The Outer Space Men vIRL NFTs have landed on WAX!

In just seven short days, these long-awaited vIRLs will hit the King of NFTs! We explain what vIRL NFTs are, the importance of this landmark drop, and how vIRLs will change the NFT landscape!

AUGUST 12, 2021. COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS. WRITTEN BY HYDRO.

Over the past year, WAX has been on a roll, helping some of the world’s best-known franchises enter the NFT space. On 19th August at 17 UTC, yet another name joins the star-studded list – The Outer Space Men. As if that wasn’t enough, this is the first vIRL NFT collection backed by the WAX team – there’s a real-world, 12-inch action figure behind every single NFT.

With over 50 years of history behind them, this drop will surely scratch that nostalgia itch for many of us! But wait… what the hell is a vIRL NFT?

vIRL (virtual-in-real-life) NFTs offer a way to own physical items without them being delivered to you. Each and every vIRL NFT is tied to a physical item. Should you own a vIRL NFT, you can either redeem it for the physical item, or trade the NFT to someone else. That’s better for the initial buyer, better for the end customer, and better for the planet. Sounds cool, right?

Doesn’t make sense? The WAX team have put out a super-helpful video to explain vIRL NFTs and their benefits further, which you can watch below.

Now we know what vIRLs (pronounced “virals”) are, here’s how the Outer Space Men drop will work.

There’s two options. First, there’s 1,375 Original Packs up for grabs, costing $251 USD each. This drop is CC only. Each pack contains 1 vIRL NFT from 24 possible options, which can be opened at 20 UTC. There’s 4 different rarities; Cosmic Radiation (65.81%), Bluestar (25.46%), Infinity Glyos (7.27%) and Whitestar (1.46%). The Whitestar action figures retail for $999 on The Outer Space Men website, so if you’re lucky, there’s a 4x to be had!

If you know exactly which vIRL NFT you want, there’s also 360 Instant Buy vIRLs available. These cost $351 USD – again, CC only – but allow you to choose from a pool of 6 vIRL NFT action figures, letting you skip the RNG.

With both options, shipping is included in the price of the vIRL NFT, so if you’d like to redeem yours, there’s no extra charges!

Let’s face it – physical items can be a pain in the neck, especially in the collectibles market. If you purchase an action figure online, it has to be delivered to you, takes up space in your home, and you then have to worry about looking after it. Selling that physical action figure is also a hassle – where do you sell it? How can you trust the buyer with the funds, and are you getting a fair price?

This is where vIRLs come into their own. No more shipping from place to place, no more worrying about upkeep or how stressful it may be to sell. You want it? Redeem it. You don’t? Sell it on – all through a marketplace where the secondary market price is clear and transparent. 

Here’s some blue-sky thinking – how about taking the vIRL concept and applying it to sneakers? Watches? Jewellery?

Let’s go completely out there… how about vIRL NFTs for real-world events – such as exclusive experiences, or the chance to meet your favourite celebrity? What if space tourism tickets were vIRL NFTs? How about vIRL NFTs in real estate?

Will these things happen tomorrow? No, but vIRL NFTs open a can of worms to a whole host of possibilities, and perhaps even to a situation where the market truly decides the price of physical goods and services in an open and transparent manner – something which NFTs have already made possible in the digital world. All of that kicks off right here, with these The Outer Space Men action figures.

The Stress Test will take place at 17 UTC on August 18 – 24h before the main drop. Be sure you’re in the official WAX Discord at that time to grab a free promo pack!

This is the start of an incredible new development in NFTs, and what a way to kick it off! Head to the announcement for an overview, read the Medium post from the WAX team for further details, and join the dedicated Outer Space Men channel in the official WAX Discord for all the latest info – and to join the hype train!