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One of NT's (former I believe) own got written up on GQ.com
Have copped a few from him. Always a pleasure to deal with and I agree with several of the points he makes in here.
Last few paragraphs in particular.
http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2014/09/corgishoe-instagram-shoes.html
GQ
Style
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
On September 30, 2014 at 10:15 AM
Meet Corgishoe, The Best Sneaker Re-Seller On The Internet
By Jake Woolf
Since sneakers usurped hard bottoms as the average man's de facto footwear choice, certain individuals have looked to capitalize on the value of popular, rare styles to turn a profit. This practice of buying shoes with the intent of selling them later is commonly known as "re-selling," and it's an industry unto itself that shows little signs of slowing down. The way it works is simple: Limited edition kicks sell out (because they're limited) and can easily fetch three, maybe ten times their original price in the aftermarket if the demand is high enough.
But like all markets, there are big and small players in the re-selling world. And there's perhaps no one bigger and better in the biz than Corgishoe, an unnamed reseller that doesn't just hock (or more colloquially, "flip") new releases to make a quick buck. He consistently unveils hidden gems from his archives that date back to the early '90s, from iconic first run Air Jordans to models that only a handful of his customers even remember. It's this foresight and, more importantly, patience that allow him to capitalize on nostalgia. As a result, he reaps the financial benefits to an even greater degree.
For example, a few weeks ago, he dropped the mother load of one of the most coveted sneakers of all-time, the Nike x Diamond Supply Co. Dunks. In 2013, the shoe celebrated its 10-year anniversary with the release of a hi-top version of the original, and went on to sell frequently for $500+ in the aftermarket. But Corgi wasn't selling the anniversary style. Instead, he was offering up the OGs from 2003. He asked for $850 per pair, and they sold out in minutes.
The stock of shoes he has is impressive enough on it's own, but perhaps most unique of all is the way Corgishoe sells his products. Rather than pay for a URL to host an online store, he simply posts pictures and prices of styles to his Instagram account, then deletes the photo once the sneaker is sold. This sense of scarcity means that a shoe rarely lasts more than a day on his page. Instagram is already an extremely important platform amongst sneakerheads, so it's no surprise that Corgishoe has been able to build an entire business using the free platform. Ultimately, it's his unique blend of mystery, business acumen, and maybe a little bit of luck that made us want to get to know the man behind it all. Additionally, we figured who better than Corgishoe to talk about the sneaker industry at large and the implications of the re-selling game.
···
How would you describe who you are and what you do?
I have a fairly large personal shoe collection that I have been selling on my Instagram page, @corgishoe. Beyond that, I enjoy listening to local and national political shows and sports on AM talk radio. I enjoy calisthenics on pull up and dip bars and think handball is the best sport.
LOL. How exactly did you come into a lot of the sneakers you're sitting on. Like the tower of 1994 Jordan 1s, 1995-1996 Jordan 11s, 2000-2001 Jordan 11s, etc?
I wish I could say it was some exceptional talent. But really it's just because, back in the '90s and '00s, I was submerged in this odd hobby where I would buy many pairs of the same shoes. At the time, I had the money to pick up large quantities off of sale tables and clearance racks.
What's the most intense thing you went through to get a collection of a specific sneaker?
The landscape was truly different when I was actively buying shoes. All you had to do was simply show up. Starting in 2003, sometimes I had to place a call or text to have a size held.
Where did you do your sneaker collecting?
Los Angeles. The area used to be thriving with independent and mom and pop stores along with the traditional mall chains.
How has your business changed in recent years? Before you moved everything to Instagram, you used to have a Wordpress blog, right?
Everything has been simplified. I used to have to upload nine or ten photos onto my blog to create a post to sell a shoe. And when I started selling on Instagram in 2011, I used photo collages. Now I upload a detailed close-up video on Instagram. That allows me to highlight every angle and aspect of the shoe to confirm its exact condition. It's incredibly fast and easy to show any shoe in detail. I'm amazed that others who sell shoes aren't using detailed close up videos. They're still taking photos from five feet away.
