We sat down with members of the Scales Community, a passionate group of collectors who have acquired Anna Judd's coveted collection of Scales. The collection consists of physical oil paintings converted into 10,000 unique NFTs, which have gained immense popularity in the art scene.
Hug Scales took advantage of a unique feature on Lore, the ability to contribute NFTs for ownership in a Lore vault.
During our conversation, the Hug Scales Community shared how they collaborated to collect some complete paintings, and how this process has resulted in not only a gain in value but also a stronger sense of camaraderie within the group.
Here’s the full interview:
1. Tell us about Scales Squad! What’s bringing everyone together?
(Bobp): Scales is artist Anna Judd’s latest collection of oil paintings employing highly sought after abstract techniques - converted into 10,000 completely unique NFTs. The project launched in Jun 2022 and held 6 monthly mints through the end of the year before taking a three month hiatus. To date, 4,290 NFTs have minted with the next drop of 503 pieces scheduled to mint on Mar 25, 2023. For each of the monthly mint drops, Anna creates a painting in her studio.
It's then scanned in at high definition, fractionalized, and handed over to a team of Digital Alchemists who polish the work digitally til the paint becomes hyperreal. Each painting will be composed of 16, 20, 24, 25, 30, or 35 fractional NFTs. Our squad formed to jointly collect full paintings from the collection which offers benefits including both an NFT of the full painting (Magnum Opus) and the physical painting itself.
2. Tell us about you! How did you find this community and get involved?
(Bobp): A group of us belonging to the HUG community were introduced to Scales through a collaboration. We each received 2 free Scale mints and we fell in love with the art and the Scales community. For several months we discussed being interested in collecting Scales together using Lore, and our wish became a reality in Sep, 2022.
(amcgrath23): I was introduced to Scales through Not Your Bro. I had won an AL spot for the November mint. I had minted a Tender Tentacles scale. As Bob mentioned, the squad was trying to achieve MO with this painting. He reached out via Twitter. He explained his position, Lore, the Scales squad and ultimately convinced me to join the team. The squad was very welcoming and helpful and I’ve learned so much since joining.
3. How would you describe your community’s culture? What’s your favorite shared ritual?
(Bobp): Our community culture consists of trust, mutual support, friendship and admiration. My favorite shared ritual is the planning and execution when we select a painting to collect for Magnum Opus (MO). During the Nov 2023 drop, we selected a 16 Scale painting from the collection named Tender Tentacles. Within the first 8 days following mint, we collected 15/16 Scales needed for MO. This involved contacting the holders and negotiating a sale or trade. The final piece was acquired Feb 1, 2023, but we now hold our MO Scale and we will receive the physical painting after the project mints out.
4. What does buying digital assets together mean for your community?
(amcgrath23): One of the best parts about being in this squad is that when members are trying to collect scales to join the Scales Royalty Club or MO status on their own, everyone looks out for one another. If someone sees a scale that another member needs, they will either give them a heads up that it’s been listed or purchase it for them.
5. Can you share some strategies for running a squad that have worked well for you?
(Bobp): Having a common goal, sharing a common ethos, using a good tool for communicating and community (Discord) are all important aspects of our strategy. For Scales collecting, there is a need to maintain a level of stealth so that an owner doesn’t demand too high of a price to relinquish a piece you need.
We use a strategy of acquiring Scales in private member wallets and holding them there to keep our MO interest private.
6. How has Lore helped you all reach your goals?
(Ravenstar): Lore has played an important role for someone like me who loves the Scales community and ethos and would really like to support and collect an entire painting, but may not necessarily have the financial means or ability to do so on our own. The entire group effort of helping one another achieve a common goal has truly been an enjoyable process.
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Thank you to everyone from the Hug Scales community for your time and sharing your Lore with us today, especially @NightInMoka amcgrath23 @FloatingHead119 @ebbsam_nft.
This interview is part of our 🍥30 Days of Lore Program🍥! This is the first of many stories from our communities. Make sure to engage with this tweet thread on Twitter to earn a mint, and subscribe below to hear more.
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