Sneakers are among the most popular shoes. They have been socially acceptable for years, complementing the street look as well as the sporty-elegant clothing of men and women. Even on official occasions, such as a meeting, sneakers with a business suit nowadays leave a good impression. No wonder limited edition sneakers are selling well. People want to have shoes that no one else is wearing. Many sneaker resellers have also realized this. In numerous media information, on TV as well as on the Internet, you can always read about the superlative sneaker reseller who builds up a lucrative business with these popular shoes. To drive this business successfully, you need profound knowledge about the sneaker reselling scene. More ideas and sales opportunities will bring you experience and contacts from the scene.
Learn as a first rule: not every sneaker can be sold in the competitive reselling market. If you are already trading as a sneaker reseller or are about to start, then use the numerous available sneaker reselling tips and the knowledge from this sneaker reselling guide. Here you will learn everything about the organization, sales tricks, and organizational things like administration and taxes. Before you start sneaker reselling, you should register a reselling business.
What is Sneaker Reselling?
Sneaker reselling is a business of limited edition sneakers. The sneaker marketplace boom of the last few years has swept many people away. Digitally, as well as in real marketplaces, you could literally watch sneaker lovers scramble for unique pieces and limited editions. This trend continues to this day. From this, shrewd sneaker resellers have developed a money-making job, with which you can earn considerable sums.
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What makes sneaker reselling so attractive?
High demand for popular sneakers
The high demand for limited sneakers experienced an increase that seemed to reach infinity. At some point, this could no longer be served by the usual market. In the beginning, sneaker fans still tried to acquire their hotly courted sneakers via barter. This went well for a while. Because money also flowed in the barter trade, initially in smaller amounts, than ever higher sums.
High profits possible
Now reselling comes into play. Expert sneaker connoisseurs recognized the opportunity to generate high sales here in good time. To this day, limited edition sneakers have seen high price increases, even reaching up to 1,000% in rare cases. In the meantime, sneaker reselling serves a large customer base as well as new interested parties.
The industry, which was once made famous by hobbyists selling sneakers, has now developed into a billion-dollar business. Prices of up to USD 15,000 for a pair of sneakers have already been paid. Even 30,000 USD for a pair of sneakers has been paid. But be aware, these are dream prices, which are rather reserved for top professionals.
Sneaker Reselling: Disadvantages
Where there is money to be made, there are of course disadvantages. We would like to mention these
Earning money requires a time commitment
Many sneaker resellers see the “ruble” rolling even before they have started their sneaker reselling business. Reports and well-filled bank accounts of other resellers lead to the conclusion that there is a lot of money to be made with little work. But this is not the case at all. Especially as a beginner, you will quickly notice how professionals push you to the edge with their profound knowledge. Therefore, good planning, knowledge acquisition, and possibly conversations with experts on the scene are your key to success. And also keep in mind that setting up your sneaker reselling business and keeping proper accounts will take a lot of time. However, if you are willing to invest a lot of your available time, you will later swim at the top of the wave of successful sneaker resellers and write your success story.
Sneakers price drop is possible
Another point that should be among the most important sneaker reselling tips for you is how to handle money. First successes quickly lead to overconfidence when trading popular shoes. Many sneaker reselling beginners spend more and more money when purchasing sneakers without properly informing themselves about the market status. Since the sneaker market for limited sneakers is subject to constant fluctuations, similar to the stock market, you can sometimes make a losing deal. Therefore, for your sneaker purchases, only use the money for which you can take a loss. This is one of the most important sneaker reselling tips that will save you from economic harm if you follow it.
Is sneaker reselling a business?
Like all other sales businesses, sneaker reselling is a trade that may incur taxes. If you sell limited sneakers repeatedly and sustainably, whether in the digital shopping world or on the real market, this is subject to the intention to repeat. If this is the case, you should register your business with the local authorities right at the beginning to avoid any “nasty surprises”. Penalties can be many times higher than the payment of business tax. If you are underage, registering your business is usually not a problem for you. You simply have your parents (legal guardians) certify your legal capacity. In the beginning, many sneaker resellers operate as a sideline and later as their main occupation.
How do resellers go about sneaker reselling?
If you want to expand your business in the almost inscrutable market of sneaker trading, there is a lot to do. The magic word of successful sneaker resellers is research, research, and more research. If you do research in the following 5 areas, you can make real money with a pair of sneakers:
- Scan the market for competition,
- find out the sales status of your favorite sneakers,
- find the cheapest shopping option,
- find the best sales opportunity,
- Find buyers with fire (your customer must be on fire for a sneaker).
Sneaker resellers who are used to successfully creating an Excel list and use it to check their assets daily for increases in value as well as losses in order to act and counteract in time. One of the most successful sneaker resellers gives the following advice to his peers in the popular sneaker reselling market: “If it’s a sneaker I know I can sell,” he said, “I usually buy all the inventory I can get. And from the moment I know the sizes, the styles, and the product code, I list it on various platforms and it’s instantly live.”
