This last week was my first dip into the world of collectables and avatar projects. Until now, I was hesitant to ape into the NFT collectables scene because when I was growing up, my grandmother was a collector. She had the most fantastic collection of dolls, toys, and miniatures. Her playroom was a true wonderland of unboxed barbies and one of a kind trinkets still in plastic packaging. I remember being impressed by her collection’s volume and disappointed in its lack of utility. After all, what good are toys if you aren't allowed to play with them? When my grandmother died, and it came to settling the estate, some items in the collection had increased in value, but some of her collection was worthless. The size of the hoard made the task of sorting too great, so my father sold the lot for what was surely a bargain. I wonder if NFT’s will have the same fate.
I was also overwhelmed by the sheer amount of projects in the crypto space. This makes knowing where to start challenging, but I could ignore their importance no longer. I needed to get in the game or at least ask about how to play. I decided the least stressful way to get started was by joining a friend’s project. @iamcfw has been a smiling face since the beginning of my NFT journey. Over the last six months, he has shown consistent growth and has always had an easy energy. These traits certainly helped me feel more confident about investing in his collectables and made my connection to the artwork stronger.
Series I of his project was dropped on August 8th at 4:20 @iamcfw time. It contained 20 unique designs, five of which were collabs. There were ten editions of each collab design, and all were priced at 0.08ETH. The drop was a first-come, first-serve, grab as fast as you can sort of arrangement. There was a party vibe on the STACY discord, but I was trying to remain calm with a steady trigger finger. I was anxious because I was looking to buy three of the collab pills! I knew one, in particular, would go fast, so I was poised on that pill, waiting for the exact moment it would become available.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t bought anything on Rarible in months, and I was rusty. The momentary fumble was all it took for all ten editions to sell out, but there was no time to mourn. I quickly moved on to my next target. Thank goodness I acquired that one because, by the time I had moved to my third choice, they had sold out too. I was 1 for 3 on my mission, and my disappointment felt heavy. Luckily there were still pills available after the frenzy, and I needed at least 3 (I’ll explain why in a bit). I looked over the remaining and selected the best ones. I didn’t need to love them. Probably best I didn’t.
I was surprised by how I felt after the auction. I had acquired four creative works of art from a talented artist, and @iamcfw’s drop had been a success! So why did I feel like I had lost? It was because I hadn’t gotten what I wanted. I tried hard not to be jealous, but I still considered paying 10x the original purchase price when those coveted collaborations hit the secondary market. Thankfully for my wallet, I resisted. Between the anxiety building up to the drop, the disappointment of missing out, and the urge to overspend afterwards, I started thinking this kind of collecting isn’t for me.
This is where the brilliance of STACY emerges. I won’t have to rush to purchase CFW’s pills. PILLHEADZ get perks! I have already received a token that grants me early access to series II when burned, and I will 100% be using it for the chance to buy early. I never want to miss again! Alternatively, the token could be used to purchase one pill, or token holders can sell their tokens should they find a buyer that’s envious enough. STACY’s other brilliant feature is the lab. PILLHEADZ can consume (burn) 3 pills to form a unique 1/1 with blended traits from the three pills. How cool is that? Unlike my grandmother, I am happy taking my toys out of the box. In doing so, I have increased the rarity of the other editions. Additionally, those pills that felt like consolation prizes will be blend into something no other PILLHEAD will have: something unique and mine.
I don’t know if I will ever sell my pills. Right now, I like using them and watching @iamcfw create. I also like listening to music and talking about art with the other PILLHEADZ on the STACY discord. It is nice to find folks with common interests. It’s fun to have events with fabulous people. Currently, there are 40ish PILLHEADZ. I am sure the community will grow some, but I think the boutique feel of the project is one of its greatest appeals. STACY is more about rarity and investing in artists on the rise. I look forward to participating in STACY’s ascent. I look forward to my early access to series II. I look forward to seeing my unique, blended pill. One thing is clear after my first experience; these are definitely not my grandmother's collectables.
STACY may have been my first experience in NFT collectables, but it led me down a fun rabbit hole of diverse projects with various outcomes. Up next Collectibles Craze: Part Two Cats, Cats and Cats.
