resellers have ruined the sneaker game

[sho3tym]

it's a necessary evil, I've paid crazy prices.

It's not a game, buy what you like. If you want them bad enough you'll find a way to make it happen...

 

[jhobson5]

I see OPs point. But as its been stated the word "limited" ruined the sneaker culture. I really feel that places like HOH have completely killed the culture. I dont think its right that due to your location your unable to buy a pair of sneakers. I understand you have to target to certain markets, but discriminating against a smaller market isnt right either. Best example Houston has 3 HOHs all relatively close to each other. Denver(who had a big name star Melo, and where I am from) cant ever dream of having one. I currently live in Charleston, SC a huge tourist city and we dont even have a sneaker boutique. We just have the basic footlockers and footactions. If I truly want a limited release I have to drive 3 hours or spend rape prices all due to the fact I dont live in a "sneaker city"...Just my two cents

 

[jhobson5]

I see OPs point. But as its been stated the word "limited" ruined the sneaker culture. I really feel that places like HOH have completely killed the culture. I dont think its right that due to your location your unable to buy a pair of sneakers. I understand you have to target to certain markets, but discriminating against a smaller market isnt right either. Best example Houston has 3 HOHs all relatively close to each other. Denver(who had a big name star Melo, and where I am from) cant ever dream of having one. I currently live in Charleston, SC a huge tourist city and we dont even have a sneaker boutique. We just have the basic footlockers and footactions. If I truly want a limited release I have to drive 3 hours or spend rape prices all due to the fact I dont live in a "sneaker city"...Just my two cents

 

[henz0]

When the Black/Electric Green foams came out I went up to HOH in Harlem and I was talking to a few people in front of the store as the big !%! line was waiting to go in and cop, and the dude in front "offered" his spot to me in the line for $250

.. I gave dude the ultimate

and went to 34th st and got em for a friend w/ no line.

I wouldn't say ruined it, but they definitely threw major salt in the game

 

[henz0]

When the Black/Electric Green foams came out I went up to HOH in Harlem and I was talking to a few people in front of the store as the big !%! line was waiting to go in and cop, and the dude in front "offered" his spot to me in the line for $250

.. I gave dude the ultimate

and went to 34th st and got em for a friend w/ no line.

I wouldn't say ruined it, but they definitely threw major salt in the game

 

[zapatito007]

i think its died down alot,, used to be alot worse few years back ,, but this is how its gonna be for anything when theres a demand for something people gonna try to flip if its not sneaker heads its gonna be someone else trying to make money off something limited i see people doing this with iphones,, just dont buy into the limited hype releases thats all . i seen alot of better looking general releases kicks then the yotr

 

[zapatito007]

i think its died down alot,, used to be alot worse few years back ,, but this is how its gonna be for anything when theres a demand for something people gonna try to flip if its not sneaker heads its gonna be someone else trying to make money off something limited i see people doing this with iphones,, just dont buy into the limited hype releases thats all . i seen alot of better looking general releases kicks then the yotr

 

[wallyhopp]

Just start liking non limited items. I know it's hard on the ego but you can get by on GRs.

 

[wallyhopp]

Just start liking non limited items. I know it's hard on the ego but you can get by on GRs.

 

[w alston]

Actually, as soon as enthusiasts began publicly refering to the collecting of sneakers as a game, the innocence was then lost. This action allowed even the most casual of observers to recognize that money could be earned off of a small community, those that needed the most desired of footwear. The pimping of sneakers by resellers was inevitable.

They are just like the ticket scalpers for that important event.

 

[w alston]

Actually, as soon as enthusiasts began publicly refering to the collecting of sneakers as a game, the innocence was then lost. This action allowed even the most casual of observers to recognize that money could be earned off of a small community, those that needed the most desired of footwear. The pimping of sneakers by resellers was inevitable.

They are just like the ticket scalpers for that important event.

 

[blackcat23mj]

it really is the idea of "limited" that fuels it, along with the stupid hypebeasts....a very recent example is the Kobe VI "tour yellow" people were jumping out of the water like piranhas when they heard it was limited and when they discovered that it wasnt as limited as expected, they didnt sell as quick as most imagined. slowly they sold out online but they are still around in some stores.

slap limited on anything and the resellers and hypebeasts will come out of the woodworks.

