area of the cel, 25 points should be subtracted).Trimming:
This is the greatest sacrilege that can be committed upon a cel. If only the top 1 inch is trimmed (where the holes are), subtract 20 points. If more area than this is trimmed, but the image is intact, subtract 35 points. Some restorers will cut out around an image and then attach it to a blank cel. Most collectors I know find little appeal in collecting such hack jobs.Restoration:
A professionally restored cel should have nearly the same value as an unrestored cel in the same condition, provided that only the original paint was used in the restoration. Most professionals will scrape the paint from the area to be restored, heat it until it liquefies, then repaint the area. A good restoration job is indistinguishable from the cel's original condition.