There are numerous platforms available to you, too, for successful sneaker sales. Some of them are currently very hot and making the rounds in sneaker reselling circles:
- Klekt
- StockX;
- Ebay Classifieds
- Stadium Goods
- Grailed
- Pluggi
Only heart and soul lead to success
You can only become a successful sneaker reseller if you put your heart and soul into these shoes. Johan Aguirre lives the dream that many sneaker resellers wish for. Professionals sometimes camp out in front of a sneaker store and check numerous sneaker apps by the second. This is how they find out when and where the next sneaker is waiting to be bought and resold at the best price. Sometimes a sneaker goes to the reseller within seconds and from there directly to the customer. These are so-called surprise drops, which are extremely popular with customers of limited-edition sneakers. They know their resellers and know “this is where I can find what I’m looking for.”
Where can I shop for sneakers?
As for selling, there are platforms where sneaker resellers like to shop:
- Suppa Sneaker Store
- Sneakers 123
- Sneaxs – Sneaker Shop
- 7 Perplex
- Stockx
Some portals are interesting for sneaker resellers both for buying and selling. Besides the mentioned platforms, there are many more. At the beginning of your sneaker selling career, it’s best to find out which of these internet stores and platforms meet your needs. Check them regularly. There are always new shopping places coming up for you.
How do bots help with a sneaker reselling?
If your first deals as a sneaker reseller have been successful, you don’t have to do everything on your own. Many professional sneaker resellers use various tools. One popular tool, for example, is bots. A bot is a computer program that automatically performs repetitive tasks without your intervention. No interaction with a human being is required. This saves you a lot of time and money. This way you increase the profitability of your small or large sneaker reselling business.
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How do experienced sneaker retailers use bots?
Many wonder what tricks these hyper-successful sneaker buyers and sellers use. Envious people even accuse the sneaker millionaires of dirty tricks. Yet, the respected and aspiring sneaker entrepreneurs are just a little more crafty, as they have an experience edge over newbies in the sneaker reselling business. Their trick, which isn’t one: they use bots. They are talking about special reselling bots.
The Adidas Yeezy is often cited as an example. People camped out in front of the stores at night. That’s when it became immediately clear to many that many retailers are making use of innovative sneaker bots. These fully automatic purchasing programs transport a product, in this case, sneakers, to the shopping cart within seconds and pay automatically, in several stores at the same time.
Bots are more prevalent in the sneaker industry than many would like to see. You don’t need to program anything yourself. Modern bots from all over the world do the work for you. And new programmed helpers are being added all the time. So that you too can raise your sneaker business to a higher level with the small digital helpers, you will find 2 of the frequently used bots for sneaker resellers presented here:
- AIO Bot from Lebanon
- Sneakerbots4all directly from USA
Anyone can purchase these programs. They should be very easy to use for any user. Of course, there are many more bot systems. With these two, only examples were given.
Anyone can purchase these programs. They should be very easy to use for any user. Of course, there are many more bot systems. With these two, only examples were given.
How to use the bots
- First, you enter your account information from merchants such as Adidas, Nike, Footlocker, or other retailers of your choice;
- some will offer you the option to also enter the payment information supported by the store of your choice; this is the only way to make a fully automated purchase;
- in traditional shopping cart transactions, it is difficult for the store providers to disable these programs;
- worth knowing: the stores themselves use bots to test whether their system can cope with a larger onslaught of shoppers. Sneaker bots are, strictly speaking, just variations of these testing systems. In this way, you exploit a backdoor that not everyone is aware of yet.
9 Valuable Sneaker Reselling Tips
Tip 1: How to get any sneakers
For limited edition sneaker retailers, there are numerous ways to buy at a great price. Many apps, like SNKR (SNKRADDICTED), provide you with every release via a release calendar and notification on your phone. It’s best to stay on the ball constantly and look for new opportunities. You’ll also find what you’re looking for via Sneakers123, the sneaker search engine. More than 203 sneaker stores are summarized here.
Sneaker secret tips
The hottest sneakers that you can sell at top prices aren’t just found in stores. The limited “gold pieces” that sell for thousands of euros are real insider tips. Many sneakerheads, as insiders in the sneaker business, are called, to collect and sell the most sought-after sneakers on social media, such as Facebook or Instagram. Here, a lively exchange takes place, almost like in real life. You can find more insider tips via sneaker magazines and blogs. Sneakerlover.de, for example, provides information about sneakers from various sneaker brands that are recognized and popular in connoisseur circles. Also “Deadstock Sneaker Blog” or “Overkill Blog” are gladly searched by sneaker resellers to orientate themselves in the limited sneaker market.
Although there is a lot of competition among sneaker resellers who deal in limited models, friendships sometimes form here as well. Many of a sneaker’s secret tips can be snatched up in a small circle.
