Above the Mantel 005

Happy 2024, Collectors!

We’re not usually big on New Year’s resolutions at Mantel HQ, because we know big changes, lofty goals, and massive achievements can come any day of the year. 

But this year feels a bit different… this year we’re officially launching Mantel (we’re not just a newsletter!)… so please forgive us for scribbling “Build a platform that brings entertainment, value, and true community to collectors” 100 times across our vision board. 

Lofty? Sure. But all good New Year’s resolutions are. 

Now let’s get into it. 

Collector’s Item

What’s the scariest dinosaur? Not the terror-dactyl, but one listed for sale. Last month a Tyrannosaurus Rex Skull listed by Sotheby's sold for only $6M, less than half of the pre-auction estimate. And Christie’s was forced to pull a T. Rex skeleton from auction, originally expected to sell for upwards of $25M, after questions arose about the authenticity of some of the pieces of the fossil. 

This week The New York Times published a fascinating story about a fossil (with the cutesy name, “Chomper” 🥰) currently for sale for $20M from a London-based art gallery, with experts disagreeing over what type of dinosaur the bones are actually from. Some experts, as well as the gallery running the sale, believe the dino to be a juvenile T. Rex. Others believe it is a less well-known Nanotyrannus. 

Why does it matter? Well, if you are going to spend $20M you should know what type of dinosaur you’re buying, and also because the type of dinosaur has a massive impact on price, with the T. Rex commanding a large premium. 

The article, as well as this story from 2022 detailing the controversial world of fossil hunting and selling specimens to private collectors, are worth reading. Real-life Jurrasic Park meets Indiana Jones stuff, here!

Still want to own a dinosaur but not ready to plop down millions to win one at auction? Consider fractional ownership. The team at Rally has an authentic Triceratops skull on their platform, currently trading for a much more reasonable $22 a share. 

Penny Thoughts

• Autographs are always a hot button in the sports card and memorabilia world. From illegible scribbles to clever inscriptions to fictional character John Hancock's, they’re rarely without some controversy these days. So when we saw this 1933 autograph book featuring baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Rogers Hornsby, we couldn’t help but get excited. The relic features page after page of autographs from legends and players lost to time, with penmanship not regularly seen since the earliest days of the personal computer. We’re guessing the original owner of the book was a passionate fan, not a “grapher” looking to profit, which makes the piece even more interesting. 

• Nike revealed the most popular SNKRS releases in 2023, led by two different Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1s, the women’s “Medium Olive”, and the “Neutral Olive” golf shoe. Like basically everything that hits the SNKRS app, each shoe on the list sold out instantly, and can now only be found on reseller sites. Want to rock the “Neutral Olive” for your next 18? They’ll set you back about $800 on StockX, or about $650 more than a non-Travis Scott pair of Jordan 1 Retro Low golf shoes. 

Mantel Update

As we gear up for our early 2024 launch, we want to put every feature, button, and page through Navy SEAL-level testing, and for that, we need your help. If you haven’t checked out Mantel yet and would like to help test the platform, just reply to this email with “Get me on Mantel”, and we’ll hook you up with early access. 

Know others who would like this newsletter or want to get on Mantel? Pass along our sign-up link (https://mantel.beehiiv.com/subscribe), and we’ll make it happen. 

Thank you for your early support, because let’s face it… if we’re going to accomplish our one New Year’s resolution in 2024, we’re going to need you in our corner.