How a $250 pair of sneakers changed my life..

SMH at Gentry not sending that $10 back to the kid.
Tinker didn't design Jordans until the III.
Did u REALLY think someone mailed you a bomb???
 
Im not going to lie i didnt read that, and its not out of disrespect, its just i have the attention span of a gerbil...

Can somebody cliff it so I can tell OP good job?
 
Jayzz said:
Im not going to lie i didnt read that, and its not out of disrespect, its just i have the attention span of a gerbil...

Can somebody cliff it so I can tell OP good job?
Click to expand...

He resold samples.

Not sure why he thought this was news worthy.
 
Would've been cooler if this experience snowballed into you developing a better hustle.

Least it wasn't anything illegal so props.
 
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Damn people disrespectin an OG just because he was being an entrepreneur
Yall would have been going crazy too if you just had a pair of samples back in those days
 
If any of you people would've clicked the link he provided, it explains that he went on to run a popular 90's era sneaker site. I would assume he made some serious cash off of that, which would explain how the original pair of sneakers changer his life. 
 
laugh.gif
very cool story and good to see an og head back. I'm about your age so def lived and seen the scene evolve like how you have through the years. With technology and internet these days buying and selling is a lot easier than what it was. I remember sending money orders and trusting people would send shoes back. Got some great deals and been screwed over a couple times as well. Story prob won't resonate as much with the younger crowd since Nike releases something every week now in mass quantities and kids will just resell it for a $10 profit and think that's doing it but people that were around during the early 2000s doing the same thing can appreciate it.
 
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Sounds like a GREAT childhood story when people ask how did you get into sneakers. I've always been curious to hear everybody's start.

However.

Where do you draw the line on what you are collecting and what you are selling? To me, personally, it's not about what you've had, it's about what you have. As a hobbyist, I do feel that a lot of the respect for this hobby has gone out the window due to the reselling. When you make a purchase, do you think "I can flip this" or "this is a great shoe to add to my collection or rock"?
 
I guess the $$$ wasn't enough for you though, cuz the thirst for E-Fame is clearly real...
 
Again, thanks for the comments, questions, and concerns.

A few replies to folks:

sckid20 - thanks man. I like to think I'm an alright guy to hang around with.

thejrob - yeah, because I post so much on NikeTalk looking for an applause. NikeTalk's 15 year anniversary is coming up in December. Was hoping this post would inspire a few other guys who were her back in 99-2002 to share their stories.

BenDover - I had about 175 pairs at one point. Now I'm down to about 30-40. As you get older, your priorities change. The need to keep a sneaker in a box that you never wear because it's a size 15 made for some NBA player that's been retired for a decade doesn't seem to be important anymore. These days the quality that Nike puts out is sub par for the price. I can't get myself to spend $200-$250 on a pair of shoes that lack the craftsmanship back in the day. When you're 15 years old and someone offers you $1500 for a pair of Player Samples, whew..that's tough to turn down.

da shoefreak - Ah yeah, the money order. Once it was in the mail....no way of getting that money back. Paypal was even sketchy. I learned a tough lesson when someone stole a pair of shoes from me via paypal for $975 by using a hacked account. I had no idea that could even happen back then!

FoamPosite XI - this was my first taste of business and entrepreneurship and I've loved it ever since. I'm hooked. I run my own company today and wouldn't change it for anything.

The ANTIhype - Gentry used the money to mail the magazines back. I wasn't expecting the money back. And yes, absolutely thought the package was shady. Bomb may of been a little far, but you never know...
 
I thought you were going to say you ended up getting scammed.

I sent a $50 money order to a guy in NC for a Lance Alworth chargers throwback jersey when I was 14. Me and the dude were in constant communication. He got my money and disappeared. :frown: My mom asked me if I got the jersey like 3 weeks later and I had to lie and said one of the jersey I already had was it. The lesson I learned, don't send money orders.
 
I bought WHITE FUTURA LIVESTRONG FLOM Samples from flight club for $500 Resold for $1000....View media item 1228561After the auction ended i get featured on some random sneaker site & complex.com ... then i got offered $$$$ for them. But i went thru with the auction winner.

Before the auction ended i contacted hypebeast.com but the wanted $ to feature the shoes.

To this day its The only pair ive seen.
 
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