Fans of The Simpsons may have a collection of Burger King toys, action figures, magnets or other merchandise sitting on shelves at home or the office. However, some serious collectors are willing to spend a whole lot of “D’oh!” for animation cels or cartoon art. Read more if you would like to add to your collection of The Simpsons.
What Is an Animation Cel?
A cel is a piece of celluloid that an artist hand-paints to create a scene. Each cel then moves the characters just slightly, so that when they are all “flipped” together, they appear to move in a scene. Thousands of cels are required for an entire episode of The Simpsons.
Where Can I Buy Animation Cels for the Simpsons?
On May 16th, 1999, Twentieth Century Fox put The Simpsons art on sale. Since then a new kind of Simpsons collector has emerged, turning away from cheap toys and building a collection of high-priced art.
If you want to start your collection, you don’t need to travel the globe looking for animation cels. There are plenty of online stores where you can buy animation cels of The Simpsons. They include:
How Much Do The Simpsons Cels Cost?
Prices can range from $9.99 for a poster of Springfield characters, to $2,500.00 for a “Treehouse of Horror” cel. Original production Simpsons cels usually start at $400, depending on the scene that is depicted. Some of the most expensive, and rare, cels are from The Tracey Ullman Show, when the Simpson family only appeared in animated shorts, or of the opening couch gags.
Collecting The Simpsons
William LaRue has over 3,000 pieces of merchandise in his collection of The Simpsons. He recommends buying animation cels from reputable galleries and dealers. You should make sure that you ask for a certificate of authenticity, to guarantee that your piece of The Simpsons art is genuine.
