Starting From Scratch

Buy what you like. Maybe you want to support an artist and display their art in your home on an LCD NFT-compatible digital art frame. (Meural Canvas) Maybe you vibe with a PFP community, like the Bored Apes, Gutter Cat Gang, Karmeleons, Sappy Seals, NBA Top Shot Cool Cats, etc. Most collections on OpenSea will have links to the project or artist's website or social media profile, and may/may not be verified.

Twitter. Followed people that liked web3 stuff. The technology made sense to me, even though I didn't understand it. I enjoyed learning about something new. I stood clear of cash grabs, and...well...any cash at all. I took no profits and watched generational wealth vanish like a dropped screw. But, I have enjoyed participating in multiple communities. Hang out in their discord. Follow them on Twitter. Seek out the art and vibes you like.

Yes, I guess. But, you would either need to mint something rare or a 1/1, or grind out a deal with fellow collectors and seek out a trait or combination that you feel holds value within a collection. OpenSea shares these traits and their rarity in the detail page of the NFT, however that can be misleading since the community or market dictates what is valuable or in-demand.  Or maybe YOU see something within a project or trait of a project and make it YOURS, leveraging the project's IP and your ownership to build out a brand of your own.

Collect what you love. Buy three, if you can. Limited collections will allow you to flip one to make your money back, and you still have two. One to vault and one to hodl. Some collections may announce a burn mechanic to their NFT project (like Gutter Cat Gang, Inhabitants, etc.) to reduce overall supply, and may require burning an NFT or combining NFTs to evolve or upgrade the NFT.

You get to choose your level of participation in a project. Ignore the sell-shaming. Maybe you collect a few new projects, or are literally shaking to get involved with an NFT project...it's up to you. 

As an example, you could begin as a Flipper by watching activity on OpenSea or other NFT project trackers and flipping NFTs to stack ETH. You may discover projects connected to artists, brands, celebrities, or communities with mutual interests (sports, gaming, music, etc.). Now, you're a Collector. Many projects reward their largest collectors with airdrops and exclusive merch or events. This leads you further down their roadmap and you may end up becoming an Investor. Investors are usually diamond-handed collectors and may stake their assets for rewards, or buy more assets as a way of investing into the project they believe in.

I bought my Gutter NFT because I wanted it. I liked the traits. I enjoy the community. I like the activations, art, and vibes. It was fun to participate in the Fan Controlled Football leage. I've watched our Gutter Cat Gang TBT Basketball team on ESPN the last two years. I see NBA players flexing their cats on their shoes and social media. It's a fun and different experience to connect with people with similar interests.