How To Resell: Sneaker Reselling For Beginners
The flipping sneaker business in many places has provided an avenue for hustlers to ethically and ingeniously make a quick buck. And what seemed to be footwear that keeps your feet safe and warm serve a different purpose to other people.
Compared to some other ways of making money online, the sneaker resale market is very profitable and valued at around $1 billion. While only 4% of shoes and sneakers are purchased upon release for resale, the market benefits from side hustlers and entrepreneurs who operate in different channels.
The sneaker market as a whole has opened up itself to more people with the help of online channels. However, back in the day when the internet didnt exist, there was a competition within the different communities and tribes in the market. People scoured through a thrift store and flea markets to get shoes under their market price.
Others would run to their nearest Foot Locker to get the latest pair of shoes. Information was spread through word of mouth and Eastbay mail catalogs. In other words, reselling sneakerheads worked in isolation with their communities.
There was only so much distance and area you could cover in the early sneaker game. That shared common experience within a small group of people made the sneaker market what it is today.
If you want to get connected with fellow sneaker lovers, you need to attend SneakerCon that takes places in the different parts of the world.
Overstockcom: Best Shoe Store For Discounts
- Excellent prices, and some great additional discounts
- Clean and easy-to-use site
- There are loads of other products here too
Overstock.com is one of the bigger names in online discount retail. The site covers everything from home furnishings to electricals, but there is a superb selection of shoes to be found here too. You’ll find sneakers, heals, clogs, booties and all kinds of different shoes, all from brands such as Nike, Adidas, Birkenstock, and more. You’ll even find some designer labels like Jimmy Choo here, although they are very limited in number.
The product pages are clean, but lack a little information when compared to the likes of Zappos. You’ll see good product images of the shoes, and if you scroll around the page you will find a limited number of user reviews, but rarely enough to inform your decision-making. There’s a Q& A section, which is good when it’s populated by users, and while we applaud the effort of the Tips and Inspiration tab… the content in there isn’t very inspirational.
Shipping is free to all states except Hawaii and Alaska, and is quicker than most other stores on this list. There’s a 30-day returns policy, which is standard, and users are responsible for the cost of ‘buyers remorse’ returns. Sadly, this does include shoes that don’t fit, which is one of the perils of buying from a more generalist store.
How To Join Weartesters
Reminder: Every month we give away at least TWO pairs of deadstock sneakers to lucky members of our Discord community. In past months, we gave away an Air Jordan 1, a Nike LeBron 18, an adidas Dame 7, and a Reebok Question Mid. We also give away a bunch of other stuff like apparel, socks, hats, laces, and more. We arent messing around with our giveaways.
If youd like to be eligible for our next round of giveaways, join WearTesters here.
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How To Find Shoes To Buy And Sell
Before you can even begin finding shoes to buy and resell, you need to understand the market better.
Reselling shoes are similar to the stock market. There are pairs of shoes that dont start out too hot but eventually accumulate value later on. Conversely, some sneakers generate lots of attention only to fizzle out as time goes by.
Want even more step by step details on how to find great shoes you can sell for a profit? Check out the Hypemaster Playbook for a great course into the shoe reseller world.
To truly benefit from learning how to resell sneakers, you need to purchase products that are sold on the cheap but have lasting value in the long run. One way of doing so is by buying the sneaker on release day at retail prices, which is where they are at their most affordable.
However, instead of lining up to store for hours to buy them, you can quickly place your orders on Frenzy, a Shopify-owned app.
It will notify you of the release dates of the latest sneakers from the biggest brands. From there, you can place your orders and make a profit by reselling them. The goal of the app is to reduce that friction between retailers and consumers so both can seamlessly make transactions and make money faster.
However, new pairs of shoes come far and few in between. To make money in reselling shoes, you need to find pairs sold under reseller price so you can profit off them. But how can you know how much a pair of shoes cost?
Shoescom: Best Store For Specialty Shoes
- Great variety of shoes, especially if you need specialty pairs
- Frequent discount codes and coupons
- Great website with loads of search options
Shoes.com has a large inventory of shoes, free exchanges and helpful customer service. In addition to a large selection of everyday footwear for women and men, there are many specialty footwear options, covering narrow and wide shoes, and even things like dance shoes for kids.
