Axie Infinity is an incredible unique NFT game, containing a variety of NFT features while becoming arguably one of the most enjoyable games within the market, and perhaps the most enjoyable game within the crypto market that promises an excellent play-to-earn mechanism. Most users like to focus on the gameplay behind Axie Infinity, looking at playing the game for its in-game token Smooth Love Potion (SLP) that sets the foundation of the game and income for players but also has many other features that are hidden gems. One of them is the antiques of Axie Infinity, Axies being antiques existing and possibly set to have more over time. With Axie Infinity early in development, starting to build an antique collection of Axies may be worthwhile in the future as more and more people begin playing Axie Infinity, thus more and more people looking to buy antique Axies.
Axie Antiques Overview
When someone mentions antiques, it usually brings on the idea of old furniture, playing cards or something in real-life from the past that is no longer produced. Some popular examples are a grandfather clock, Pokémon cards that were released in a limited amount and a no-longer manufactured car. However, the same can apply to Axie Infinity with their Axies. Although Axie Infinity has a set number of moves/cards within the game, there are unique parts on the market that give additional aesthetic benefits to Axies. The Axie Infinity development team often will for a certain period release a number of Axies with such parts, no more Axies of such parts are available after that time. That means that from that moment that those Axie parts are no longer manufactured, they are set to become antiques, giving rare visual effects for holders to boast at others.
Axie antiques have no difference from normal Axies except that they give a great visual appeal that is of a limited amount. One example is the golden shell for a Bird antique Axie, giving the same move as an eggshell but with a golden cracked eggshell on the head. Only 4 Axies are currently on sale with crazy prices presented. The cheapest Axie within this range is for 40 Ethereum (ETH) which taking ETH for about $2000 for convenience, comes out at $80000. The results are shown below.
This is also why the most expensive Axie was sold at 300 ETH as shown on their website. It is shown below and can be visited here: https://marketplace.axieinfinity.com/axie/1046. Also, note that this Axie has the same golden shell body part presented in the earlier example.
Antique Axie Types
There are currently six main classes of antique Axie types:
Agamogenesis
Mystics
Origins
MEO
MEO II
Holiday Breeding Events
Agamogenesis
These are the rarest Axies within the market with only three existing. These Axies featured Bionic Parts, thus meaning they can be considered the first of their kind. The Bionic Parts can be inherited to their children, going the same with all breeding mechanics within the game. They also have abnormal body colours. They go as follows:
Hauteclere (https://marketplace.axieinfinity.com/axie/4155)
Mystics
There are many more mystic Axies within the market, their rarity depending on the number of mystic parts they hold and what mystic parts they have. These are perhaps the most affordable antique Axies, though it is important to account for the type of mystic parts they hold. Close to 1500 of these Axies exist, all coming in a variety of forms. Mystic Axies will have a mystic tag when viewed, a number beside the tag indicating the number of mystic parts held. An example is shown below. For more on mystic Axies, visit here: https://axieedge.com/everything-we-know-about-mystic-axies/.
Origins
Origin Axies are another type of antique Axies that hold their own tag similar to mystic but with a red background and no number of parts stated. It can be inferred that these Axies were amongst the first Axies within the game to be released, making the 'game's origin.' Within the Axie Marketplace, there is an option to filter Origin Axies underneath the 'other' section. Examples are shown below.
MEO
About 900 MEOs Axies exist with each having a tag as shown with the previous two types of Axie antiques. They also have their own filter alongside Origin. Examples are shown below.
MEO II
MEO II could be thought of as the second generation of MEO Axies with almost 2000 existing. They have the same tag as MEO Axies but with a II added to its end. Examples are shown below.
Holiday Breeding Events
Holiday-themed Axies were only possible to breed during the 2018 Holiday Breeding Event and 2019 Holiday Breeding Event. During this time a certain pair of normal Axies were needed to be bred to have a holiday-themed part. In the 2019 Holiday Breeding Event, there was a special body shape called Frosty that was achieved by breeding three of the same Xmas parts, which would likely have been relatively difficult. Only 505 Frosty Axies exist and they give a unique appearance to Axies when held. Examples are shown below. For more on the 2018 Holiday Breeding Event, visit here:https://medium.com/axie-infinity/axie-holiday-event-fc6e4b3f601e. For more on the 2018 Holiday Breeding Event, visit here:https://medium.com/axie-infinity/axie-xmas-surprise-5b26e5db239c.
Final Words
As seen, there are many different types of antique Axies out there within the market, each unique in its way. It is unlikely that new antique Axies will be released, and with the number of Axies perpetually increasing, that means that the rarity of these antique Axies will too increase. In theory, that means that it is guaranteed for antique Axies to increase in price, the rate likely to speed up in a time of a recent great hype of Axie Infinity that appears not to have slowed. With some relatively cheap-priced antique Axies, it would be a good time to begin making a collection, though it is important to note the rarity and frequency associated with certain antique Axies. However, one could never really go wrong with what one chooses. Axie Infinity has and will continue to breed more and more Axies, leaving its hidden gems becoming more and more valuable over time.
Disclaimer: The information above is not financial advice and is for educational and entertaining purposes. All information is of my personal opinion and is based on the research I have made. Any information on this article should not be mistaken as fact, and any decision with crypto means you need to DYOR (Do Your Own Research)