After seeing how many fraudulant listings there are on ebay, I thought I would post my thoughts on buying animation art on ebay.

1) If it's too good to be true, it probably is.

2) If a seller magically appears and posts 50 items of classic scenes from Warner bros, Simpsons, Disney and they sit there with no bids at $9.99. They are FAKES! Production art from the Simpsons doesn`t sell for $10. EVER!

3) If a cel has no history (episode number, certificate from the studio or reputable dealer or store) it`s probably a fake. My favorite is the gallery where ``it was probably used in a marketing event`` is the answer for every piece`s lack of history.

4) If the COA has no dealer information (you`d find out once piece is received), it`s probably a fake. A COA can be printed off by anyone, it`s the dealer behind it that matters.

5) If it`s expensive, do some homework! There is, at time of writing, a photo signed by Stan lee on sale for $500. Stan Lee signs his name thousands of times a year and is still around! He will even sign a comic if you send it to his company with return envelope and postage! Just because it`s expensive doesn`t mean it`s actually rare or valuable.

6) If something is fishy (i.e. a German address with currency required in Australian dollars), something is probably up.

7) If it`s a limited edition, but the seller doesn`t know how many were issued, it`s probably a fake. This info is something any reputable gallery would know.

8) High feedback does not guarantee quality. There is a UK gallery on ebay that consistently markets "hand painted cels" at prices that are ridiculous. One piece went for $9.99 and I was told that they purchased it at a gallery in the U.S.

Clearly, nobody buys a hand painted original cel of a major Warner character from a gallery, ships it across the planet and sells it for $10. Please see rule #1, if the same item is $300 in a store, it should be worth that on ebay.

9) Use your instincts! Review the feedback, look at items up for auction and ask yourself "does this make sense". Cel's for a cartoon such as "Samurai Pizza Cats" may well be worth $10 a cel for minor characters/villains.

Finally

If you are buying a piece and it would kill you to find out it was a fake, don't buy it.

If you simply like Bugs Bunny and think it would look good on a wall, go nuts