Minted My 1st NFT: 9 Lessons Learned with My New Digital Assets 🤯

The image above accurately depicts my current state of WHAT😳 did I get myself into?!

How it started....
I've been holding Hashtagsandheadlines.com for 7.5 years.
I finally"launched" June 2022...my intention initially was to build a website & online community to help market and support, talented local crafters, creators, and artists amongst us. 

As I dove deeper into the Current Art Scene, I discovered all online conversations & headlines led to NFTS, alongside noticeable exchanges of large sums of money/crypto.

Art. Tech. Money say no more! I've waiting for this moment all my life.

Whatta ripe time for experimentation, discovery, and innovation.

Freshly Minted: 30Days in Rags to Richie NFT
3333 Hand-drawn Utility NFTS by Legendary Street Artist Alec Monopoly
NYC Street Art is my #1 ✨

Digital Collectibles/Assets
Welcome to the future, where the 3rd major evolution of the internet is emerging through Digital Collectibles. NFTs are connecting virtual & real worlds together in profound & immersive ways. A doorway to the elusively perfect intersection of tech, art, culture, and community.

Lesson 1: Collect NFTs of personal interest to you, as it may never become a tangible asset. Consider art you'd personally like to "showcase" in your collection, something that holds meaning to you. Then regardless of how the market goes you'll always be WINNING! 🏆 

Minting Process
Minting is where NFTs Drop for "pre-purchase", officially entering the blockchain here, then it hits secondary markets like Opensea. The price is pre-set & is the same for all of the art "pieces" in the collection. There are typically only a certain spots number guaranteed to Mint. Those people are on the WL (Whitelist). After whitelist is closed, the mint is then open to the public 1st come 1st serve until sell out. 

Mint price for Rags to Richie was a .5ETH buy in, market value at that time was $770 including Gas⛽️ (transaction fee).

Lesson 2 
Do Not Attempt to Mint an NFT: If you don't feel comfortable using technology, and/or moving significant amounts of $$ across various online channels.

The Art Reveal
There's A LOT of suspense and speculation in this space, even with the art.  You do not know the NFT piece you own when you Mint. The entire collection is minted and then there's a set reveal date for everyones art.  The NFT creator decides when to reveal, it could be hours post mint sell out or could be 6+ days after mint (like Rags to Richie).

When you mint you do know your number in the NFT collection you own, but do not see a visual image of actual art. For example I own 3014/3333.  The suspense is heightened as algorithms randomly assign the NFT Art to the Mint numbers. This leaves the playing field open, so that anyone could end up with a Legendary or Super Rare NFT.

Lesson 3 Art is personal and subjective the Crypto Art Movement is no different. The NFT metaverse is immersive & experiential at best.  People become their art, and hold a strong identification to it.  Let the digital art piece speak to you personally, sometimes it's the commons in the collection become the unsung $$ heroes .

Utility #IRL (In Real Life) Values the NFT provides beyond the art
Each project has a Roadmap, which storylines future developments of the NFT project. The utilities that come along with ownership of jpg.  Rags to Richie art reveal happened alongside a $75,000 physical painting by Alec Monopoly & 5 Jacob & Company Necklace Giveaways. Another physical art Giveaway will happen in August & we have an in person event/experience in LA Oct 20th 2022. 

There's also been hopeful conversations about IP rights, Collectible Toys, Apparel, Digital Art Gallery, Sandbox Gaming, & $925k still left in physical art to giveaway. 

Lesson 4 The space is new and growing, expect obvious growing pains, and a rollercoaster of emotions.  I would also confirm that behind the NFT project, there  leadership team in place, with a savvy online marketing team, excellent communication skills, and the ability to deliver on utilities.

#&H Rags To Richie Collection ⬇️

Social Media: Discord & Twitter
I've spent the last 10 years of my life working in social media, and I rarely use Twitter and never opened a Discord until the RTR project. Turns out they're both my favorite and beware very addictive.  These 2 platforms are the core of the NFT community, the town hall for digital collectors to have voice in the project directly, and with one another & the team.

Lesson 5 Don't open DMS (direct messages) or click on suspicious "too good to be true" links. Bots & Scammers run rampant in social media channels.

Global Community
At best NFTs communities are a a global subculture of Art Aware, Smart, Tech Savvy, Cultured folks. Unfortunately this is definitely a far cry from the current reality, but I'll continue to hold the vision. After all, I do have new people I'm calling fam in Discord & we're all gonna party in Los Angeles. 

Lesson 6:  People have $$money invested in NFT projects, which makes the stakes & their interest very emotionally charged.  I hope R2R Holders chatroom is not the norm, never know what's gonna go down any given day 🥳

Social Accounts to Follow on Twitter & IG
EPIC Metaverse/Digital Art/ NFTs Social Media accounts we ❤️

• NFT NOW
• Metav3rse
• Nft.dropnews
• Nft_club
• Digitalartchick
  

Lesson 7: Be aware of imposter Social Media accounts, always look for the blue ✅  Fake accounts mirror big accounts to scam. 

NFT Slang
The language with in the NFT community is as unconventional & complex as the art itself. 

Here are some of our favorite terms to help you navigate.

• NFT: "non-fungible token" A unique digital asset
• Bear🐻 Market: Most stocks are declining (where market is currently)
• Bull  Markets: Conditions in economy are favorable for high growth
• FUD: Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt
• Diamond Hands 💎: Long Term Holders of the NFT Project 
• Paperhands: Short Term Holders/ Flippers 
• Whale 🐳: Individuals or entities that hold large amounts of cryptocurrency
• The Floor/ Floor Price/ FB: The least expensive NFTs currently for sale.
• Sweep 🧹: When a person purchases 2 or more FP NFTs to help bring up entire projects value.
• What's in Your Bag?: What NFT collectibles do you have?
  
• The Floor/ Floor Price/ FB: The least expensive NFTs currently for sale.
• WAGMI: We are gonna make it 
• To The Moon 🌝 : Where all NFT collectors hope their art goes, outta this world $$
• Mooning: Strong upward project trend 📈 
• LFG : Lets Fuckin Go
• Hodl- Hold on for Dear Life
  

Lesson 9: YKYK= if you know you know. Know one knows it all about NFTs, it's pretty doggy dog crypto world. I've found Youtube to be one my greatest resources in learning about the space. It's good to be in the know, but not a know it all. 😉

Platforms & Tools
Software platforms & tools that will help navigate this mysterious Decentralized World.

• Coinbase: Buy, Sell, Transfer, and store cryptocurrency.
• ETH/Ethereum: Digital Money/ cryptocurrency, 2nd only to Bitcoin. Convert $USD to ETH
• MetaMask: Software cryptocurrency wallet connecting your ETH to buy on blockchain.
• OpenSea: is the world's first and largest web3 marketplace for NFTs and crypto collectibles.
  
• Discord: Community Hub and major conversation platform for NFT creators.
• Twitter: Great resource to discover and join in conversations happening in the now, 
• Buy a Ledger: Cold Hardware wallet to keep your crypto assets safe. 
  

  Shop Ledger HERE: Perfect Crypto Gift

Lesson 9:  If you want to rapidly expand your mind 🤯 while questionably doing the same for your bank account consider the NFT "digital art gaming" space. 

What's next....The Future is Now 🚀
We'll be hitting cutting edge Digital Art Galleries in NYC in September.  October we'll be in Hollywood attending the IRL Rags to Richie holders event at the luxurious club Nightingale Plaza. 

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Fasten your Seatbelt, Check Your Wifi  & Stay Kind! 🥳 #&H