How to Invest in NBA Top Shot? 20 Tips
By now you must have heard something about NBA Top Shot, which is the current craze that is currently breaking the internet as covered over at runrex.com. We’ve hard stories of people selling Top Shot highlights for a tidy amount, with one LeBron James highlight selling for over $200,000. This has led to many looking to add these highlights to their portfolio as an investment. If you are one of them, through the following 20 tips, this article will look to give you pointers on how to invest in NBA Top Shot.
What is NBA Top Shot?
As the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com point out, the simplest explanation is that NBA Top Shot is essentially the 2021 version of trading cards, only that, instead of a still image printed on a piece of cardboard, it is a highlight who’s authenticity is assured through blockchain technology. The highlight is referred to as a moment.
How do you get in on the action?
If you are looking to get in on the action and are wondering how you can invest in NBA Top Shot highlights, then as discussed over at runrex.com, there are two ways to do so. You can either buy a pack, during a drop, that will include at least several random moments, or you can purchase the moments individually on a peer-to-peer network in the Top Shot Marketplace.
Which of these two methods is preferred?
According to the gurus over at guttulus.com, buying packs would be the preferred method if you are wondering which of the two avenues to explore. This is because the contents of a pack are guaranteed to be worth significantly more than the cost of the pack.
What is the process involved in landing a pack?
If you are wondering how you can get your hands on a pack, then you should know that NBA Top Shot will announce roughly 24 hours prior when it plans to make a pack available and how many will be for sale. After that, you go to NBA Top Shot’s website at the scheduled time to enter a digital queue where you are randomly assigned a spot, and when your turn in the queue comes, you get a chance to purchase a pack.
Can I get my hands on a pack now?
Naturally, the next question you may be asking is if you can get your hands on a pack now. Here, it important to note that packs are not easy to come by as you need to make sure you are aware of when a drop is scheduled and enter the queue early enough to stand a chance of buying one. At the moment, all packs are sold out and you will have to wait until NBA Top Shot announces the next drop.
Are all packs the same?
It is also important to note that these packs come in a variety of formats as covered over at runrex.com, each of them being valued differently. They are:
Common – range from $9 to $14, but rarer recently because of demand
Rare – listed most recently for $199
Legendary – listed most recently for $999
Platinum Ultimate – 3 digital copies; only available through auction
Genesis Ultimate – 1 digital copy; only available through auction
The savvy approach in the marketplace
While the preferred strategy when it comes to investing in NBA Top Shot moments is through pack drops, there is still value to be had at the marketplace. As per the gurus over at guttulus.com, this means savvy purchases of moments that you expect to go up in value allowing you to get in on the action early enough.
The heavy-hitter approach in the market
The strategy articulated in the previous point is a good one but requires one to have an idea of some of the cards they expect to go up in value, which is something you can very easily get wrong if you don’t know what you are doing. An alternative to that particular strategy is simply taking the heavy-hitter approach and investing in a moment that is already valued highly, and likely to continue appreciating in value. This strategy involves getting one or two big-money, Series 1 moments, and waiting for the product to get out of beta. If it all goes according to plan, those big-money purchases will net big-time profits. However, if the product flops, you may end up with a very expensive gif. This approach is the most cost-prohibitive and riskiest one, but it is also one that will have the highest rewards if and when NBA Top Shot truly takes off as outlined over at runrex.com.
Don’t rely on word of mouth when it comes to packs
It is worth repeating that packs are the best way to invest in moments, which is why you need to be on top of the news when a drop is scheduled by NBA Top Shop. Here, a key tip is to avoid relying on word of mouth. Because demand for packs is intense, relying on word of mouth will most likely lead to you getting in on the action late and landing an unfavorable number in the queue.
Try signing up for email alerts
One way of making sure that you never miss out on news on NBA Top Shot pack drops is signing up for email alerts that will alert you as soon as a drop is available so that you can get in on the action early enough. Several resources are providing this service so do your research to find one that you like.
Know the game
If you want to be successful when investing in NBA Top Shot moments, then you must know the game according to guttulus.com. Know which young players have potential, the ones likely to have a breakout season, and the ones on form, as all these factors determine the value of a highlight. Invest some time following and learning about the game.
Analyze trends
Another tip that will come in handy when investing in NBA Top Shot is analyzing the trends as far as the market is concerned. As discussed over at runrex.com, this means using the NBA Top Shot website, or other websites like evaluate.market, to analyze the trends when it comes to some of the highlights you have in your collection which will allow you to see how what cards like yours have sold for.
Don’t forget about star power
One of the most important things that drive the value of a moment is the star power of the player according to the experts over at guttulus.com This is something you should always be aware of when investing in moments, and try to invest in moments of star players like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, among others, when you get a chance.
Don’t forget also about the serial number
Other than the star power of the player and the rarity of the moment, the serial number of the moment also plays a role in determining its value. Generally speaking, the lower the serial number, the better. This means that a moment with a serial number in the 1-10 range will often fetch a price in the thousands, regardless of the player or the tier of the moment.
Serial number matching the player’s jersey number
The other huge serial number boost you should be aware of is when the serial number is the same as the player’s jersey number. Such cards will be exponentially more valuable than any other card in the set, something that you should know when looking to invest.
The Series
The Series of the moment also helps determine its value as revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com. We are currently only on Series 2, but if you have a look, you are unlikely to find any Series 1 moments that will go for much less than $100, regardless of the player. This means that, once this project gets going and we get to Series 3, 4, 5, and so forth, all the series 2 LE moments will spike in value, while the Series 1 moments will be even more valuable than they are now.
Other factors to consider
Other than rarity, the star power of the player, serial number, and the Series of the moment, other factors could drive value but are less significant. They include whether or not the player had a good game if his team won, and how visually pleasing the highlight is according to guttulus.com. It is also important to consider these factors as well.
It is important to catch the market at the right time
As is explained over at runrex.com, given that we are still in the beta stage of this product, the market is still volatile. This means that there can be wild swings in value before a consensus price point is arrived at. The values also tend to spike right before a pack-drop and then quickly decline post-pack-drop. Therefore, learning the swings and catching the market at the right time can have lucrative results.
Load up on undervalued, Limited Edition (LE) moments
The most accessible investment strategy for newcomers with a smaller budget is to try and load up on as many Limited Edition, Series 1, and 2 moments as possible. This is because these moments are very likely to spike once we get further down the line as already mentioned, making them a relatively safe investment.
Constant transactions
Another investment strategy is investing in undervalued LE moments as mentioned in the previous point, but, rather than holding the moments and waiting for their value to increase further down the line, you track the swings of a given moment via evaluate.market and sell when it gets to a high point. You can even buy and sell the same moment over and over again, buying it when it falls in value and selling it when it spikes, and so forth.
Hopefully, this article will help you as you look to invest in NBA Top Shot moments, with more on this topic to be found over at the top-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com.