Forever Apes

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• Background Orange
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• Hat Bayc Fipped Brim
• Eyes Wide Eyed
• Fur Golden Brown
• Mouth Dumbfounded

Around May 2021, I had recently finished reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. I was struck by the thought that humans really were just a bunch of "bored apes". To combat our boredom, we invented culture and art.

Thousands of years later, a few bored apes created the Bored Ape Yacht Club. It had a wonderful symmetry that really spoke to me - and naturally, I aped into BAYC. Three months later, ape owners were airdropped mutant serums. I remember Herb saying: “There’s a ton of people in the Discord, someone here will get an M3.”

“Yea, right,” I thought, only to check my wallet to see the M3 serum.

Immediately, I was overwhelmed with disbelief, excitement, and panic all at once. I left shortly after for a friend's birthday, but let me tell you, I was distracted the entire time. I was seeing offers for hundreds of ETH - millions of dollars! - on my serum. And I couldn't accept them even if I wanted to: my wallet was at home, almost an hour away!

In the end, it all worked out. I chose to not sell the serum and drink it instead. I live-streamed the reveal in the BAYC discord, while voice chat was full of ape noises and people chanting “Chug!”. The entire community was celebrating the reveal of the Mega Zombie with me at that moment - something I’ll never forget. I’ll never leave the BAYC. APE FOR LIFE!

• Mouth Bored Cigarette
• Fur Cheetah
• Eyes Heart
• Hat Fisherman's hat
• Background Gray
• Clothes Biker Vest

Finding the Bored Ape Yacht Club was one of the biggest blessings of my life. I aped in and was welcomed by the founders and a community with a 1 of 1 vibe. The communication from the team blew me away, and as a self-proclaimed momma's boy, the roadmap hit home. I minted a few to help the founders reach the "pay our moms back tier."

While I was blessed enough to mint apes, #1407 was not one of them. I sold my first cheetah because I couldn’t land the BAYC black merch hat to match him. I was on the hunt, and I needed to find an ape that represented me. It had to be a Cheetah, though, because, you know, Cheetah Gang Vs DMTs. I couldn't let my Cheetah apes down. That's when I locked onto this killer lover boy. Since getting him, it's been my mission to find gifted artists to create and carve out his story through derivatives. I've built bonds with members and artists in BAYC that I will carry on forever. 2021 was only a warm-up for what's to come.

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• Eyes Crazy

I've been involved in crypto in some way or another since 2017. With a banking background, I was always interested in the market side of crypto rather than the community aspect of it. This all changed when I became a BAYC member.

I won my ape, thanks to a raffle in another project. I'm very grateful for that. When I first joined the BAYC Discord, members welcomed me and greeted me in such a way that I felt at home. Fellow apes were genuinely interested in getting to know me. That same night I Tweeted about my ape, the following day I woke to 250 new followers - a massive increase from 50 followers. I realized the massive potential of BAYC's membership and network.

Over the following months, I bonded with many apes and got attached to my main ape - my Forever Ape. 6 months of bonding online turned into bonding IRL at ApeFest 2021. This experience made me realize that the community built around BAYC is in it for the long run and is out to create something bigger than just an NFT.

WGMI.

• Eyes 3d
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• Mouth Phoneme Vuh
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• Background Purple

I've always loved storytelling. In fact, one of my earliest memories at age four was learning how to trace the art from my storybooks with a glass table and a bright lamp. Since then, the art of world-building and storytelling has been a constant in my life.

So, when I was shopping for my third NFT on May 8th, 2021, I was unsure of what I was looking for; Bored Ape Yacht Club immediately caught my attention, though. Once I wrapped my head around the fact that the NFT included the commercial IP rights, I was sold.

"Third time's a charm," I thought.

I didn't realize how right I was. With these NFTs, I've been able to build an entire brand around American Ape and connect with a fully engaged community of forward thinkers, each equally as passionate about things like web 3, DeFi, sustainability, storytelling, and art. Soon after my first Bored Ape, #5636, I found myself on a hunt for more characters to include in our new, community-shared, and ever-evolving Bored Apeverse.

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• Mouth Phonome Wah

I’ve always believed as we become adults, we are meant to be more mature and more sophisticated over time. This is why I adopted the monicker JBond, inspired by famed British spy, James Bond. But this all changed when I met Bored Ape #2832, Baby Jay Bond. Interestingly, Baby Jay Bond is the opposite of what I thought I should stand for: youthful, playful, rebellious, and bored. And yet, Baby Jay Bond has less problems as he enjoys his life more than anyone in the yacht club.

