Article about sneaker reselling

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

saw this on men.style.com

I don't care for limited edition sneakers so I agree with this guy, but I'm sure a bunch of you guys hate this point of view.

Loitering with Intent

Went out my door last night and there were about 100 kids camped out on the sidewalk on Lafayette Street in the rain. I've seen this scene before. It happens here in front of Recon, the hipster fashion store owned by my old amigo Lenny McGurr, aka Futura 2000, one of the most illustrious of graffiti artists, and his friend Stash.

When I went out the door this morning there were about 200 kids lined up outside the store, those closest to the door being packed like sardines. About half were Japanese. This same scene happens occasionally down the street at Supreme when a new collection arrives. The cause of the excitement was the release of a new limited edition sneaker by Nike, the "Kiss of Death" that costs $200 and has what looks like red alligator-hide swooshes on the sides.

Last night I related the story of the kids camping in the rain on the sidewalk to buy sneakers to some friends over an amazing dinner at Lupa, cooked personally by Mario Batali. While we sipped extraordinary wines from the Bastianich vineyard, I explained this regular urban camping out phenomenon, which results in much litter and general annoyance to the neighbors. Of course I can't call the cops because Futura is a friend, but I wonder out loud if this is, technically, loitering or some other misdemeanor.

Loitering was defined, in a law struck down by the Supreme Court in 1999, as "to remain in any one place with no apparent purpose." Of course, although these kids appeared to be loitering, in that they were standing about idly in the rain, they in fact had serious purpose. One of my dinner companions told of a friend who bought a pair of limited edition Nikes in Berlin, then sold them on eBay for $6,000.

I have heard that many of the kids who line up at Recon and Supreme do in fact resell these trendy items at a tremendous profit margin. It just goes to show you, kids might look like they're loafing or getting in trouble, but actually they're getting ahead. There are several pairs listed on eBay right now, hovering around $500 with many hours left. I'm a little more respectful of these skateboard kids now that I know most of them may not be desperate fashion victims after all, but wily entrepreneurs selling to desperate fashion victims overseas.

Here's a photo of me and Futura back at the height of our softball careers when he captained "The Escadrille" and I captained "The No Sox."

[damnIam]

Sounds like to me the kids reselling these shoes are the only ones in the whole chain that is not completely delusional.

[horriblyjollyjinx]

Sounds like to me the kids reselling these shoes are the only ones in the whole chain that is not completely delusional.

yeah. I don't mind reselling, what I do mind is buying from resellers or just buying these hyped sneakers at all, for your own use.

[hysteric]

i understand what hes saying, but resellers just kill the sneaker game, they make it so its nearly impossible for regualar kids to get sneakers they really like because they go for 300 plus, it is a smart way to make money, but it really hurts the sneaker game

[englandmj7]

The reason there is a "sneaker game" is resellers continue the exclusivity/difficulty/price increase in getting a pair of hyped, 200-of sneakers. You don't HAVE to buy a certain pair of shoes, so if there are only a few made of a certain pair, and resellers own half, then tough shit. That is the way the market works in several industries. If you can't afford the resale price then you shouldn't have the shoes. It is not like Nike isn't releasing enough kicks to keep your closet stocked. Only hypebeasts are pissed at resellers......

[TragicBliss]

Last night I related the story of the kids camping in the rain on the sidewalk to buy sneakers to some friends over an amazing dinner at Lupa, cooked personally by Mario Batali. While we sipped extraordinary wines from the Bastianich vineyard

Please...

The rape that Bordeaux grand cru classé vinyards are pulling on the wine community over their 2005 vintage is incedibly worse than some Japanese cats sitting on his street corner.

Word.

[darkanimal]

Hahah namedropping shit! So cliche for a writter to say.

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

two names! and so obvious too.

[poly800rock]

anybody in this day and age still reselling dunk sb's and shit is gay...no homo...

everyone knows its all about the new balances now...plus, do it, so i dont have to pay retail. I loved how all these morons got stuck with all these new balances they couldnt sell because people never realized that new balances don't sell in the reseller market

[macuser3of5]

The reason there is a "sneaker game" is resellers continue the exclusivity/difficulty/price increase in getting a pair of hyped, 200-of sneakers.

What he said...(10 characters)

[artificialsky]

Last night I related the story of the kids camping in the rain on the sidewalk to buy sneakers to some friends over an amazing dinner at Lupa, cooked personally by Mario Batali. While we sipped extraordinary wines from the Bastianich vineyard

what a dick.

[herpsky]

i found some haze 574s on yahoo auction for 13500yen

too bad they werent my size

id pay over retail for the older MT series

the recent size? collabos looked really good too

limited NB's are pretty much impossible to find in the US

though undefeated had several japanese collabo ones in their glass case

even in NYC, i couldn't really find any decent pair of NBs anywhere with the exception of flightclub

[poly800rock]

i found some haze 574s on yahoo auction for 13500yen

too bad they werent my size

id pay over retail for the older MT series

the recent size? collabos looked really good too

limited NB's are pretty much impossible to find in the US

though undefeated had several japanese collabo ones in their glass case

even in NYC, i couldn't really find any decent pair of NBs anywhere with the exception of flightclub

i had a conversation with a friend about this...but to be honest, I'm happy you can't get the exclusive stuff because the hunt is half the game....isnt that the point of having exclusive sneakers? to have something someone else doesn;t have? But to get to the point, the exclusives have been actually easier to get recently.....

[mlproject]

anybody in this day and age still reselling dunk sb's and shit is gay...no homo...

i never heard anyone say no homo until that duck hunt article in mass appeal... its still ridiculous.

[poly800rock]

i never heard anyone say no homo until that duck hunt article in mass appeal... its still ridiculous.

i still havent seen it yet....which issue is it in? no homo..

[Carl]

People still read Mass Appeal?

[6MT]

the best sneaker game is when you rock a pair dunk from china, and people give you the "secret society nod" silently conclude that "you" are one of "them"

paying 10% of the msrp, and you get 100% of cool, and 200% of recognition.....

[mlproject]

the newer one with tracy morgan on the cover.

mass appeal hasn't been as hot visually since alife quit art directing it, but it's still one of my monthly staples.

[HisPiffness]

The thing about camping out for reselling is, from an economics standpoint, it is not even all that profitable. For example, kids camped out 3 or 4 days to get a pair of Stash Air Max 95s, to sell them for what, at most, a $400 profit? $100 a day, and that's 24 hour days, no 8 hour bullshit, comes out to less than minimum wage.

And yeah, the writer is a complete douchebag for namedropping Mario Batali in a fucking sneaker article.

[6MT]

The thing about camping out for reselling is, from an economics standpoint, it is not even all that profitable. For example, kids camped out 3 or 4 days to get a pair of Stash Air Max 95s, to sell them for what, at most, a $400 profit? $100 a day, and that's 24 hour days, no 8 hour bullshit, comes out to less than minimum wage.

And yeah, the writer is a complete douchebag for namedropping Mario Batali in a fucking sneaker article.

i couldn't agree more, but i guess alot of the camping has to do with experience i guess.