The search browser is useful to find a specific shoe, or you can find a category type, like boots, oxfords or slip-ons if you want more browsing options. You can also filter for such specialty features as orthotic-friendly, vegan, moisture wicking, insulated and diabetic-friendly. You can refine your search further under specifying categories like canvas, clogs, flats, size, color, price range and brand. The product photography on each page is clear and bright, and there are further options for changing size and style. Scroll a little further down, and you get a good range of customer reviews and comment on the fit of the shoes. The site is really good.Shoes.com offers free shipping, and there’s no minimum value needed to qualify. If you decide you dont like the shoes, you can return them within 60 days for a complete refund, and shipping on returns is free. However, there is a fee of $6.95 for ‘restocking’. Items that are labeled as final sales, however, dont qualify for returns. There’s also a rewards club called Shoefans, which is worth enrolling in.
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Where And How To Buy And Sell Shoes
Now that you have the shoes, you must find the best channels where you can sell them to turn in a profit.
You can start by creating an account on a consignment shop like StockX to resell the shoes there. Both sites serve as middlemen between buyer and seller. Therefore, you deal directly with either website to sell your shoes. Send them the sneakers when youve chosen the highest bid, and they will take care of the rest.
Sites like StockX are convenient ways to sell your shoes and ensures buyers that they wont be duped by fake sneakers.
On the flipside, you dont get the personal touch from consignment stores that go with seller-to-buyer transactions. However, if youre not much of a salesman or a people person, then this shouldnt be a problem.
If you want the traditional way of reselling shoes, you can always go the way of Facebook Groups, Craigslist, and eBay. These sites allow you to put your personal touch on your pairs product page.
As a best practice, you need to be descriptive and detailed as possible about the sneakers. Leave no stone unturned and make sure that you are honest in your description. Assuming that youre a new seller, itll take time before buyers warm up to you. Therefore, you need to keep working on gaining the trust of buyers and continue marching forward.
Finish Line: The Intersection Of Style & Sport
Whether you call them shoes, sneakers, runners, trainers, or kicks, we have you covered with the latest footwear to fit your style. Check out new arrivals from premium brands like , , , , and more. Whether youre looking for for the court, for your next race, or the newest activewear, we carry the latest to keep you at the top of your game.
At Finish Line, we carry the latest and greatest, from , to a huge selection of the freshest athletic apparel and accessories. From on-trend , to , shirts, shorts and matching sets, we got you covered with the hottest sportswear. Finish your look with an or and keep your kicks clean with premium . Always stay up to date on the latest sneaker drops from to , the latest sport fashion and like and , by following our blog and social handles.
Plus, you can always Buy Online and Pickup In-Store, so you can get your favorite sneakers even faster with free, same day pickup at your local Finish Line store!
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How To Buy & Sell The Most Expensive And Sought
Ever since the 70s, there are only two brands that mattered to most sneakerheads: Nike and Adidas.
Both brands have produced lines of sneakers and shoes for athletes and artists. Some of those lines have withstood time and exponentially increased their value since their release. Some brands have made waves and are poised to make one . However, if youre in the sneaker industry, you cant go wrong with these two brands.
Below are some of the more popular expensive shoes in the market pioneered by the two brands:
Most Popular Expensive Shoes to Resell
As mentioned, there are other up-and-comer brands with pairs of sneakers worth looking into. Thanks to Stephen Curry, Under Armours stock is rising. And while Big Baller Brand built their brand around hype , the $500 pair of kicks theyre selling is interesting to say very least.
That being said, when youre starting out with flipping sneakers and learning about the resale market for popular sneakers, you should stick with the most popular brands.
In the beginning, learning about the sneaker resale market, secondary markets, and spotting fake sneakers will take up plenty of time and energy. You dont need to be speculating until you get your sneaker game up to snuff!
How To Avoid Common Sneaker Reselling Mistakes
While its important to be excited and have the energy to really jump into the sneaker resale game, sometimes you need to slow down. Jump on good deals. But any time you feel that something is off or theres a red flag listen to those instincts.
Even the top shoe reselling hustlers have been taken in by fake sneakers before. While in theory PayPal or other services have a money protection guarantee, getting your money back can be a hassle.
For anyone who has ever dealt with PayPal returns, its not a guarantee, either. If you get into a he said, she said argument with the seller of fake shoes a PayPal customer service rep is not the one you want making a final decision on hundreds of dollars.
Another common mistake, is not warning PayPal about a surge in transactions.
If theyre not used to seeing a lot of movement in your PayPal account, many transactions in the thousands of dollars for used sneakers could get the account flagged. This is a headache, but it is one you can work around.
If you have to upgrade to a business account, so be it. Better than losing out on deals. Or having your hard earned money frozen in the account.
Finally, have a plan for management.
Do you have a good bank roll and plan on buying a large number of authentic sneakers before selling? Are you planning to buy shoes and then flip them quickly? You need to know how much space you have, have a plan for tracking inventory as well as expenses and profits, and manage your process.
