The Origin of Reclaim CoLab: Where Athlete and Collector Come Together

For years, Reclaim Customs has been built around a simple idea: memorabilia becomes more meaningful when there is a story behind it.

Now, we're taking that idea somewhere new.

We're excited to officially introduce Reclaim CoLab, a new company created through the partnership between Reclaim Customs founder Eric Wagenmaker and Detroit Lions legend Herman Moore.

But while an athlete and a collector helped create the concept, Reclaim CoLab isn't just for athletes.

The model we're building can extend to athletes, celebrities, entertainers, notable individuals, corporations, organizations and brands. At its core, CoLab is about bringing people with meaningful stories together with the creative capabilities of Reclaim to build something neither could create independently.

In our latest video, Eric sits down with Herman and former Lions quarterback Scott Mitchell to tell the origin story of Reclaim CoLab, why we launched it and where we believe this concept can go.

▶ WATCH THE RECLAIM COLAB ORIGIN STORY:https://youtu.be/2XNSTEKnUWA

It Started With an Athlete and a Collector

Reclaim CoLab grew organically out of the relationship between Herman Moore and Reclaim Customs.

As we worked together on different projects, we began to recognize an opportunity that went beyond simply creating custom cards for an athlete.

Herman had the experiences, memorabilia, relationships and stories from a remarkable career. Reclaim had the collector's perspective, along with the design, storytelling and production capabilities to transform those things into something tangible.

Instead of the traditional relationship where an athlete simply provides an autograph or lends their name to a product, we started creating together.

That became the foundation for Reclaim CoLab.

A Model That Goes Beyond Sports

Herman's involvement helped us discover the model, but we quickly realized there was no reason it needed to stop with professional athletes.

The same concept can apply to a musician with artifacts from a career, a celebrity with a story worth preserving, an individual with something historically or personally significant, or a corporation looking for a completely different way to commemorate its history, people or milestones.

The common denominator isn't sports.

It's story.

CoLab gives us an opportunity to work directly with the people and organizations connected to those stories and create something authentic around them.

Sometimes that may result in trading cards or memorabilia. Other times, it could lead somewhere entirely different.

That's part of what makes the concept exciting.

Creating With People, Not Just For Them

One of the most important ideas behind Reclaim CoLab is the difference between creating something for someone and creating something with them.

When the person connected to the story becomes part of the creative process, entirely new possibilities emerge.

They can provide context that a designer or collector wouldn't otherwise know. They can identify objects, moments and stories that carry significance beyond what the public sees. And together, we can determine the best way to preserve and present those stories.

For us, that's what the word "CoLab" really represents.

Herman Moore, Scott Mitchell and Where It Started

In many ways, Herman became the proof of concept.

Our work together demonstrated what could happen when the traditional lines between athlete, collector and entrepreneur started to disappear.

Scott Mitchell has also become part of that journey. As Herman's former Detroit Lions teammate and longtime friend, Scott brings another perspective on the stories, relationships and experiences that exist beyond what fans saw on the football field.

In our new video, the three of us sit down to talk about how this relationship developed, the ideas that led to Reclaim CoLab and what we believe we're building for the future.

The Beginning of Something Bigger

We're still at the beginning.

Reclaim CoLab isn't intended to become simply another trading card company, memorabilia brand or athlete partnership program.

We're building a collaborative platform for turning stories, experiences and meaningful artifacts into something people can hold onto.

Sometimes our collaborator may be a Hall of Fame athlete.

Another time it could be a musician, entertainer, company, organization or individual with an incredible story to tell.

The possibilities are intentionally broad because we don't know yet where every collaboration will lead.

And that's exactly the point.

The story of Reclaim CoLab starts with Herman Moore and Reclaim Customs, but we believe its potential extends far beyond us.

RECLAIM COLABWhere Athlete, Collector, and Entrepreneurship Collide.

▶ WATCH THE FULL ORIGIN STORY:https://youtu.be/2XNSTEKnUWA