From WWE to Trading Cards: Building the Low-Fee Marketplace Collectors Deserve

0:00I've created specific lanes for passion points of interest for collectors. It's really to give collecting back to the consumer without having to pay inflated prices.

0:09Rob Kligman:How are you making sure to market the platform properly so that you get the most uses once you finally roll out? We were able to tell the story behind collectibles in a narrative that really resonated with followers. They loved the way we were bringing it together and putting it in snackable content, 15, 20 second videos. Do you also provide the service of helping them get those PSA graded? We are. We're a partner with CGC as well as PSA. They can encase it, they can check it as an expert, and then they can give it a grade. If you were to give one piece of advice to another founder, don't be scared to approach something that you're passionate about.

0:45You never really lose. You either win or you learn. And that's the approach I've taken to everything I've done, especially Collectible Lane.

0:58Rob Kligman:Hey, everybody. Welcome to the show. This show is brought to you by the Global Talent Company, helping fast-growing teams hire exceptional remote talent from Argentina, South Africa, and beyond. We connect companies with world-class professionals to bring skill, reliability, and a global perspective to every role. And just for our listeners, we're offering an exclusive 10 % discount on your first hire. All you need to do is visit globaltalent.co, click start hiring, and mention the podcast listener discount when we reach out. And today, with me here, I am speaking with Rob Kligman, CEO and founder of Collectible Lane, a low-fee technology-driven collectibles ecosystem that has been designed to put collectors first.

1:39Rob Kligman:So with that said, welcome to the show, Rob. It's a pleasure to have you here, man. Thank you so much for having me. I'm looking forward to it and excited to answer some great questions. and I'm happy the audience is going to benefit from some of our conversation. Of course, we're always inspired by founders and CEOs and trying to understand where you came up with the idea and how Collectible Lane came to exist. So just so we can hit the ground running, Rob, would you be able to tell us a bit more about your background, how Collectible Lane was founded and maybe why it was founded? Sure. So I have roughly 30 years of advertising and sponsorship, business development, marketing, talent-based management background behind me.

2:19I started out in the early days of MTV networks and moved my way all the way through the dot-com boom, bust, and all the way up to where we are now with sort of AI being where it is. So a large part of my career has been promoting companies and promoting the objectives of brands like Coca-Cola or Snickers with the audience that I worked with. So in the example of working for MTV, we would integrate some great Fortune 500 companies into programming areas where we had a compelling audience that would tune in to watch what we were putting on. And that followed me through my entire career up to the most latest where I was at WWE and a couple other entertainment organizations where I really got the understanding of how to sell 360 degree marketing campaigns where you really understood experiential, digital, TV opportunities to truly make something of the brand and just take their objectives and make them work.

3:20So from that point, I did about 30 amazing years and I've been a collector my entire life. And I started to look at the collectibles marketplace and start to see where prices were inflated. The fees as a seller were extremely high. So when you sold something, you didn't really retain a lot of the money. And then from the buying standpoint, because of those fees being so high, everything was inflated because the seller had to compensate for the high fees. So I always look at things in ways of how can I disrupt them? And in this case, I've been working the last year with a great development team to build out Collectible Lane.

3:59And as you mentioned at the onset of the call, Collectible Lane is all about building an ecosystem. I've created specific lanes for passion points of interest for collectors. So no longer will you be in an environment where you're going to see Beanie Babies or sneakers or women's shoes. You're passionate about trading cards. It's all going to be about trading cards. So you'll have the ability to go into that lane. That lane is all about trading cards and that's your ecosystem. That's where your passion lies and that's where you're going to live. The opportunity to go into something similar with video games exists and we're going to roll out comic books and other categories as well but it's really to give collecting back to the consumer give it them the opportunity to really enjoy the experience but also know that they're going to put a lot more money in their pocket and from a buying perspective you have the ability to retain something that you really desire without having to pay inflated prices just because the sellers are compensating for the increase in fees.

4:56So we're excited. We're going to launch in the next couple of weeks. And there's been a lot of great development. I'm excited to talk a little bit more about it as we move forward in this discussion.

5:05Rob Kligman:That is so cool, Rob, that I love how you were able to pinpoint in the whole collector's industry or this type of market that there was this point of friction where you could actually help collectors get the control back and the prices they have and what they're able to buy. And when you mentioned it, that you're a collector, would you be able to tell us what you like collecting? Yeah, very early on I started to collect and the cycle is interesting. So every 30 years or so folks start to collect what they want to remember from their childhood. So I got to a certain age where I had a little bit extra money to spend on items that allowed me to reflect back to an amazing childhood I had where Atari 2600 and ColecoVision and Intellivision were big gaming consoles early on in my childhood.