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Amazon: Best For ‘try Before You Buy’ Shoes
- Prime Wardrobe lets you try before you commit to buy
- Amazon has excellent shipping and returns
- Good selection of shoes and brands
We all know Amazon and, love it or hate it, there’s no denying it’s an excellent place to buy stuff. The shoe selection at Amazon is very good, and there’s a decent range of both new and pre-owned shoes thanks to the various third-party retailers associated with Amazon. The website is actually harder to navigate than many of its rivals, but that’s because Amazon has such a massive range of items – you need to drill into the site to find shoes.
What sets Amazon apart, however, is the Prime Wardrobe services, which is included as part of a regular Amazon Prime membership. Here you can choose up to eight items of clothing – shoes included – at a time, and order them to be delivered to your home. There is a three-item minimum and a $1000 maximum value. Once they arrive you have seven days to try them on, and mark all unwanted items for return. After that you pay for the stuff you want to keep, and use pre-paid packaging for all the returns. It’s so, so simple and is a great way of shopping for clothes and shoes.
Zapposcom User Reviews And Ratings
Zappos.com offers the following on all orders:365-day returns | Free returns | Free shipping | 10-day price guarantees| VIP Rewards scheme | 24-hour customer service
- Has an A+ rating, and accreditation, via the Better Business Bureau
- Scores 4 out of 5 via Consumer Affairs
We looked at more than 200 user reviews of Zappos, both via customer review sites, and of products purchased via the site itself. Many applaud the excellent customer service and returns policy offered by Zappos, although some note that it does take the company a little longer than some rivals to refund you the money. The average refund time is ten days, and in some instances it has taken longer. For most with issues, the customer service team appear to be friendly, professional, and generous.
The largest complaint about Zappos appears to be that some people have accidentally received shoes with imperfections, incorrect sizes and combinations , and – on rare occasions – shoes that appear to already have been worn. In most cases these were resolved, but one or two customers were unhappy that they were offered store credit instead of cash refunds. Overall, however, the customer experience from Zappos is very positive, especially when it comes to selection of shoes and customer experience.
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Asos User Reviews And Ratings
ASOS offers the following on all orders:28-day returns | Free, paperless returns | No exchanges | Premier Delivery Scheme | 24-hour customer service
- Has an F rating via the Better Business Bureau
- Scores 4 out of 5 via Trustpilot
We looked at over 200 reviews of ASOS, and found some very inconsistent things. While it has a terrible F rating at the BBB, many consumer review sites – like Trustpilot – have very favorable overall scores for the site. A rating of 4 stars on Trustpilot, for example, is higher than most other retailers on this list. Positive comments focus on the customer service that people have received, and the speed of resolution that occurred. The company is quite prompt at responding to complaints on the BBB too, so we don’t see why the rating is so low.
The most common issues that people face with ASOS are around the time it takes to process some returns, and to refund the customer. While it’s fairly standard, we note that the company promises a refund within 14 days, which is unacceptable given how quickly they’re able to accept payments. A few people have bemoaned the lack of a complaints department, and seem to have vented frustrations elsewhere, but overall the customer experience seems very good with ASOS.
How Much Can You Make Reselling Shoes
The short answer? Millions.
JV is a guy making six figures a year reselling shoes. He got his start flipping sneakers as a side gig while working retail. After 4 months in, he was clearing over $10,000 per month.
Hell teach you how to do the same thing he does, clear the big bucks, in his online course. If you add the code NICHEMONEY, you can get an extra 10% off.
Reselling shoes isnt a rare phenomenon. A quick look at Amazon and eBay will reveal you a secondhand pair of sneakers up for grabs for every brand new pair. The process of shoe selling is all too common that there are people who made reselling shoes a profitable full-time job.
However, there are only a handful of people who have built an empire as shoe resellers. Arguably the most successful sneaker reseller is Benjamin Kapelushnik. Also known as Benjamin Kickz and owner of the sneaker marketplace Sneaker Don, he started in the business at 13 in 2013 and made it big two years after.
He rose to fame as the shoe supplier to DJ Khaled who referred him to his friends in the music and entertainment industry. He made his first million in 2016 and had been reselling rare and expensive shoes and sneakers to high-ticket clients since then.
Sneaker collecting is a thing and for individuals who can get a good deal on rare or hard to find sneakers like a limited release commemorative pair of Nike Air Jordan 2 Just Don, the Nike SB Dunk, or others, it can be ridiculously profitable to be reselling sneakers.
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