How do you store your collection?
In a few storage units. The traditional answer would be, "I store my shoes in a climate-controlled room, with each pair in Ziploc bags, silica packs, etc." But I never put that amount of effort or concern into it.
How do you decide which sneakers to sell, when you have so many to choose from?
My organization is minimal at best and I don't have an inventory. So I just grab from the front of a storage unit until, one day, I'll be at the back and I won't have to sell my shoes anymore.
Any favorite memories from your buying days?
I always liked getting a pair of shoes when it reminded me of the athlete who wore them. Whether it was a professional or college athlete—or just someone from the neighborhood that had the shoe—that I looked up to as a kid.
You admit the hobby was odd at the time, but what motivated you to keep buying?
I still feel the hobby is odd. I'm odd for being such a fan. The only motivation was that I privately enjoyed the pairs I owned. They had meaning and significance to me.
Were you expecting to wear all these shoes?
Not at all. I wore the same pairs of shoes over and over. New Balance 496. A few colorways of original Air Max '95s and '97s. Black or navy canvas Air Force 1s. Air Bursts. Adidas Top Ten. The first retro program of the Dunk Low and Hi in '99-2000. And some of the first Team Jordans from 1997-'98.
Was there anything from the 1990s that you passed on that you would kill to have or have back?
Nothing that comes to mind. I'm at the point where the memories can take me much further than the physical shoes.
How many pairs do you have left?
I've never been one to count or take an inventory.
What are some of the worst mistakes people make when buying vintage or retro sneakers? How about selling them?
Karl Lagerfeld said it best: "Trendy is the last stage before tacky." In terms of selling sneakers, the resale market is flooded. Even when a shoe is "sold out" at retail locations, the secondary market still has a far greater supply than demand.
How has social media changed the sneaker industry?
Tremendously, for better or worse. It's benefited someone like me: I now have a loyal following of people who are interested in either buying a shoe I have listed or just happy to see shoes they remember from years or decades ago. I'm happy because it's been an organic process and I've never taken the usual sneaker-hobbiest measures to seek a following (sham contests, giveaways, hash tags, pandering for attention, or purchasing ghost followers). Many people have more followers than me, but the people who follow me are genuinely interested in and supportive of what I'm doing. It's amazing how word of mouth and support spreads on social media.
Yet in my opinion, if social media didn't exist, 98 percent of those currently involved in this hobby would have no interest in sneakers beyond owning a pair or two that serve for a specific function. I often wonder, "If you couldn't post photos of your shoes would you even be buying shoes?" Social media has given everyone a platform to voice (or scream) their opinion, to create an internet persona or lifestyle. It's allowed people to be someone they will never be in their everyday life.
Social media has also dumbed-down the sneaker hobby and stunted individualism. Knowledge, an appreciation of history, and well-rounded taste have all been replaced by the masses trying to be the first in line to be just like everyone else. This is why you see post after post on social media outlets of endless amounts of people thirsting, buying, and celebrating the same select shoes month after month after month. The hobby has become so repetitive, predictable, and cliché. Buying shoes is not a talent or skill. Yet for some reason, sneaker sites and other social media outlets focus on these buyers as if they did something exceptional and treat them like royalty.
Do you think your prices are fair?
I don't have a problem selling my shoes, so that speaks for itself.
You can always find a shoe for less, and you can always find a shoe for more. But it's very hard to find people selling shoes who describe their shoes accurately. Sadly, in this hobby, more often than not, a listed condition of "nine out of ten" is the new "six out of ten," "tried on indoors at my house but still brand new," is the new "only worn a few times." You can't please everyone but I'm glad that the prices I set lead to the shoes selling.
What is the most overhyped sneaker of the moment?
Air Yeezy and the Air Mag. In due time, people will get a good laugh about their adoration of both.
What's your favorite sneaker released in the past year?
Dr Martens 8 or 14 eye.
