By Chelsea Reed
Who isn’t familiar with shows like Snow White, Tom and Jerry, and Bugs Bunny? These animations that have brought us happiness and laughter are increasing in value in the animation art market. Did you know that the animated celluloid sheets (“cels”), storyboards, and concept art from these famous characters have increased in sales as much as 20% each year? Here’s why they’re becoming so popular in the art scene:
1. There’s a strong desire to buy back a ‘piece of childhood.’
Familiar animated movies and cartoons have become valuable commodities for their nostalgia power as well as artistic quality. Who wouldn’t want to buy a cel of their favorite Disney character growing up, or a cel from a Hanna Barbara show that gave them a good laugh? And, because these high-quality cels also count as fine art, they make tasteful additions in the office or home for today’s adults. It is, quite literally, a win-win scenario.
2. Younger generations are attracted by the familiarity of animation art.
Part of that drive to buy a piece of childhood is the fact that younger generations are now old enough to step into the art market. Generation Xers, Millennials, and soon to be Generation Zs have grown up with classic toons like Scooby-Doo, The Simpsons, and The Little Mermaid and find comfort in them. Experts say that their popularity is due in part to their thoughtful promotional history, such as Disney’s strategy to bring back ‘golden age’ animated films to theaters every seven years. This wise re-exposure, combined with the consistent marketing of merchandise, has made animation art a special gift we have lived with every day.
3. Hand-painted animation cels are valuable in today’s world of digital entertainment.
Finally, animation cels have increased in value these days because they belong to a bygone era of producing movies and shows entirely by hand. From the 1920s to the 1990s, animation had to be hand-produced until new digital technologies came on the scene. This skill created a remarkable quality of hand-drawn art that came from great talent and hard work in their craft. Today, hand-drawn animation is mostly replaced by animated productions assisted with digital software or entirely animated with computer 3D modeling. This stop in hand-drawn animation, in turn, has created value for animation art in the art market.
Did you know that Seaside Art Gallery has hundreds of animation art cels, character sketches, backgrounds and more? Our collection has everything from Winnie the Pooh to Daffy Duck to even Charlie the Tuna! We also have collectible figurines from famous movies like Finding Nemo, Mickey Mouse, and The Jungle Book. Stop by our gallery or view them online to take a look at these beauties for the nostalgic and fun side of fine art.
Chelsea Reed is a freelance copywriter. She writes articles, blogs, websites and online content from her base in North Carolina.
