How to Buy Your First NFT
NFTs are unique digital collectibles on the blockchain. Whether it's art, music, or gaming items, here's how to buy your first one.
- MetaMask or compatible wallet
- ETH for purchase + gas fees
- About $50-100 minimum to start
Set Up Your Wallet
You need a crypto wallet to buy and store NFTs. MetaMask is the most popular choice.
- Install MetaMask (see our MetaMask guide)
- Create a new wallet
- Secure your seed phrase - Write it down, never share it!
- Enable 2FA on your browser/device for extra security
Other Wallet Options:
- Phantom - Best for Solana NFTs
- Rainbow - Beautiful mobile wallet
- Coinbase Wallet - Good for beginners
If someone gets your seed phrase, they can steal all your NFTs. Never share it, never type it on any website, never store it digitally.
Add Cryptocurrency
Most NFTs are priced in ETH, though some use other currencies.
How to Get ETH into MetaMask:
- Buy on exchange (Coinbase, Kraken)
- Withdraw to MetaMask - Use your MetaMask address
- Wait for confirmation - Usually 5-10 minutes
Or use MetaMask's built-in buy feature:
- Click "Buy" in MetaMask
- Choose payment method
- Higher fees but more convenient
How Much Do You Need?
| Network | NFT Price Range | Gas Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | $10 - $10,000+ | $5-50+ per transaction |
| Polygon | $1 - $100 | $0.01-0.10 |
| Solana | $5 - $5,000+ | $0.01-0.10 |
Polygon has almost zero gas fees. Perfect for buying your first cheap NFT to learn the process before spending more on Ethereum.
Choose an NFT Marketplace
Top Marketplaces:
OpenSea (Recommended for Beginners)
- Largest marketplace
- Supports Ethereum, Polygon, Solana
- Huge selection, easy to use
- opensea.io
Blur
- Pro traders platform
- Lower fees
- Advanced features
Magic Eden
- Best for Solana NFTs
- Low fees
- Also supports Ethereum now
Always type URLs directly or use bookmarks:
✓ opensea.io
✓ blur.io
✓ magiceden.io
Fake sites steal your wallet contents when you connect!
Buy Your First NFT
On OpenSea (Example):
- Go to opensea.io
- Click wallet icon → Connect MetaMask
- Browse or search for NFTs
- Click on an NFT you like
- Check the price and collection authenticity
- Click "Buy now" (or "Make offer" for lower price)
- Review the transaction in MetaMask
- Confirm and pay (NFT + gas fees)
- Wait for confirmation - NFT appears in your wallet!
Before You Buy, Check:
- Blue checkmark - Verified collection
- Floor price - Lowest available price in collection
- Volume - Trading activity (higher = more liquid)
- History - Previous sales and ownership
Scammers create fake versions of popular collections. Always:
- Look for the blue verification checkmark
- Check the contract address matches official
- Verify on the project's official Discord/Twitter
- Start with a cheap NFT ($5-20) to learn
- Only buy what you genuinely like
- Most NFTs lose value - don't expect profits
- Never rush - scammers create fake urgency