This is when I realized that JBond should be less like James Bond and more like Baby Jay Bond. Baby Jay Bond showed me that there's more to life than maturity and sophistication. He showed me that I can be a degenerate and still be able to make money. He showed me that I can be a rebel and help change the world with a fresh perspective. He showed me that adulthood as I knew it is overrated. He showed me that I can be a kid again. Baby Jay Bond showed me that I can be a kid... forever.

• Fur Brown
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• Mouth Jovial
• Eyes Bored
• Clothes Prom Dress

I would like to introduce Bish, my forever Ape.

I lived on Clubhouse. Each day I would multitask, creating my art and listening to my friends in the space talking about NFTs. Each day I was connected.... then one weekend I decide to be healthy and venture outdoors to enjoy fresh air. I return and reconnect and find a room with all my friends discussing apes. “Apes?!? Yeah, ok, I don’t get it...” I miss the mint entirely.

Next thing I know, all my friends are on Clubhouse with their new Ape PFPs. Oh the FOMO hit hard! I rush onto Opeasea and mentally prepare myself for my biggest purchase to date. Apes are flying off the shelf...and then I see her, a version of me.

At the time I wasn't sure where this community would take me, however after seeing my friends all in the space, sharing, laughing, and having a good time, I thought it was well worth it. Little did we all know we'd be here. What a journey it’s been!

Bish is my forever ape. I have a little kiddo IRL and I definitely plan to pass her down and keep her in the family.

• Clothes Hawaiian
• Eyes Bored
• Mouth Bored Unshaven Cigar
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#9235 is the face of MOFA. Also known as, the chilled out behind the Tiki Bar brother of the famous BAYC Curtis. MOFA, (Made Of Ape) was formed after seeing a high demand for higher quality versions of our beloved apes. At the time the minted versions of apes were low res and it was a lengthy process to get a slightly better version. We set about redrawing and vectorizing each ape so that resolution would never be an issue again. Since then we've provided the best quality versions of the BAYC apes to anyone who's wanted to do bigger and better things with their apes. It's been a real joy seeing the reactions to the high-resolution versions and getting to see how apes use them - anything from giant billboard posters to large-scale metal prints and custom embroidery garments.

#9235 Taught us to ask the questions instead of wondering 'what if?'.

#9235 Taught us to be patient and to persevere.

#9235 Taught us to support one another — MOFA By Apes For Apes.

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• Hat Sea Captain's Hat

It's really hard to put into a short paragraph what impact the BAYC has had on me just this year alone, but I'll give it a shot. In the Spring of 2020 I was chilling in the Beeple discord anticipating his upcoming April 30th drop. Like any chat channel before a highly anticipated drop, the general thread was basically illegible, just a massive inverse waterfall of avatars, emojis, and comments moving at 100 mph, but in that chaos something caught my eye. Someone had posted a link to the Bored Ape Yacht Club site. Normally I wouldn't pay attention to random shills but there was just something about this project that had me excited. At that period of the NFT timeline, nothing quite compared - this random project ditched the idea of a FOMO ramp, gave you IP rights, had a killer backstory, fun artwork and had a Gorillaz vibe to it (plus - I had a boat!). I was in! I hopped into the BAYC discord and immediately started chatting with folks. I shared a ridiculous photo of myself I took in the Summer of 2019 chilling on a boat wearing a red smoking jacket, captains hat and sunglasses and said "This is the exact ape I want". I ended up minting 26 apes and through a trade, I ended up getting that one and knew that that would be my Forever Ape.

This next part will feel like a brag, but please take it to be read as more "mind blowingly flabbergasted" than any kind of flex. At the time of this writing, 7 months have passed and thanks to BAYC I've made countless friends around the world, gone to meetups, got surprised getting to see one of my favorite bands play, signed licensing deals, hired Gilbert Gottfried to yell about BAYC, handed out Ape themed masks at NFT NYC, took a boat across Lake Michigan solely to get a special batch of BAYC beer, done interview with major companies just to tell them about apes, and made enough money to get my family out of student loan debt. The impact it's had on my life not only financially but just in daily interactions and what I get to experience is overwhelming. Proud to be a Forever Ape.

• Eyes Bored
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• Earring Silver Stud
• Clothes Stunt Jacket
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• Mouth Phoneme Ooo

Thinking back to when I minted this digital Bored Ape NFT, I could never have imagined how this story would turn out.

