Sergito Sergito: Building an Enviable NFT Portfolio

Sergito is an NFT collector with an impressive portfolio. In this episode, Sergito shares some of his favorite pieces and talks about why he thinks the industry is changing the world. Most of his NFTs are acquired through Nifty Gateway.

Who is Sergito?

Sergito’s background: Like most NFT collectors, he became involved in Crypto recently. During the shutdown of 2020, he discovered the Cryptopunks and learned a lot from following others. Eventually, he found his way to Nifty Gateway. He’s always been a collector, starting with stamps and Pokemon cards when he was young.
His collection: Sergito has been collecting NFTs from Nifty Gateway for the last three months. New York City apartments are not known for their wall space. They allow him to collect digital art without compromising on space. His goal is to safe keep them for the next generation.
Top three NFTs: His first Cryptopunks NFT will always be special to Sergito. He also owns a “Politics is Bullshit” from Beeple. They are a limited edition, and the piece has historical significance with everything going on in the world. Sergito also sees it as a reminder of the crypto bull market seen in March of this year. It saw the price of his piece rise by a lot. He finds it difficult to choose a favorite piece or artist from his collection. They all represent different sides of his personality and moments in his life. He also owns a percentage of a piece called Overpass (Night) by artist Mad Dog Jones as part of a collection called The Mad Pups. It’s one of his most treasured pieces.
The Mad Pups: The Mad Pups is a project created by a group of NFT collectors. The Mad Dog Jones piece was redeemed through the Crash + Burn edition which requires people to submit five pieces from Mad Dog Jones’ old collection Thoughts and Ideas. He and a couple of friends got together to redeem Overpass (Night) in a key moment in Sergito’s NFT life.

Quotables

Timestamp: 3:08 - “When I stumbled along NFTs and I realized that you can collect really good digital art and have as many pieces as you want, either in a digital frame or in the metaverse, your computer or wherever, it just really changed the game for me.”

Timestamp: 16:44 – “I think that as cryptocurrencies continue to rally, they’re going to continue to capture attention and capital flows over NFTs. That, combined with the fact that we had a huge bubble in NFT valuation in March, that’s why it feels like the drawdown is quite major.”

Timestamp: 22:57 – “We are all working together to make sure that the ecosystem is healthy, and I think having that two-way communication is important.”

Helping others understand NFTs

Significance of NFT art: Sergito likes to look around for new art and does research on it and engages in the NFT ecosystem. He appreciates that people have come around and now understands why he values his collection. The more time passes, the more people like his wife see that the NFT industry is revolutionizing the world and changing more than just art. Through the blockchain, you can prove providence and ownership.
One of Sergito’s goals is to ensure people understand NFTs better.
He started in Crypto because he recognized it’s changing the world. He saw it as a financial investment opportunity.
NFTs are tokens. They are tradable and have value.
His collection continues to grow, although he’s sold some pieces over time. He doesn’t believe in trading NFTs. The fees are high and it’s a liquid market. His goal is to build a collection, create a gallery, and he sees this as a long-term project.
Many good pieces have low edition numbers. Some artists don’t get paid until their NFTs trade again. Selling a piece can give the artist liquidity that will allow them to make money. In most cases though, he keeps what he buys.

Investing in more than the NFTs

Framing NFTs: Sergito purchased a large TV to use as a digital frame. He also uses smaller digital frames. He thinks the technology hasn’t quite caught up yet. He and his wife are mindful of the fact that the tech will improve over time and displays will have better value in the future.
Limited space: Sergito is conscious of the limited space he has in his New York City apartment. The TVs are a great solution for him. He and his wife own a few Infinite Objects that they received as rewards for buying some NFTs. They are smaller and don’t allow them to showcase the pieces as well as the larger digital frames. However, the animated versions stand out really well and receive a lot of reactions from visitors. Displaying the NFTs often leads to questions about the art pieces.
Nifty Gateway: On Nifty Gateway, you can use dollars, credit cards to make purchases which allows him to collect points. He chose the platform as a way of participating in the NFT ecosystem but using the dollar allows him to maintain some stability in his financial investment.
NFT friendships: Sergito has bonded with many of the people he’s met through Nifty Gateway. He’s created friendships with many of the artists and collectors there. He feels at home there.
Sergito owns three Punks. He and his wife minted three MeBits and almost immediately sold two of them when the value began to go down.
Time commitment: Initially, when you discover this space, technology, and art, it can be time-consuming. Sergito had to take a step back and balance the other parts of his life. Now, he’s more selective about what he gets involved with. Knowing the ecosystem means he doesn’t need to invest as much time as in the beginning.

Advice and resources for collectors

Doing the research and work on the artist and pieces pays off in the long run.
Make sure your collection holds its value over time. Choose pieces that are significant in the art world.
Look for artists that innovate and are using the medium to the best of their advantage. Learn why certain valuations make sense and why they exist.
At the end of the day, collect what you like, build relationships in the industry, and try to add value through your investments.
Sergito recommends checking out NFT artist Ness Graphics (an upcoming podcast guest). He recently purchased one of his pieces called HOM3BAS3 from him.
He suggests going through other collectors’ portfolios to see which artists they follow and what pieces they collect. Look for easter eggs in the pieces you collect.
The discord server community shares a lot of information about the artists and their work.
Even inexpensive pieces are still worth money. Whether you’re investing at the $20 or the $20,000 level, there’s an opportunity there. Be thoughtful about the money you invest in NFTs. Only put in what you can afford to lose. That way, you can stomach the ups and downs of the market.
Appreciate the art you collect and reduces the worry and emotional anxiety of losing money. Don’t feel pressure to sell if the value goes down.
You can find Sergito on Twitter @sergitosergito and on Discord as sergito#001. He’s also on Nifty Gateway under the same name.