Have copped a few from him. Always a pleasure to deal with and I agree with several of the points he makes in here.
Last few paragraphs in particular.
http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2014/09/corgishoe-instagram-shoes.html
GQ
Style
The GQ Eye: GQ on Style
On September 30, 2014 at 10:15 AM
Meet Corgishoe, The Best Sneaker Re-Seller On The Internet
By Jake Woolf
Since sneakers usurped hard bottoms as the average man's de facto footwear choice, certain individuals have looked to capitalize on the value of popular, rare styles to turn a profit. This practice of buying shoes with the intent of selling them later is commonly known as "re-selling," and it's an industry unto itself that shows little signs of slowing down. The way it works is simple: Limited edition kicks sell out (because they're limited) and can easily fetch three, maybe ten times their original price in the aftermarket if the demand is high enough.
But like all markets, there are big and small players in the re-selling world. And there's perhaps no one bigger and better in the biz than Corgishoe, an unnamed reseller that doesn't just hock (or more colloquially, "flip") new releases to make a quick buck. He consistently unveils hidden gems from his archives that date back to the early '90s, from iconic first run Air Jordans to models that only a handful of his customers even remember. It's this foresight and, more importantly, patience that allow him to capitalize on nostalgia. As a result, he reaps the financial benefits to an even greater degree.
For example, a few weeks ago, he dropped the mother load of one of the most coveted sneakers of all-time, the Nike x Diamond Supply Co. Dunks. In 2013, the shoe celebrated its 10-year anniversary with the release of a hi-top version of the original, and went on to sell frequently for $500+ in the aftermarket. But Corgi wasn't selling the anniversary style. Instead, he was offering up the OGs from 2003. He asked for $850 per pair, and they sold out in minutes.
The stock of shoes he has is impressive enough on it's own, but perhaps most unique of all is the way Corgishoe sells his products. Rather than pay for a URL to host an online store, he simply posts pictures and prices of styles to his Instagram account, then deletes the photo once the sneaker is sold. This sense of scarcity means that a shoe rarely lasts more than a day on his page. Instagram is already an extremely important platform amongst sneakerheads, so it's no surprise that Corgishoe has been able to build an entire business using the free platform. Ultimately, it's his unique blend of mystery, business acumen, and maybe a little bit of luck that made us want to get to know the man behind it all. Additionally, we figured who better than Corgishoe to talk about the sneaker industry at large and the implications of the re-selling game.
···
How would you describe who you are and what you do?
I have a fairly large personal shoe collection that I have been selling on my Instagram page, @corgishoe. Beyond that, I enjoy listening to local and national political shows and sports on AM talk radio. I enjoy calisthenics on pull up and dip bars and think handball is the best sport.
LOL. How exactly did you come into a lot of the sneakers you're sitting on. Like the tower of 1994 Jordan 1s, 1995-1996 Jordan 11s, 2000-2001 Jordan 11s, etc?
I wish I could say it was some exceptional talent. But really it's just because, back in the '90s and '00s, I was submerged in this odd hobby where I would buy many pairs of the same shoes. At the time, I had the money to pick up large quantities off of sale tables and clearance racks.
What's the most intense thing you went through to get a collection of a specific sneaker?
The landscape was truly different when I was actively buying shoes. All you had to do was simply show up. Starting in 2003, sometimes I had to place a call or text to have a size held.
Where did you do your sneaker collecting?
Los Angeles. The area used to be thriving with independent and mom and pop stores along with the traditional mall chains.
How has your business changed in recent years? Before you moved everything to Instagram, you used to have a Wordpress blog, right?
Everything has been simplified. I used to have to upload nine or ten photos onto my blog to create a post to sell a shoe. And when I started selling on Instagram in 2011, I used photo collages. Now I upload a detailed close-up video on Instagram. That allows me to highlight every angle and aspect of the shoe to confirm its exact condition. It's incredibly fast and easy to show any shoe in detail. I'm amazed that others who sell shoes aren't using detailed close up videos. They're still taking photos from five feet away.
