Sneakers have been something of a fad recently. From Adidas and Kanye West’s Yeezys to Nike Air Jordans, the world of sneakers has been booming, resulting in an industry that is estimated to be worth over $127 billion. This immense amount of cash flow can be attributed to the collaborations that are done with celebrities and exclusive brands such as Supreme, Gucci, and Balenciaga. These shoes can easily fetch prices of 4 to 5 figures in the retail market, which makes this industry very popular for resellers and collectors.
The collecting side of the sneaker industry is one of the most well known facets, where collectors will spend thousands of dollars on collecting the rarest sneakers that they can get their hands on, some even going so far as to have dedicated sneaker dealers that will meet up with them at predetermined locations to carry out a trade or transaction on rare pieces. Some collectors, after having amassed a large enough collection, will start their own business, partnering up with famous celebrities to provide them with the rarest and flashiest pairs of shoes that are available. Collectors will snipe out new releases the moment they are available and have specific techniques to make sure that they will be able to snag up as many as they can. They will then take these shoes and post them to an online marketplace such as eBay, StockX, or Grailed to turn a profit immediately. The profits that can be made on new sneakers is remarkable, with new $220 Yeezy 350 v2 releases being able to turn profits of $100 or more within the first 12 months to some other more exclusive collaborations being able to turn profits in the thousands. No wonder the reselling industry alone is worth around $2 billion alone, collectors will make it their life’s work to swipe up the newest sneakers and sell them for a profit as soon as they possibly can.
Collecting sneakers is one of the most popular collecting hobbies in today’s world, and is quite easy to get into whether you want to for the style, the profit, or the collection, most collectable shoes range from $100-400 and tend to hold their price for many years. However, knowing which shoes to snag up on release and the techniques to do so may be the most important part to collecting sneakers. Finding a sneaker that has been a hot topic lately, or one that has a collaboration with a big brand or celebrity is a good way to start. Having multiple accounts on websites for releases, waiting in long lines outside of shops that have exclusive collaborations, or even hiring people to wait in line for you are all good options for ensuring you get the pairs of sneakers that you want. From there you just need to keep them in the original box in a safe place and sit on your potential pile of gold until you are ready to sell them.
The sneaker industry, just like the rest of the clothing industry, is always changing. New designs are always coming out and new celebrities are getting their own collabs with the biggest brands. So make sure to keep an eye out for news about new collabs and keep your wallet ready for new releases if you would like to get into the sneaker collecting industry.
I have a pair of Yeezy Boost…
I have a pair of Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Blue Tints in slightly worn condition. Would those still be worth something for reselling or would reselling work only for brand new/unworn condition? Also, where would you recommend selling them to?
Yes you can sell used…
Yes you can sell used sneakers, however their value will be significantly lower than if they were deadstock, or not touched in the box from the retailer. As mentioned in the article, you can use eBay, StockX, or Grailed. I would suggest using StockX - https://stockx.com/