One of the most well-known non-fungible token collections is launching a collection of collectibles with one of the largest retailers in the world.
What Happened: VeeFriends, an NFT collection launched by Gary Vaynerchuk (aka Gary Vee), announced a partnership with Macy’s (NYSE:M) and Toys “R” Us.
The collection includes plush and vinyl characters of 10 different VeeFriends characters. Macy’s and Toys “R” Us will be the exclusive retail home for the collection. The collection can also be bought online through Macy’s website and internationally on the VeeFriends website.
“This partnership means way more to me than you could ever imagine. The thought that VeeFriends will be in Macy’s and Toys 'R' Us simultaneously is incredible,” Vaynerchuk said. “I fondly remember growing up in Edison, New Jersey, walking down these stores’ aisles as a kid.”
The 10 characters selected for the collection are:
- Practical Peacock
- Willful Wizard
- Genuine Giraffe
- Adventurous Astronaut
- Gratitude Gorilla
- Patient Panda
- Empathy Elephant
- Common Sense Cow
- Heart Trooper
- Be the Bigger Person
“We chose characters that we think embody exciting features for first-time collectors,” Vaynerchuk added.
The pre-sale for the collection begins on Oct. 4 with a collection launch on Oct. 17, 2022.
Each collectible comes with a QR code that can be scanned to unlock short films and character songs.
The plush and vinyl collectibles come with a price tag of $9.99 to $29.99 and were designed by Toikido.
“Gary Vaynerchuk has created an extraordinary digital community. We are excited to partner with Gary and VeeFriends to bring his signature NFT characters to life exclusively at Macy’s, reaching a new set of fans for us,” Macy’s Senior Vice President of Merchandising Stephen Moore said.
Vaynerchuk will make two in-store appearances to celebrate the launch of the collection, attending events at Macy’s in Chicago on Oct. 17, 2022, and in New York City on Oct. 21, 2022. Vaynerchuk will also participate in a special with Macy’s Live, a streaming show from the retailer that has exclusive offers and live content.
Holders of VeeFriends will get a claim on a free figure and will get priority for in-store events.
“Not only will they get first access to claim the collection, they also get first priority at the in-store events,” VeeFriends President Andy Krainak said.
Related Link: VeeCon 2022: First Yearr Event Brings Alpha, Community Education & NFT Lessons
Why It’s Important: The new physical collection marks the first step in bringing VeeFriends characters to life and taking the digital characters to the physical world. The collection also provides a new entry point for non-NFT holders, “giving access to any consumer to own a VeeFriends character.”
VeeFriends is a collection of 283 characters selected by Vaynerchuk and drawn by the entrepreneur that have traits.
“Vaynerchuk’s vision is to scale his ideas through the characters and the traits they represent,” the release reads.
VeeFriends was launched by Vaynerchuk in May 2021 with a subsequent collection called VeeFriends Series 2 launched in April 2022.
Vaynerchuk called the partnership with Macy’s and Toys “R” Us “a very big step for the company.”
VeeFriends has been a huge focus for Vaynerchuk.
“This is my Disney. This is my Pokemon,” Vanerchuk previously said.
Vaynerchuk has said he will work on VeeFriends for the next 40 to 50 years and bring value to holders.
VeeFriends has launched partnerships with several companies including Johnnie Walker, Fanatics and Mattel Inc (NASDAQ:MAT) card game UNO.
Holders of VeeFriends Series 2 NFTs also got a box of VeeFriends trading cards, which can be viewed in an unboxing video below.
Price Action: VeeFriends has a floor price of 5.96 Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), or around $7,871 at the time of writing.
VeeFriends Series 2 has a floor price of 0.34 ETH, or around $449 at the time of writing.
