The new collectibles app Mantel came along at the perfect time for me. I have grown increasingly tired of wading through so much toxic content on big social media just to get to my card groups. Collecting is supposed to be my escape from those daily stressors.
And as an admin of Facebook groups large and small, I often get tired of trying to develop workarounds for a platform that simply was not designed with collectors in mind. Enter Mantel.
Mantel is a new social media platform designed specifically for collectors. If you want to think of it as “like Facebook, but for cards and collectibles,” you’re not far off.
I downloaded the app a few weeks ago as sort of a “long term test” for this review article. Since then, I have gone all in on the platform, and am the administrator of a new group there called, simply enough, Vintage Baseball Cards.
Come on in! This link takes you to an app download and then ushers you directly into the vintage group.
Mantel not Mantle
It’s Mantel, not Mantle–but the play on words isn’t lost on collectors (or Mantel’s creators–see the t-shirt giveaway below!). The concept is simple: a social media platform built specifically for collectors. Easy and fun ways to share your grail items with others. Groups for any interest or niche you can imagine. A positive vibe.
The Mantel name is a nod to my favorite feature in the app: placing cherished personal collection items as “Mantelpieces” where they can be viewed by others. Any time I’m scoping out someone’s profile, I go here first. The digital mantel is a cool spot to show other collectors who you are and what your collection is all about.
You can also place mantelpieces of items you are searching for, or items you are possibly interested in selling. But Mantel is not primarily a sales platform–at least not currently. Here’s a sneak peek at my own mantelpieces:
First Impressions
At first glance, the app does resemble what we have come to expect from social media apps. There’s a Latest feed, a Following feed, a Messages tool, Notifications, a Groups area, and a place to make your own multimedia-capable posts. Here’s a look at the interface:
Mantel Groups
Groups on Mantel is a newer feature, and works a bit differently from Facebook groups. For example, a user can’t just start a group–you need to apply to the Mantel team, so they can vet the request before starting a Group. This should help them curate the offerings to make sure redundant or lower-quality groups don’t take away from others.
In the Groups area you can see your groups, or search for new ones, and in the Discover area you can request to start a new group.
Once “in,” a Group is organized however the Admin chooses. There is a lot of flexibility, with up the 10 “Channels” to play with. As an Admin, I love this.
In my group, I use different channels for general discussion, buy-sell, news, FAQ, and more. In a public group, Group posts also post in the main feed, which gives more exposure to the Group and encourages growth and engagement.
Where Mantel Excels
There is a lot I really love about this app / platform:
- 100% collectibles focused
- No toxic content to wade through
- The “mantelpiece” feature allows you to show off your collection
- The Groups feature is very flexible and built for engagement
- A user can post multiple photos to one comment–unlike Facebook. This makes listing / selling easier
Room for Improvement
As a new and evolving platform, there are some weaknesses:
- The main feed can feel a bit random and chaotic
- Algorithm work needed (coming soon!) to privilege engaging content rather than just “most recent”
- The platform simply needs more users–hopefully also “coming soon”
A Chat with Mantel CEO Evan Parker
I asked Mantel CEO Evan Parker a couple of questions for this review:
1. What are the main challenges to growth of the platform currently?
“Mantel isn’t competing against other apps in The Hobby . . . but we are competing against the big social networks for your time and attention. Those platforms are part of people’s daily habits… they have algorithms that know what we’ll find interesting better than sometimes even we ourselves do…there is endless content…your friends are already there…and those factors are tough to beat, even if those apps are full of trolls, advertising and stressful content.
So we have a tough road ahead to build Mantel into the only app collectors open when they want to jump into their favorite hobby… but the passion in this hobby never ceases to amaze us, and we know if collectors believe in the vision and are willing to join us early and help us grow Mantel, we have the chance to do something really great for a lot of people.”
2. What can you share about what’s on tap regarding updates, features, and refinements?
“Our roadmap is packed to the gills with features I’m excited about. We’re working on revamping our Mantelpiece feature, so it has more utility and leads to more social conversation. We have a bunch of features for Groups we know are needed to create close communities around topics. We’re working through what a light algorithm could look like to help make sure you didn’t miss a post you’d love that was posted when you weren’t in the app. Dark mode is coming. News articles in the feed. So much stuff.
And I’ll say this about our team: we always, always, always want feedback. What do Mantel users like? Hate? Wish we had? Our roadmap has been built with the feedback we’ve gotten from so many good community members, and we’ll continue to add to it and adjust it as we learn more about what collectors want from our app.”
In Conclusion . . .
Is Mantel perfect right now? No. But I do think it will get there. And I have found Parker’s statements about the Mantel team to be true: they solicit feedback, respond, and solve problems in real time. As a “little guy” in the hobby, I appreciate the grind and the startup vibe. And I would much rather work to drive traffic to a hobby brand rather than Facebook et al. So I will stick it out and be able to proudly proclaim that I was there in the good old days.
Let’s Do a Giveaway!
If you join Mantel this week using this tracked link, you are eligible for some fun giveaways. The first item is a limited edition Mantel / Mantle t-shirt (size XL).
Also in the freebie pile are some really nice hats and decals:
