New social platform for collectibles launches with key sports investors

The GIST: Wheelhouse Entertainment CEO Brent Montgomery and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian (aka Serena Williams’ husband) launched Mantel yesterday, a social media platform focused on the collectibles community. They also tapped The Athletic’s former GM Evan Parker as CEO and recruited notable investors like Candace Parker. Nostalgia ultra.

The details: The site showcases pop culture memorabilia, including coveted items integral to film and television history — think Seinfeld’s infamous puffy shirt. It also features cards from trading card games like Pokémon, with plans to expand to comics, stamps, coins, cars, NFTs, and more.

The why: Montgomery has demonstrated his interest in collectibles through Wheelhouse’s content — the media and marketing company is responsible for shows like Pawn Stars and King of Collectibles. And Mantel isn’t so different from Ohanian’s Reddit: It’s a passionate, community-centered social app that encourages feedback on niche topics.

• Since it’s founded by lifelong collectors, they were sure to address pain points in the space, leading them to creating a general and high-tech social forum that offers quality content, discussion, and access to experts in the space.

The market: The collectibles market is already lucrative, but it’s poised to double in value within a decade. It was worth almost $500B in 2022 and is set to grow to $1T by 2033. The nostalgic vibe also appeals to old and young generations alike — 61% of Americans consider themselves collectors, including 76% of Gen Z and 72% of millennials. Gotta catch ’em all.