Whether you buy NFTs at presale or public mint, each strategy has potential upsides and downsides. Read on to understand the dynamics.
August 18, 2022
Like in any financial market, timing is a core factor determining profitability – the common goal of any lay investor. Knowing when and how to buy NFTs is even more critical since their non-fungibility makes selling off tricky. This brief article compares the two common ways users get in on new NFT projects – presales and public mints.
NFT presale is a sales strategy offered by project developers to allow investors to acquire units of their collection before launching. Token presales are often distributed to crypto influencers, celebrities, and other users through whitelists. Whitelists are early access lists of wallets pre-approved by developers for minting.
Getting whitelisted is the nirvana feeling every NFT trader wants, as it has its upsides. First, users can buy NFTs at the lowest price possible and access some of the rarest ones with unique traits. Also, whitelists create a significant buzz around projects, driving demand and value up in the process.
However, the downside is that the project might not take off, as there are no guarantees in crypto. For instance, whitelisted users that minted Pixelmon NFTs for 3 ETH can only sell their assets at a floor price of 0.2 ETH at the time of writing.
Additionally, the desperation to get into whitelists often makes unsuspecting users vulnerable to wallet hacks, phishing attacks, and rug pulls.
Public mints work the same way as presales, except that buying starts at launch. After the presale ends, the developers will announce a time for the public sales of the tokens.
Buying an NFT from a public market will give you the privilege of seeing the demand and analytical records for the project. While this does not always prevent buying an illiquid project, it helps filter low-prospect projects based on demand.
On the flip side, NFT collections with high activity at launch are often deemed successful, increasing gas fees. This leads to "gas wars," where collectors increase gas fees to outbid others. Even if your transaction fails, you still pay the gas fees, and there are no refunds.
There is no better or worse approach to buying an NFT; at the end of the day, your choice should primarily come from due diligence. You must do detailed research into any project you intend to put your money into rather than falling into FOMO because of hype.
Fortunately, purchasing NFTs during public mints has been made seamless with us. You get credibility, quality, and huge numbers in one multichain NFT marketplace. Start your NFT journey on AirNFTs now!