How do you store your collection?
In a few storage units. The traditional answer would be, "I store my shoes in a climate-controlled room, with each pair in Ziploc bags, silica packs, etc." But I never put that amount of effort or concern into it.
How do you decide which sneakers to sell, when you have so many to choose from?
My organization is minimal at best and I don't have an inventory. So I just grab from the front of a storage unit until, one day, I'll be at the back and I won't have to sell my shoes anymore.
Any favorite memories from your buying days?
I always liked getting a pair of shoes when it reminded me of the athlete who wore them. Whether it was a professional or college athlete—or just someone from the neighborhood that had the shoe—that I looked up to as a kid.
You admit the hobby was odd at the time, but what motivated you to keep buying?
I still feel the hobby is odd. I'm odd for being such a fan. The only motivation was that I privately enjoyed the pairs I owned. They had meaning and significance to me.
Were you expecting to wear all these shoes?
Not at all. I wore the same pairs of shoes over and over. New Balance 496. A few colorways of original Air Max '95s and '97s. Black or navy canvas Air Force 1s. Air Bursts. Adidas Top Ten. The first retro program of the Dunk Low and Hi in '99-2000. And some of the first Team Jordans from 1997-'98.
Was there anything from the 1990s that you passed on that you would kill to have or have back?
Nothing that comes to mind. I'm at the point where the memories can take me much further than the physical shoes.
How many pairs do you have left?
I've never been one to count or take an inventory.
What are some of the worst mistakes people make when buying vintage or retro sneakers? How about selling them?
Karl Lagerfeld said it best: "Trendy is the last stage before tacky." In terms of selling sneakers, the resale market is flooded. Even when a shoe is "sold out" at retail locations, the secondary market still has a far greater supply than demand.
How has social media changed the sneaker industry?
Tremendously, for better or worse. It's benefited someone like me: I now have a loyal following of people who are interested in either buying a shoe I have listed or just happy to see shoes they remember from years or decades ago. I'm happy because it's been an organic process and I've never taken the usual sneaker-hobbiest measures to seek a following (sham contests, giveaways, hash tags, pandering for attention, or purchasing ghost followers). Many people have more followers than me, but the people who follow me are genuinely interested in and supportive of what I'm doing. It's amazing how word of mouth and support spreads on social media.
Yet in my opinion, if social media didn't exist, 98 percent of those currently involved in this hobby would have no interest in sneakers beyond owning a pair or two that serve for a specific function. I often wonder, "If you couldn't post photos of your shoes would you even be buying shoes?" Social media has given everyone a platform to voice (or scream) their opinion, to create an internet persona or lifestyle. It's allowed people to be someone they will never be in their everyday life.
Social media has also dumbed-down the sneaker hobby and stunted individualism. Knowledge, an appreciation of history, and well-rounded taste have all been replaced by the masses trying to be the first in line to be just like everyone else. This is why you see post after post on social media outlets of endless amounts of people thirsting, buying, and celebrating the same select shoes month after month after month. The hobby has become so repetitive, predictable, and cliché. Buying shoes is not a talent or skill. Yet for some reason, sneaker sites and other social media outlets focus on these buyers as if they did something exceptional and treat them like royalty.
Do you think your prices are fair?
I don't have a problem selling my shoes, so that speaks for itself.
You can always find a shoe for less, and you can always find a shoe for more. But it's very hard to find people selling shoes who describe their shoes accurately. Sadly, in this hobby, more often than not, a listed condition of "nine out of ten" is the new "six out of ten," "tried on indoors at my house but still brand new," is the new "only worn a few times." You can't please everyone but I'm glad that the prices I set lead to the shoes selling.
What is the most overhyped sneaker of the moment?
Air Yeezy and the Air Mag. In due time, people will get a good laugh about their adoration of both.
What's your favorite sneaker released in the past year?
Dr Martens 8 or 14 eye.
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It's weird that nobody knows anyone who's ever copped a pair from him.
