While many ETH, SOL and WAXP NFT endeavors are struggling to move the same volumes of sales as in the early days of 2021 prior to the 2022 bear, some brands have thrived, even with minimal utility offerings.
One example that stands out to me is Funko. These NFTs maintain the same distinctive 'chibi' stylization of the collectible physical toys. However, they're sometimes fully animated, re-envisioned with some sparkly effects and motifs.
The flexibility of the Funko franchises of NFTs shows that NFTs as collectors items can thrive regardless of market conditions. For that, I'm thoroughly impressed. It would be wonderful to see more successful collection-focused NFT projects take off. This would help NFT marketplaces thrive regardless of the hardship of crypto market fluctuations.
Here's a slew of Funko's current collector's themes - featuring cartoons and brands you're probably well aware of:
DC Comics - Superman, Batman, Joker, etc
My Little Ponies
Popeye
Hanna-Barberra
Scooby Doo
Transformers
Kellogs -- Yeah, cereal brand characters!
Freddy
Nickelodeon Toons
Star Trek
Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles
Retro Comics
and more to come!
Sure, sure, the price of these NFTs is in the $-$$$ range, nothing like the upper 1ETH+ NFTs of OpenSea. But they move and that they do in a bear market with virtually no utility beyond being collectible, cute and fun.
I think Godzilla brand should try one more time or a few more times until they hit the right combination. Collectibles can work very well when done right, and imagine! The production cost is the art and marketing, no physical shipping or logistics. A real dream maker for brands.