Tip 2: Earn the best possible through shipping knowledge
Everyone in the sneaker reselling business wants to earn as much as possible. Besides price ranges, supply and demand, and rare sneakers, other factors play a role. What beginners often neglect is the issue of shipping costs. In any case, you should pass these on to the customers, otherwise, the price set for the limited sneaker will be reduced. A popular form of shipping is dropshipping. You do not need a warehouse for your purchased sneakers. Also, the work of shipping is largely taken off your hands by the retailer where you purchased the sneakers for your sale. These have to be resold as soon as possible anyway, as the market price can drop quickly. The sneaker business is a real investment business. With drop shipping, the sneaker goes directly from your point of purchase to your sneaker customer. So you order the sneaker after you have sold it and send it directly to your customer.
Want to receive daily good reselling deals via push notification? Download our app for free now and get Reselling Deals!
Tip 3: Proven Sneaker Reselling Strategies
Even if you are successful in sneaker reselling, from time to time you will find phases where sales stagnate or decline. Then you need other strategies besides newer sneaker models. Some sneaker sellers offer their sneaker rarities along with limited street merchandise that, when combined with the sneakers, make a perfect daytime outfit. You could also help successful competitor sellers in the sale and earn a commission. This happens rather rarely, but it is common practice nonetheless. This works because each sneaker reseller has different contacts. If your customer is looking for a limited edition sneaker that you can’t find right now, you could ask around and offer a competitor the sale for a commission.
Tip 4: The traditional flea market
The impression that only people looking for cheap goods go to flea markets is only on the surface. Many sneaker resellers were able to get good prices for their limited edition sneakers at flea markets.
Tip 5: eBay Classifieds and the traditional flea market
Yes, limited sneakers are also offered for sale on the online marketplace eBay Kleinanzeigen or at flea markets. The impression that only people looking for cheap goods go to flea markets is only on the surface. Many sneaker resellers have been able to get good prices for their limited edition sneakers at flea markets. Likewise, it is possible to buy limited edition sneakers on eBay classifieds or flea markets for reselling. This is the case, for example, when sellers are not aware of the value of their offered product and offer it particularly cheaply.
Automated sneaker search on eBay Classifieds
Such opportunities are indeed rare and of course quickly out of stock. To be the first to know about new listings on eBay Classifieds, we developed the Classifieds Monitor. It monitors your searches and notifies you via Telegram when a new listing is available. This gives you a big advantage over your competition.
Tip 6: Indispensable: A well structured store
If you only sell a pair of sneakers from time to time, this does not require any major organization. If your sneaker reselling business is on a larger scale, a well-structured store with recognition value is recommended. Digital stores are no longer a problem today. Numerous website providers have solutions for you, some of them even free of charge. Larger sales platforms also often offer the option of setting up your own (sneaker) store. Beginners often use the sales platform eBay to start reselling sneakers. Setting up an eBay account is easy and does not require much prior knowledge.
Tip 7: Knowledge is money in your (sneaker) niche
Just like with a store, it’s the same with a niche. Know your customers and your customers know you. This is the motto of the best businesses. Once a customer knows that certain sneakers are only available from you, word gets around and automatically expands your customer base. Bots can also drive the increase of your brand awareness, as has already been shown with many sneakers. Customers read the sneaker reselling tips, just like you as a retailer.
Tip 8: Start now
If you have decided to get into the sneaker business with limited edition sneakers, don’t hesitate. Get to work. Try your first sale. If it goes well, you will get a feel for the market. If the sale doesn’t work, get more knowledge.
Tip 9: Find your fun factor as a sneaker reseller
Many people do a job they don’t like. Sometimes this is necessary to make a living. But, if you deal in collectibles, like limited edition sneakers, you should have a genuine interest in them, have a small collection yourself, and really know your stuff. In addition, you should enjoy contact with your customers. You talk about the same thing and want the same thing, namely the best limited sneakers that you like. That’s how you create trust. The customer is looking for an aesthetic product, the most beautiful sneaker for him. He buys these from the seller he trusts. As a sneaker reseller, you should create this trust. And if the customer asks you for another limited edition sneaker, you are allowed to name a competitor.
Also, keep in mind that the customer knows less about the market than savvy sneaker resellers like you. Therefore, customers will be grateful for good tips when they ask for them. Also, a competitor in the highly competitive sneaker business will be happy about a recommendation from you. This way you will also get recommendations later on. Your sneaker reselling business will be more fun and you will gain the best contacts.
Want to receive daily good reselling deals via push notification? Download our app for free now and get Reselling Deals!
Conclusion
Sneaker reselling is a business that creates enthusiasm. This is true for resellers as well as for customers. And if you go about this business the right way, you can make good profits with limited sneakers, as many respected sneaker resellers have proven time and time again. The most important factor for profitable sales is on the one hand above-average product knowledge. And on the other hand, the fast changing market for sneaker reselling needs your special observation skills. Besides these sneaker reselling tips, you will find many sources and suggestions on the Internet and in trade magazines that will help you increase your profit through sneaker reselling. Besides the possibility to earn money with sneakers, there are many other reselling products that can be resold profitably.