5:49So I went back and I looked and searched for unopened video games so Mike Tyson's punch out from Nintendo NES or a Pac-Man Atari 2600 cartridge in box that had never been opened and then we would work on getting them graded and I would display them and enjoy them just the way I did as a kid so I've always collected trading cards sort of as a child and growing up and now the industry has just taken off in so many different ways because you can authenticate it you can grade it you can encase it so there's no more putting it in your bicycle spokes and making it have a sound and damaging it. You now have it encased in this loose side holder that really allows you to kind of have fun with it.

6:29So in addition to Collectible Lane, because of my background in marketing and business development and sort of advertising, I created a branded entertainment arm called Behind the Lane. So Behind the Lane is now telling the stories behind the collectibles. So if you wanted to buy a Michael Jordan basketball card where it was the only one where he didn't wear his uniform number that he'd worn throughout his entire career but tops in this case captured it on a basketball card a trading card well that's what I want to bring forth I want to create that FOMO that that storytelling behind a really cool element in collecting that you probably didn't notice before but now that you know the story behind it you want to go collect it so throughout my entire career that's kind of what I've been doing in collecting I've tried to look for a story behind a collectible and then bring it in so when I could show it to a friend or a family member I had a great story to tell behind it

7:24Rob Kligman:That is amazing Rob and I can't help but empathize a bunch with the story that you're telling me because like I grew up in the I was born in the 90s and My parents they bought me these bunch of consoles from that time that now that I'm 30 years old I'm like hey mom where is the old Nintendo or the old PlayStation? He's like oh well I gave that away and I'm like That is worth something now So what I'm doing nowadays is just buying consoles of the modern age and then just making sure I keep them so well kept that I can maybe sell those in the future. But I love that you're mentioning trading cards because I just pulled these.

7:57Rob Kligman:I have these myself because I'm also into collecting as if it were weird. Rob, also tell me about when did collectible lanes start? How long have you guys been at work with this whole endeavor? So development wise, we've been working for roughly 12 months. April will be one year. And it's interesting. The whole process has been so fun and so unique and a great learning because you'll go down one lane or road and you'll find that there's a better solution as you start to move forward and you'll pivot and you'll go to that better solution and move on with a better opportunity for the collectible universe to be able to experience it inside the ecosystem.

8:37And that's what was really interesting is, yeah, the pattern of time was long to build the infrastructure of what I wanted to create. And it's not done. There's going to be a phase two, a phase three, a phase four, and we'll keep going. But we're ready to launch. And because of that one year, there was a lot of learnings. And I think if you can take anything away from being an entrepreneur and a CEO and a founder, it's you have to be flexible, you have to be nimble, and you have to be willing to move when the time is right. We went down one route where we were grabbing content and integrations.

9:11And then all of a sudden we started to look into AI and figured out that AI can do it much quicker, much faster. And it's all about the user experience. So we pivoted very quickly. And those are the type of learnings. And that's maybe why the development took a little longer. But with every good step, we've produced an amazing platform that I'm excited to release and have an amazing amount of card traders and collectible enthusiasts come to.

9:36Rob Kligman:So exciting. And now the next question in the logical train of thought that I have is, is collectible lane going to be available everywhere? Is it only in the States? How is that going to work? So initial launch will be US only. Phase two, we will roll out internationally. It was first to build the base, build it in a way that we understood it and then roll it out internationally. So great question. And it's something that we're working on to try to roll out as fast as we possibly can, because folks like yourself who collect Pokemon should have an opportunity to experience collectible lane. Yes, like just because we're in the southernmost part of the southern hemisphere doesn't mean we can't get access to collectible lane because I love the idea of the project, Rob.

10:19Rob Kligman:Seriously, congratulations, because I feel it is amazing. And I really hope that upon launch it goes really well and people start using it. And this is another question I have. Now that you know that the launch is soon, I believe you mentioned it could be April. Is that did I hear correctly? Yeah, we're pretty close in the next I would say the next week and a half, two weeks. We're going to soft launch and then it's going to be up and running. in the iOS store, the Android store, and obviously desktop as well. So we've been spending the last six or so months promoting it in social or promoting the storytelling behind collectibles through social.

