There’s no denying the secondary sneaker market is absolutely huge right now. After steady growth over the past decade or so, buying and selling sneakers on the resale market has now become a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, with thousands of pairs changing hands on any given day.
With the popularity of exclusive kicks skyrocketing, some desperate sneakerheads will do almost anything to cop their most wanted grails. Often though, this can see them paying over the odds – or even worse being tricked into buying counterfeit products.
As the ocean has expanded, so has the number of sharks that swim in its waters. With the secondary market now bigger than ever, scammers are looking to move in to steal a slice of the cake, and unless you remain vigilant they may just get their grubby hands on your hard-earned wonga.
To help you navigate the secondary market, we thought we’d give you an idea of what to look out for when buying a pair of trainers online, so hopefully you can pick up some of your favourite pairs for the best price possible, while avoiding being ripped off in the process.
Keep your eye on the prices
As with all commodities, the price off trainers can be volatile and there are a number of reasons the value of a particular pair could go up or down. For instance, say a seller has been holding onto a pair that’s quite rare. If a certain style is more limited, clearly the price will be higher – basic supply and demand. But if all of a sudden the design receives a restock, suddenly they won’t be as scarce anymore which should mean the value decreases.
Monitoring the price of sneakers could see you pick up a pair when they’ve been reduced, so always keep your eye on the styles you’re most interested in and be ready to pounce when the price drops.
Keep on top of the news
Staying in touch with what’s going down in the world of sneakers will mean you’re on the ball when it comes to news on releases, restocks and everything else that can dictate the price of your favourite styles. Stay in the know by reading blogs and keeping tabs on social media channels and you should have a good idea when it’s time to strike and make your purchase.
Get them straight from the source
If you’re worried about paying over the odds for trainers on the resale market, try to get them when they first go on sale. Just be realistic though, as it can be extremely competitive, particularly with some of the more exclusive styles, with potentially thousands of sneakerheads and resellers all vying for a limited amount of stock. There are ways you can improve your chances of success though – follow our guide here.
Always buy from trusted resale market
This should go without saying, but the amount of people still getting scammed on the likes of eBay and Depop is bemusing. While it can be tempting to take the plunge and buy a pair of trainers you’ve seen on one of these sites, if you’ve spotted an exclusive style on anything other than a website specialising in sneakers then chances are they’re copies. Resellers don’t tend to frequent other types of websites – why would they when they know their target market uses specialist resale sites instead?
At Laced, we hire a dedicated team to check all our products before dispatch, to ensure they’re 100% authentic, unworn and undamaged. This provides real peace of mind as you know you’re getting the genuine article, so stick to the websites you can trust, otherwise you might be in for a shock when your trainers arrive.
For exclusive sneakers you can trust, head over to our resale market where we have a wide selection of amazing new trainers on offer.