What Is VeeFriends?
Ask 10 different people and you can get ten different answers. The VeeFriends Universe consists of comic books, a trading card game, a Topps Chrome & Topps Chrome Sapphire release, NFT's, cartoons, hats, T-shirts, pencil toppers, books, mini figures, ornaments, pins, sweatshirts, shoes, stickers, tote bags, hats, plushies, sunglasses, it's own convention - VeeCon, and so much more.
Gary Vaynerchuk (X: https://x.com/garyvee & Whatnot: https://www.whatnot.com/user/garyvee) is the mastermind behind this universe of over 250 characters based on positive character traits like the Tenacious Termite, the Empathy Elephant and the Fearless Fairy.
He gives a brief introduction to his world here:
He has been building this IP across many categories over the last several years and this spring released VeeFriends Topps Chrome, introducing 102 of those characters to the entire Topps brand and collectible cards world.
Which is how I discovered VeeFriends.
What I Found Was A Community Unlike Any Other
With no offence meant to all the amazing comic collectors and other communities out there. The VeeFriends community embodies the very traits the characters themselves have, and are welcoming to everyone who comes in, even the skeptics. While most communities all chase the same cards/comics/etc, the VeeFriends community starts by asking you to take a quiz to see which character you get. Go ahead and try the VeeFriends Quiz yourself, right here.
Most feel a connection to the character they identify with and will start by looking for some items from that character. These items could exist across all the different categories that VeeFriends is produced. That's what happened to me when I got the Ambitious Angel on my first quiz and started looking for some cards, and I was hooked! The last several months I've also learned more and more about the potential investment value that could exist as well. Many of you know how adamant I have been about foreign comics being the one collectible category with the highest possible profit potential over the next 5-10 years and it wasn't even close, but VeeFriends has now made a case for a strong contender as well and shouldn't be ignored.
Imagine that you could go back to the 90s and buy up Pokémon before it dominated the entire card market. Is this the potential that is out there right now with the VeeFriends universe? It's not limited to just that though, VeeFriends could very well be Disney 2.0. They are already playing VeeFriends cartoons on some of the largest charter buses to Disney and the variety of items across multiple categories are bringing in eyes from all over.
The best test with anything like this is of course the kids, and they aren't going to lie. Kids have had an overwhelmingly positive response to seeing these Topps Chrome cards, and I was able to see this firsthand by giving many out at Motor City Comic Con earlier this year. You could tell when they saw a character they liked and nearly all showed some interest in the cards and characters. This has continued to happen at convention after convention as many members of the community and the VeeFriends team themselves pass these cards out to kids, bringing more eyes to this universe every day.
VeeFriends In Comics
One thing that is really bringing this whole universe together are the stories in the comic books, currently with the first 3 issues out, plus a weekly Sunday comic in newspapers all over the country. The stories being told early on have been very well received by the community and look to be building a solid foundation for years of great storytelling.
Led by the very talented D.J. Coffman, (X: https://x.com/djcoffman?lang=en & IG: https://www.instagram.com/djcoffman/?hl=en) the Director of Comic & Character Development at VeeFriends. The comics can be read on the website along with the Sunday newspaper comics. All my fellow comic collectors should take note of all the first appearances happening in these early issues and the potential around them down the road!
There's also a lot of great cartoons on their YouTube channel, a great resource to introduce your kids to. The positive traits of each character provide solid opportunities to discuss those traits and what they mean and can look like in action.
The earliest introduction of VeeFriends was the series 1 NFT's launched on May 11th, 2021. While most other NFT's have largely fell off, the VeeFriends ones have remained strong by having actual benefits and utility tied to them. When there is a VeeFriends release, there can be bonuses for those who hold series 1 and/or series 2 NFT's of the character(s) involved in the release. Sometimes that may mean a free item or a discounted hobby box of Chrome at release, but none shine brighter for NFT bonuses than the series 1 Gift Goat, limited to only 555 in existence.
These have truly lived up to their name, seeing gift after gift given to the holders year after year, culminating in every single one of them being given a box of the VeeFriends Topps Chrome Sapphire release this summer, which is seeing boxes sell for around $8,000 each.
Will the market continue to see price increases on this IP? So far the answer has been yes, at least since the release of Topps Chrome. The first couple weeks you could buy the Erupt cards for as little as $500. Now these cards go for nearly $5,000 just 4 months later and show no signs of slowing down. Hobby boxes that released under $200 each are now hovering around $700 each. Blaster boxes which were Gamestop exclusive releases at a price point of $24.99 each, have quickly rose to over $200 each now.
The market has been pretty clear that there is a strong demand for VeeFriends and it doesn't appear to be slowing down. Week after week, the VeeFriends account (X: https://x.com/veefriends IG: https://www.instagram.com/veefriends/?hl=en) posts the top sales for the week, and it just keeps showing monster sales every single week. Go have a look for yourself, seeing is believing!
August 8th saw their most recent release, a Manga Super Sticker collaboration with Stephen Curry featuring Stephen Curry as the Kind Warrior character and Gary Vee with his first ever Super Sticker plus autographs from both including a dual auto chase! VeeFriends has already been involved in many major collaborations with global companies, just take a look at this ever growing list:
While many new IP's can seem sort of thrown together and a bit scattered, every aspect of VeeFriends that I've looked at shows thought and design behind it. I was hesitant at first like many others, but the more I've learned, the more I've become a strong believer. Gary Vee is a true force of nature and has built an incredible team around him that all have the same goal in mind. I was able to see this firsthand all 5 days at the National convention in Chicago just how hard they work together as a team to achieve that goal. Bet against him if you want, but I won't be!
To be clear, I am not a financial advisor and you should always consult a professional before making any financial decisions. These opinions are my own and not to be taken as any financial advice. I also have not been paid or compensated by VeeFriends in any way for this article, I'm just a big fan. Thanks for reading, let me know your thoughts in the comments!
