| In Japan they're used as ways to get around the lumps and pits in school
desks. In the U.S. they're used as works of art by anime fans and collectors.
Shitajiki pencil boards are so attractive that fans like these would never
dare write on them. These guys brought dozens of the boards to show off
at Nan Desu Kan; every board was carefully protected in a plastic sleeve. |
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| Boards like the Card Captor Sakura board are printed on plastic in
lots of 3,000 and 4,000. They typically sell for 250-350 yen in Japan (U.S.
$2.50-$3.50, but the price can be ten times as much for North American
fans, depending on their condition, rarity and the price that a collector
is willing to pay. The board shown here looks great, but its face is lightly
scarred from use, which would make it nearly useless to a hardcore collector.
A casual Sakura fan would be pleased, though, and most pencil boards can
be bought for $4-$8 in the U.S. |
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| Collectors compare pencil boards to cels for the quality of their art.
Of course, they're far less expensive than cels, but they're also made
in larger quantities. The boards can be purchased in Japanese stores, but
they're also produced as promotional items for anime shows and given away
as souvenirs to fans who attend movie premieres and other events. Those
promotional boards are relatively rare and prized by collectors - there
are even doujinshi boards! |
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| As with most anime collectibles, pencil boards can be counterfeited
and bootlegged. Collectors said they've seen boards that obviously were
made from art scanned from anime magazines. To tell fakes from the real
thing, collectors look for the code numbers on the back of the boards.
They show the price, classification and date of manufacture. Sharp-eyed
fans may recognize the name "Movic" on the back; collectors said that company
makes most of the pencil boards they collect. |
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