10:52And I've built a really nice base of followers. And they've been kind of watching our trajectory and our growth. And it's going to be exciting to finally push that button and hit launch. Amazing.

11:04Rob Kligman:That was exactly what I wanted to ask because knowing that the launch is so close, How are you making sure to market the platform properly so that you get the most uses once you finally roll out? Is it just education about collectible history and stories they may have behind them? Or is there any other strategies that you're using? It was really important to build an authoritative voice. And for us, we did that through Behind the Lane. We were able to tell the story behind collectibles in a narrative that really resonated with followers. They found information that they'd never heard of. They loved the way we were bringing it together and putting it in snackable content, 15, 20 second videos.

11:42But at the same time, we would offer up questions about which was the favorite console of yours in the 90s. Or which controller did you enjoy using in a gaming experience? Or did you even know this about a trading card? So we got the communication going back and forth, which is really important, versus just being that authoritative voice speaking. we wanted to have the communication going both ways. And we were able to get that off the ground and over the last six months, be very successful in building that base through YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. And it's all about having a conversation. So it was important for us at launch to be an authoritative voice.

12:19And then secondly, as we start to roll out the platform, we're going to promote that storytelling and then create that FOMO where at the end of the commercial, at the end of the video, you can retain this item by coming to collectible lane. So there's a lot of excitement behind it. And I think I'm even going to take that approach to allow and offer up the service for folks that are selling a product that they would love us to create a story and a video behind so they can push it out through their socials. And then of course, drive traffic back to collectible lane. It's just a resource that I've been able to build very easily and quickly.

12:56Why shouldn't I offer it up to an amazing membership base.

12:59Rob Kligman:Of course, of course you should. And I love the fact that you just have the exact feeling that is what moves collectibles and that's FOMO. It's like, if you don't fear that it's gonna run out and that if you don't buy it, you're not gonna have it, then collectibles wouldn't even exist. But oh my goodness, I feel it's such a well thought out plan, man. And Rob, how many people do you have that are helping you out with this endeavor? Like how big is Collectible Lane as a company? Yeah, so right now I have roughly five people. with a few folks of mine, old colleagues that are going to help spread the word, which is going to be really important at launch.

13:34But from a development standpoint, we have roughly four or five people, another one from a marketing and creative standpoint. And we're working as a small team and working really hard and smart and collaboratively. We just share all kinds of different ideas. And I think as a leader and as a team player, I want to encourage my team members to bring ideas, to pivot when necessary, to speak up when they think it makes sense to speak up. I may have a title of founder and CEO, but I have five, six leaders on my team that continually lead in their areas. And that's really important. I'm a big believer of giving the keys to the car.

14:10You go ahead and drive it. I have as much trust as you can imagine in you. And when you fall, we'll pick each other up and we'll keep going. But I think that's really important as a leader to make sure that your team members know that you have the utmost confidence in them. And like I said, the keys to the car, go ahead and run it.

14:28Rob Kligman:And is your team, Rob, is like Collectible Lane remote first, a remote first company, or do you have some headquarters where you're getting all this put together? It is remote. We have had an amazing ability to put together a Zoom call for an hour each day, communicate through WhatsApp, and make sure that the communication is seamless. and we've been able to work with time delays in different countries and different areas and regions. And yet it really works when we sleep, which I found that none of us really do sleep because we're so excited for the launch. We're able to accommodate or make it work amongst ourselves.

15:07Rob Kligman:Well, now that the rollout is going to be in the States, is the remote team you have completely from the United States? Or did you mention that you also have them in other countries that you're able to work through the time zones? We do. We have a few folks that are based in India right now and a couple other areas within the States. West Coast-wise, example, a three-hour difference and then a 10.5-hour difference with India. But we just make it work. It's amazing. We get up early, we stay up late, we multitask, and we over-communicate. And I think those three pillars, when done correctly, make for a very efficient team.

15:46Rob Kligman:And then now when I talk about teams, I just love to use this as a segue into my next topic, which I feel is so intertwined nowadays. But now let's shift over to AI and how you guys are leveraging AI to your benefit. Rob, do you have any peculiar uses or maybe some processes you've been able to tinker with using AI or anything like that that you can tell us about? Now, one of the big issues that I found as a collector was the time spent to list an item. The quicker you can list an item, the quicker you can get it sold. So we looked at that as one of being the one of the biggest obstacles in a collector's forefront.

