It’s easy to get caught up in the newest thing available for purchase; it’s new, shiny and potentially limited! You’re also purchasing the ability to be in the now, adding to conversations with other like-minded individuals about the thing and its awesomeness. However, every year more and more stuff comes out and it can be a bit of a challenge to differentiate between what’s new and what’s of historic value.
The following is how I categorize the importance of wants and the responsibility of being a proprietor of something unique in history. This model is of a pyramid, the higher you go, the more important the object. Beginning with the bottom tier:
Tier One - Big Box Retail
A pyramid needs a foundation, and the following objects are important, not because of their rarity, but because of their accessibility. They are objects of inclusiveness, of availability, and of passion.
DVD and BluRay releases of animation can be picked up at your local major retailer, or through online distribution. They are not rare, they are produced in large scale, but the importance of being available cannot be overstated. You cannot enjoy what you do not have access to (As my blog series on home media releases has made painfully clear).
Of course, a healthy sign of a successful series is a plethora of varying merchandise. Plushies, Action Figures, Posters and Stickers of characters or logos are examples of a successful series and makes the show all the more likely to be continued. Without a healthy merchandise push, and thus profit to keep the industrial machine going, series wither and die (e.g. Megas XLR and Thundercats (2011)).
I also consider Magazines with a focus on animation in this category, but as a whole that industry has been drying up in the last 10 years. (Though Animation Magazine continues to thrive (Subscribe here!)
Tier Two - Technology of Yore and Limited Availability
BluRay and DVD (And 4K) are today’s home media. Animation releases on previous forms of media, like VHS, LaserDisc, and CEDs, are more challenging to get a hold of and harder to maintain as a viable option for viewing. Sometimes, however, they can be the only way to watch certain series. As an example, some Looney Tunes have only been released on LaserDisc.
You really have to enjoy a series if you are going to pick up the accompanying Trading Card Game (Focus on gameplay) or Collectible Card Game (Focus on collecting) or even the licensed video game. Vinyl Releases, The Art of...books, or history books on the medium can fall into this category. Not every Jan or Joe on the street is going to care about the story of the production of a show or the musical cues contained within.
Collector’s Edition Releases, Magazines that are out of print, and Reproductions of objects of desire also fall into this category for me. While not impossible to find, the availability starts to decrease.
Tier Three - The Exclusive
8mm and 16mm Film Prints of series and the accompanying technology needed to display them are even rarer than the aforementioned. Limited Edition Maquettes released for the public, usually between 1-5,000 in existence. Original Theatre Posters only available to businesses that actually debuted a show or movie or apart of the marketing push.
Artist Sketchbooks and Prints from the Artist take research to know about and a limited window of availability to pick up.
Museum Tours, Events (Conventions, Artist Signings, etc.), and Concerts are all ephemeral and only happen once. Their accompanying trinkets prove attendance and are limited even further then the prior levels.
Convention Exclusive Merchandise and Imported Merchandise show a rare follow through. Accessibility that extends beyond borders, or requires travel to a distant place, demands a high level of dedication and limited accessibility for most.
Tier Four - Showpieces
Autographs from any member of staff, Sericels and their historical significance and limited availability, Lithographs and their high level of meticulousness are close to top tier collecting. Their high price and availability make them exquisite pieces to own and display.
35mm Film Prints, one of the highest levels of visual fidelity nitrate film can bring to the table, the highest level of home media.
Tier Five - Production
There is no higher tier than the objects that comprise the end product. What item is more important than the objects that literally created the thing? Production Cels. Original Scripts. Animatics. Storyboards. Production Material. Original Artist Maquettes. All of these things are top tier; collectible and historically significant. An object from this category can reveal the minute details of production no object store bought can reveal. No other object is more rare, more sought after, more important than things that made the show. Aside from vacuum sealing creators, there is nothing more collectible or valuable than production material.
And that’s how I categorize objects and collectibles. I am sure I am missing categories, arcade cabinets of licensed games would probably be a Tier 4 object, but I think the majority of items is accounted for.
Join me next time as I dive into two of my favorite musicians whom I was introduced to through one of anime’s best composers.
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