The SPY Debrief: Mantel Founder Evan Parker
Evan Parker thinks deeply about why people want more stuff — and why he wants more stuff. He’s fascinated by the urge to collect and by the narratives that drive that behavior. The former GM of The Athletic, Parker came to collecting through baseball cards, but it’s bigger than that for him, which is why he co-founded the new collectibles trading platform Mantel with Reddit founder (and Mr. Serena Williams) Alexis Ohanian. Pitched as “Reddit meets Complex for collectors,” Mantel is built to capitalize on the craze for collectibles, which finance folk often refer to as alternative assets.
The LA-based Parker started his watch collection with his bar mitzvah money and still digs baseball cards — he flashed a signed mid-50s Duke Snider card while speaking to SPY (IYKYK). “I’m trying to divorce collecting from simply owning something and bring it back to the passion and the story,” he explains.
SPY sat down with the man to talk about what he buys and why.
What’s the shopping habit that you’re trying to break and how’s that going?
I’ve had to learn that I should stop buying leather jackets because none of them ever work for me. I have a collection of mint leathers and they’re mint because I take them home and go, “Oh shit, I’m not that guy.” I realize that it’s all probably in my head. But I hold onto the thought that it will work. It’s not me now, but maybe it will be me in the future.
What’s the first major purchase you made with your own money? Why did you choose it?
When I got my bar mitzvah money, which wasn’t a lot of money, I went to Macys and bought a Guess watch for $250. My dad isn’t a watch guy, and neither was my grandfather, but at that age I wanted something cool on my wrist. That first watch really meant something to me. It wasn’t great and I don’t know where it is now, but it got me into this world of collecting.
Now, I try whenever there’s a big thing in my life to purchase something that I wear on my wrist. I did it for my wedding, when I turned 40, etc. I haven’t done it for the launch of Mantel yet!
What’s your most recent splurge?
I bought a 1988 Mercedes 300 SE this fall. My wife and I have been sharing a car and we needed a second one. I don’t drive all that much but I felt like this was my opportunity to get something impractical and fun. That era of Mercedes is not yet a collectible, but it’s really fucking cool. The thing is an absolute boat and I’ve never enjoyed a car more. I named her Rosa Linda and it’s brought me more joy than I can describe.
What will we never catch you spending money on?
Other than baseball hats, I don’t own anything with a logo. I’ve never been into Balenciaga or Supreme, and I’m not paying you to advertise your brand. If it’s trendy or immediately recognizable I don’t want it.
Have you ever shoplifted? If so, what?
No. My parents put the fear of God in me. I’d have never dreamt of it.
What’s a purchase you regret making?
Early on in watch-collecting, I bought things, not impulsively, but I let my need to get the thing outweigh my need to get the right thing. I have a Rolex 16750 Pepsi and it’s my third one. I’ve bought and sold two before getting the right one. I wish I’d had the patience and self-control that would have been the one I really wanted from the start.
What direct-to-consumer ads do your algorithms feed you? Put another way, who does your algorithm think you are? Is it on par with how you think of yourself, or not so much?
The algo sends me a ton about sports cards, watches, and a lot of food stuff, including candy. My guilty pleasure is candy. I’ve got an insatiable sweet tooth and you would not believe the amount of ASMR videos of people pouring candy into a bucket. I hope it never changes.
If you could be a spokesperson for an existing brand, what would it be and why?
The 3sixteen guys are so great. I have a lot of respect for them and everything they make. But I almost never get anything because the drops sell out immediately. So if I were their spokesman, maybe I could get something before it sells out.
What items do you carry with you every day?
I have an Il Bisonte wallet billfold that I carry. I carry my keys and I always wear a watch — I have 11 watches, but I wear one for months and then put it back in the safe. Maybe I’ll have two out and rotate them.
I also carry a little crystal with me. My mom passed away two years ago and it’s been really helpful for me to have a little way to acknowledge when I think of her. I’m not a crystal guy, and she certainly wasn’t into crystals. But carrying this and pulling it out and touching it is a way to acknowledge her whenever I think of her, or whenever I need her.
