Yesterday, Gary Vaynerchuk’s VeeFriends announced a collaboration with toy company Mattel that will see one of the collection’s non-fungible token characters made into a physical collectible. In the pack, VeeFriends’ “Skilled Skeleton” will be packaged with Skeletor, the main antagonist in Mattel’s Masters of the Universe franchise.
VeeFriends joins forces with @mattel’s Masters Of The Universe (@mastersofficial) to unite Skilled Skeleton & Skeletor 💀 pic.twitter.com/7tTQLqUNxo
— VeeFriends (@veefriends) September 26, 2023
Vaynerchuk called the partnership “surreal” as Skeletor is a touchstone for everyone from the Gen X era. He had high praise for collectors of the Masters of the Universe merch, calling them one of the best communities in the world. He added that he hopes everyone will enjoy these toys as much as he and the team did in creating them.
In the pack, Skeletor will come with three swappable heads, five swappable hands, a flex chain, hood, and armor, as well as his Sword of Power and Havoc Staff. Skilled Skeleton will feature six swappable hands, hood, and armor, and will glow in the dark. Each package will come with slip covers and a mini comic. Here is an image of the two figures from the Mattel Creations website:
Pre-orders for the set will start on October 6th at 9 am Pacific Time. The price will be $45, not including tax and shipping costs. According to the website, shipping of the packs will begin January 2024.
As Mattel writes on its website, the two characters are “positively opposite” with “opposing energies.” Skilled Skeleton symbolizes VeeFriends mission to inspire optimism and kindness. Skeletor, on the other hand, is a villain. The choice to pair the two together is certainly interesting and could make this set a dynamic collector’s item.
This is not the first time VeeFriends and Mattel have collaborated. The two released a special UNO deck with VeeFriends characters in December 2021.
VeeFriends Makes News in Bear Market
While the bear market has been tough on many collections, there are some that have continued to innovate, form partnerships, and create new revenue streams. One of those has been VeeFriends, which has made news throughout this difficult time. Here are three stories involving it, all from the past year.
First, two months ago, VeeFriends and Reebok teamed up to release a line of limited-edition sneakers. The shoes were inspired by a particular VeeFriends character — the Aspiring Alpaca — with the character appearing on the tongue of the shoes. In addition, the team placed the VeeFriends logo on the side of the sneakers.
Next, 12 months ago, VeeFriends toys were set to appear in select Macy’s and Toys’R’Us stores. The toys featured 10 characters from the collection, including the Practical Peacock, Willful Wizard, and Genuine Giraffe. More than just a new revenue stream, the toys were good for holders, with some receiving a free toy.
Lastly, about a year ago, VeeFriends raised $50 million from a16z, a venture capitalist firm that invests in Web3 companies. Chris Lyons, a partner at a16z, said at the time that the collection represents the ethos of entrepreneurship. Gary Vee and Vayner3 had no comment on the fundraise at the time and did not say what the money would be used for.
As the bear market drags on, some collections are still doing well and one of those is VeeFriends. That’s certainly a good sign for the space. Rarity Sniper will pay attention to developments in the story and update this article if needed.