The night of May 1st 2021 is a night that I will never forget, the night I met #721 Johnny Altcoin.

After only a day of entering this community of cartoon apes, I knew that the social circle I was involved in would grow and the relationship building and networking opportunities would be endless.

This new community that was already embracing each other, and myself, was budding and energetic. I knew I was where I needed to be and that Johnny Altcoin wasn't just a picture or even a character in some story, it was me. Since then, people recognize me as this silly little life changing cartoon character that I use as my profile picture on social media platforms. I am proud to say that I have adopted Johnny Altcoin as my public persona and plan to hold onto him forever. #ApeStrong

• Fur Robot
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• Eyes Bored
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• hat Beanie
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• Mouth Bored

I remember seeing Bored Apes on my Twitter timeline, but I don't recall who posted first. I wish I could thank them. Joining the Bored Ape Yacht Club changed my life. That first night before heading to bed early, I minted Bored Ape 1037, aka Maui Prime. When I woke up in the morning, the collection had sold out. I changed my profile pic and started hosting Twitter Spaces to gather other apes to talk about what came next. A vibrant community grew from those early Spaces. Next, I wanted to take this online community into the physical realm, so I began organizing meetups and other events for Bored Apes. My goal is to build a lasting IP with Maui Prime. When you search for "NFT avatar" on Google, Maui Prime is the thumbnail image. He has already been featured in paintings, music, videos, and more. My two sons asked me recently if they could have my ape. I told them, "When you're older." Maui Prime is the legacy that I will leave for them.

• Background Orange
• Fur Dark Brown
• Hat Beanie
• Mouth Bored Cigarette
• Eyes Heart
• Clothes Lumberjack Shirt

I never leave the house without a beanie. I don’t need it anymore, living in LA and all, but growing up in the BAYC swamp, some stuff stays with you. I keep it next to my hammock overnight and it’s the first thing I grab in the morning. My friends make fun of me for having it on all the time, but my dog Charlie likes it and I think it’s brought me some luck.

We’re a bunch of artists, my friends and I. Anyone who spends time around writers and musicians knows opinions fly pretty often, but I appreciate it. They push me and I push them. It’s what made me seek out my passion in fashion design, trust my impulses, my choices, my style. That’s what I’ve learned from all the great visionaries before me - Lagerfeld, McQueen, Ford, Tisci, Jones - to create something new and unique.

This is the story of how I became an artistic director and a forever ape, bored caviar.

• Mouth Bored
• Eyes Bored
• Hat Bayc Hat Red
• Background Yellow
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• Clothes Black Suit

When I discovered BAYC the energy was electric. I had no idea what I stumbled into, but it was one of those few times in my life, I just knew. I finally found an awesome Hip Hop jacket Robo Eyes Beanie ape (8792) that I was in LOVE with. .4ETH was a hefty price tag when I didn't really know what I was buying, but I felt compelled by an invisible hand. I had to buy it, so I did. Fast forward a few hours after, and I kept asking myself "What did I do? Am I dumb?" I planned on listing it high, thinking "Well, if this is just hype, hopefully I'll just make a nice profit, and can buy a cheaper one with the profit". Wrong. I woke up the next morning and it had sold, It felt like a gut punch. I had some weird emotional attachment over that ape, I just couldn't seem to find another.

Two weeks passed, I was making bids on Pranksy's apes and thought "If I am to be seen as someone with authority in this space, someone who knows their stuff, then I need a rare ape. Better yet, I need the rarest unique trait in the BAYC. I needed a suit. I placed a bid on one of Pranksy’s apes and after he goaded me into upping my 2.2eth bid to 3eth, I discovered he accepted. I was elated.

For the last 7 months he has been, almost without exception, my profile picture. To me, he represents the club. Even when he dresses to the 9s, he still rocks his iconic BAYC red hat. I later became a moderator in the discord, and the suit reflects my modding style. I try to keep it professional, but still ape with my frenz when the mood is right. The BAYC changed my life. Not only did it give me community and give me financial freedom, but I feel an overwhelming sense of duty and purpose to the club. I want to make sure our members are protected, having fun, and feel included. So whether you are an ape or mutant, or just somebody who loves apes, come ape with us! You'll always be welcome here. See you around!

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• Hat Spinner Hat
• Mouth Bored

Greetings, I am Bored Space Ape. Many of you have heard of the human who landed on the planet of the apes, but what about the ape who landed on the planet of the humans?