16:23So with that being said, we studied AI to the best we possibly could. And we figured out that we can list the product utilizing AI in less than 10 seconds. When you're thinking about things like that, that's the positive part of AI. It makes things much more efficient, much quicker. And as a result, you're going to list your product and hopefully you're going to sell your product that much quicker. So one of our privates was really just testing out the right AI platform to help us build that out so that when you're listing in the fields, you have the opportunity to do it in a very, very quick fashion.

16:56And efficiency is really important when you're looking to sell product.

16:59Rob Kligman:And Rob, another question I have is, and this is kind of like out there, but if you are allowing for Collectible Lane to have sellers sell, for example, trading cards, Do you also provide the service of helping them get those PSA graded, which I know is a whole thing right now when you get them to be properly cased and anything like that? Is that something that Collectible Lane also helps with? Or is it only just like a marketplace for them to post what they have? We are. We're a partner with CGC as well as PSA. And we encourage them to work with us. We'll help them. We'll guide them through the process.

17:33Right now, we have an affiliate program with PSA that offers up an opportunity for you to get a bonus when doing your first submission. You can utilize a code lane and that gets you that discount on your submission. So we thought about it. And again, the idea behind Collectible Lane is also to cut down on fraud. And how do we cut down on fraud? Well, you encourage folks to utilize PSA and CGC and other grading companies where they can encase it. They can check it as an expert and then they can give it a grade. So when we're passing through collectibles across the ecosystem, we know and then our members know that there's a very high confidence that that's a real product.

18:13It's very easy to take a serial number and check it on a PSA website and officially know that that's the right product that you're getting.

18:21Rob Kligman:Wow. I love that transparency. And that really is something that will provide, as you mentioned, confidence in the users of the platform and in the buyers. is because when buying these types of items and collectibles, one is always nervous that you're going to get like, what's it called, a fake replica or something that isn't exactly what you saw online. So being able to provide that security, I think it's a game changer because people really need that certainty when they're going to drop a lot of money in collectibles that mean a lot to them. So I get that. I get that. Agreed. And that's, again, how I was built.

18:55And that's why the lanes are video games, trading cards, comic books. We'll go to currency at some point, sports authentics. Everything has a collective theme, which is all about the graded nature of the products and how they can be authenticated and real.

19:10Rob Kligman:And Rob, another question I do have is now that we're, I've been saying all these episodes that we're at the beginning of 2026. It's about the end of the first quarter. So that is a bit off timeline. but what are your plans and what do you really want to accomplish besides the launch of the platform right now and everything like that but towards the end of the year where do you visualize yourself and collectible lane well we talk about disruption and making it a better ecosystem i and my team are not in it to take down an ebay as an example we want just one percent of that whole world where as a collector i've placed things on poshmark i've placed things on ebay i put things on Facebook Marketplace.

19:50I've spread my collectibles across a variety of different platforms. And the first platform that sold it was the winner. And we would continue putting them in different places. So I look at Collectible Lane as that opportunity to be one of a variety and let the membership know that it's low fee, that it's a great ecosystem. It's not cluttered in any way. And it's very easy to navigate. And quickly you can post your item or your collectible through AI. And, you know, six to nine months down the road, I want to have an amazing membership base that loves the stories we're telling, that loves the membership base that we brought in and recruited, and loves the ability to really create their own identification in this ecosystem that they call their own.

20:37So as we build phase two and phase three, I want to build it more again for the user base. I want them to really enjoy what they're coming to. And I've created such an easy navigational platform that I hope that older folks, younger folks, middle-aged folks, doesn't really matter. They just enjoy the experience. And that's my goal over the course of 69 months, to just make it an enjoyable experience and continue growing and building. And we're never done. We're going to continue enhancing the tools and making it better and better as we continue to move forward.

21:11Rob Kligman:That is so cool. And I agree when you keep the what's it called? The interest of the seller, the consumer at heart and make sure that what you do with your platform and how you develop it like revolves around them. They will get the best experience possible. And that'll just be an organic way of having them bring more people into the platform, into collectible lane and having more items listed. And that way you guys just grow. And I feel it is kind of inevitable when it's done in the style that you're doing it. So I'm totally secure that that's going to happen, Rob. And another question I do have is if you were to give one piece of advice to another founder that's currently starting out their company, doesn't have to be exactly in the collectibles market, but if it's another founder trying to start, what would you give them as a piece of advice?