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NFT Beat: Is NBA TopShot Out Of Touch?

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cflclosers
@cflclosers
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I just got my first pack from NBA Topshot after they had a drop where everyone who wanted a pack could actually get one. I had been 0/8 on previous drops and had loaded as much as $240 into my Dapper account.

One this drop there were 325,000 packs sold at a price of $9. The reason I had filled my Dapper account for the previous drops was the varying prices of the packs and not fully realizing that my chances, even though prepared for the drop, of landing one was slim. When I attempted to withdraw my excess $$ from Dapper, their withdrawal system was not really ready for the big time. I'm still in the 6 to 8 week verification period.

But so be it, it is beta and they are the NBA which to me means an acceptable NFT. I'm not an NFT believer mainly because the overkill of the concept is going to turn everyone off and kill the momentum. Not everything on earth makes a desirable NFT. I kind of look at like a drunk driver. Not everyone drives drunk but those that do ruin the safety of the entire system for everyone.

I believe that niches that have a strong collector market will do fine and there is a wide range of them so NFTs are here to stay but there will be bear markets and fortunes not made. (Think Beanie Babies). And by the way, as soon as Beanie Baby NFTS come out I'm in! I love those things.

So when I had hear of NBA TopShot (5 weeks late) I wanted in because I love sports and am one of those guys whose mom threw out their baseball card collection when they went away to college not knowing the value of such a collection.

So today while I was opening my first pack the announcement of the Holo Icon Drop 2 came out. Well that's exciting, another drop to wait in line for and not get, but I would definitely try. Well, until I read it: https://nbatopshot.com/listings/pack/64c803b6-c1f5-42be-9c77-db61f8060c6b

TopShot has different levels of requirements to be eligible for drops and they are getting tougher all the time. The main goal is to avoid bots, scams, and collusion. I won't rehash the basic requirements for your collection because I see them trying. They are failing, but they are trying to do things in the best interest of the average person who wants to collect packs.

But this drop was completely out of Touch.

  1. $999.00
  2. 15 moments in your colllection at snapshot
  3. 2 Rare Moments in your collection
  4. 1 Legendary Moment in your collection.
  5. Only 2324 packs with something worth having.

So this will be a touch pack to get and preloading $999 into your payment account doesn't guarantee you a pack. (and no refunds for not getting one. you just have a credit balance to withdraw later)

I realize these are limited cards and they want them to be for serious collectors. TopShot Old Timers probably have the required cards in their collection to participate but the money is risky. But for a guy like me hoping to get lucky and pull a great card that dream will never happen in a pay-to-play model with an uneven playing field.

I think this is out of touch. The kids who want to collect the new NFT collectible are out of the game. It's the NBA, they don't need the money, they need the fans. The frustrations with TopShot are more legendary than their Cards. They even set up their own complaint discord so people can complain about the company. https://discord.com/channels/606111887876292622/819677267398492240

The NBA and TopShot are going to learn some hard lessons but luckily, NFL and MLB will be the beneficiaries of all the missteps and I will resurface there.

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