Flashback to the infamous "mint night." Sleep-deprived from months of crypto charts and zed run strategies, I somehow found myself on the Bored Ape Yacht Club website wondering why anyone needed to join a virtual yacht club for monkeys wearing clothes. I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, but something kept bringing me back.

After inserting ETH into the proverbial machine, out popped #1356 - a grey-on-grey match with a spacesuit and spinner cap. I had no idea how integral those traits would become to my identity. I stayed up all night watching the 10k sell-out and reveled in the buzz on Twitter after.

It was a revelation. I was so convinced in the model of BAYC and its trajectory that I aped into as many as I could before it was too late. I ended up with 30 apes for my family and me.

We've all been active members and builders since Day 1 and hope to continue as leaders in the ape and web3 community. What started as a small doge investment to offset moving costs turned into an unexpected ride to the moon. Next stop, Mars!

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• Eyes Sad
• Fur Gray
• Mouth Bored Unshaven
• Background Purple
• Clothes Leather Jacket
• Hat Beanie

Through a sequence of seemingly unrelated events during a rough period in my personal life, I stumbled across the Bored Ape Yacht Club. I saw how incredibly vibrant and welcoming the apes were and knew immediately that I had stumbled across something special. I felt a powerful positive energy coming from them and I wanted to invest in a strong community.

Life can be curious, how it presents you with a situation can change your life forever. I lovingly refer to my ape as the sad Steve Zissou ape due to its iconic orange beanie and the crestfallen look in its eyes. With my ape I've been traveling through web 3.0 on a journey with a group of fellow early adopters and innovators that all aped into something magical together. My hope for this journey is for all of us to work together to bring opportunity to ourselves and those around us, while helping educate and inform others to be able to do the same. Apes are stronger together.

• Eyes Scumbag
• Background Yellow
• Clothes Pimp Coat
• Hat Bowler
• Earring Gold Stud
• Fur Dark Brown
• Mouth Bored Unshaven

I’ve grinded hard in crypto for over six years. With the pandemic casting a gloomy shadow, some IRL shit, and some health problems, I was approaching burnout. Ironically in that same year “I made it” by western workcentric aspirational standards. I was looking at something fun and crypto-adjacent to pivot to to take a breather, decompress and be creative now that strict financials were not the main focus anymore. I went heavy into NFT’s during the “Beeple run”. I did decently well, but it never really “clicked” in the end, it never felt like true ownership for these. It felt like being strictly a collector, not a part of a movement.

Apes clicked right away. The “full IP and commercial rights ownership” sparked all sorts of ideas in my head, and the night I saw the og merch sell out in minutes I “saw it” and took the plunge. The Idea of an NFT centric streetwear brand was already in my head, Apes were the enablers. Apesthetics was born right there and then. It was clear from the get go that founders had a clear vision, integrity, and capacity of execution. The community was welcoming, warm, and excited. Everyone was having a blast, and for me at that specific moment in time, it felt like a breath of fresh air, the apes just looked cool, they had “it”.

My first ape, the Dapper Don, ape #8413 was obvious the second I bumped into him. I just saw him and started laughing, he cracked me the fuck up. You can’t take him too seriously, but you wouldn’t mess with him either. 2.5 ETH and five minutes after seeing him I clicked marketbuy. He’s been the first of a long series of conviction bets that held me steady in the top 20 ape holders in the world. A bet on what I believe to be the most seminal crypto native brand of our generation.

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• Mouth Rage
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• Hat Beanie
• Eyes Sunglasses

"Your offer has been accepted" read the notification. Thank god, I was finally an ape.

That was summer 2021, and my life would never be normal again. I immediately jumped into the discord, started chatting with other apes, listening to their stories. I felt like a part of something, something unique, unlike anything I had experienced before. The Ape community was addictive.

The founders had done what founders should do: created a foundation for Apes to build on. They made it possible for all of us to build value for others. I wanted to contribute to that and at 3 AM one night, Ifound a way.

I saw an ape asking if someone could change their PFP background to what looked to me like an Arizona Iced Tea can. Although I hadn’t used photoshop in years, I had a feeling I could get it done. So I got up, made the background, put his ape on it, and sent it to him. The apes loved it- I had 243 more requests that week. That evolved into Twitter banners, I started with 1 and ended up creating almost 400 banners. After that, I knew I had found my place in the BAYC.

I am Gerry, Ape #2069, and I make Banners for Apes.