🚨Watch out🚨 There’s a new collector out here telling artists they must burn their physicals to sell him the same piece as an NFT. Claims it’s “illegal” to keep or sell the original if you mint a 1/1. When asked why not just buy both or use a contract, he tells people they “don’t know shit” and need to go learn what NFTs are. This isn’t collecting. It’s manipulation. What he’s doing is using fear and hype to pressure artists. Create the fear he’d come after the artists legally. Others are lured by promises that burning the piece would make their NFT more valuable. Classic power move: mix a threat with a dream. But here’s the truth: 👉 It is not illegal to sell a 1/1 NFT and keep the physical artwork. 👉 There’s no law saying you have to destroy anything to mint or sell a digital token. 👉 What matters is being clear and honest with collectors about what’s being sold. 👉 If the NFT represents ownership of the physical, say that. If it doesn’t, say that too. 👉 even if you didn’t clarify this in the past there is nothing to fear. Don’t burn your precious physical art! A respectful collector who actually cares about art and artists will welcome discourse, not try to scare you into silence. Don’t let yourself confuse about legal stuff that doesn’t even exist. My guess is he is trying to make artists emotionally and financially dependent from him. We’ve seen this before, “collectors” over the past few years who only bought from women artists, hyped them up, and then pulled them into weird dependency dynamics. Flying them out, calling it support, but slowly tightening the emotional and financial leash. Private group chats, fear-mongering, and building little inner circles of collected artists to create pressure and control. Same energy here. Different tactic. Same need for control. Watch out for the red flags. Artists: don’t let anyone rush you into burning your own work just to make a sale. You can sell the NFT and keep the physical. Or sell both. Or neither. You set the terms. If someone makes you feel stupid, scared, or confused, they’re not supporting you, they’re trying to own you. Ask questions. Talk to peers. Don’t burn your power for someone else’s wallet. Never make yourself dependent from another person for money!