 

[blackcat23mj]

it really is the idea of "limited" that fuels it, along with the stupid hypebeasts....a very recent example is the Kobe VI "tour yellow" people were jumping out of the water like piranhas when they heard it was limited and when they discovered that it wasnt as limited as expected, they didnt sell as quick as most imagined. slowly they sold out online but they are still around in some stores.

slap limited on anything and the resellers and hypebeasts will come out of the woodworks.

 

[sho3tym]

Originally Posted by WallyHopp

Just start liking non limited items. I know it's hard on the ego but you can get by on GRs.

A lot of truth to this.

I've tried my best to stay away from the crazy prices...

 

[sho3tym]

Originally Posted by WallyHopp

Just start liking non limited items. I know it's hard on the ego but you can get by on GRs.

A lot of truth to this.

I've tried my best to stay away from the crazy prices...

 

[kickzb4hoz]

what is crazy is that my local spots on General Releases only get at MOST 2 size 13s. So here its a mad dash for basic stuff

 

[kickzb4hoz]

what is crazy is that my local spots on General Releases only get at MOST 2 size 13s. So here its a mad dash for basic stuff

 

[uptownsdotnetstacky]

Originally Posted by SLP Product

Originally Posted by Mister Saint Laurent

"limited" sneakers is what ruined the sneaker "game." there's a reason nobody was camping out to resell shoes back in the day. they actually released the amount they thought would satisfy demand instead of purposely creating shortages.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

yep

 

[uptownsdotnetstacky]

Originally Posted by SLP Product

Originally Posted by Mister Saint Laurent

"limited" sneakers is what ruined the sneaker "game." there's a reason nobody was camping out to resell shoes back in the day. they actually released the amount they thought would satisfy demand instead of purposely creating shortages.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

yep

 

[jonas c8891]

No, Nike it ruined it. 

They caught on after they realized how big the market was and how much of it was undiscovered.  If people were willing to pay good money to someone else who just found a pair of OG Air Jordan's in their garage, then Nike was going to cash in on this.  So instead people doing after-market transactions on ebay and having the same pair of shoes being circulated so many times, they just retro'ed and re-retro stuff that they knew people were going to pay a good dime for.  Then their marketing team got smart and decided to do high profile collaborations and make their quantities super exclusive and thus, generating hype. 

Remember, shoes are just shoes.  Michael Jordan made them special.  To Nike, the Air Jordan XI Cool Grey and Jumpman H-series are one in the same.  They can make as much of either pair as they want.  But the only and biggest difference is customer perception.  We obviously give more attention to the AJXI CG's the Jumpman's and we're willing to pay top dollar and wait in line in the middle of the night for them, and go as far as mall rioting.  Our reaction gives Nike feedback as to which shoe is considered "prestige" and which is garbage. 

To make yourself relevant and constantly seeking attention, you never show all your cards or give everything out. 

 

[jonas c8891]

No, Nike it ruined it. 

They caught on after they realized how big the market was and how much of it was undiscovered.  If people were willing to pay good money to someone else who just found a pair of OG Air Jordan's in their garage, then Nike was going to cash in on this.  So instead people doing after-market transactions on ebay and having the same pair of shoes being circulated so many times, they just retro'ed and re-retro stuff that they knew people were going to pay a good dime for.  Then their marketing team got smart and decided to do high profile collaborations and make their quantities super exclusive and thus, generating hype. 

Remember, shoes are just shoes.  Michael Jordan made them special.  To Nike, the Air Jordan XI Cool Grey and Jumpman H-series are one in the same.  They can make as much of either pair as they want.  But the only and biggest difference is customer perception.  We obviously give more attention to the AJXI CG's the Jumpman's and we're willing to pay top dollar and wait in line in the middle of the night for them, and go as far as mall rioting.  Our reaction gives Nike feedback as to which shoe is considered "prestige" and which is garbage. 

To make yourself relevant and constantly seeking attention, you never show all your cards or give everything out. 

 

[twostripestiger]

true places like Flight Club or other consignment shops don't necessailry help, i think Rif.la is a tad more legit price wise and selection wise though

 

[twostripestiger]

true places like Flight Club or other consignment shops don't necessailry help, i think Rif.la is a tad more legit price wise and selection wise though

 

[elcerrito91]

Originally Posted by ACBboyz84

Without limited kicks, rare PEs there would be no such thing as Niketalk or collecting . It's the limited crap, hard to get stuffs that keep it interesting and something to look forward to having. Unfortunately along come these resellers that take advantage of the demand/supply . In the end it come down to a personal choice. You can either treat it as a hobby and keep collecting or just don't buy into hype and don't waste your money

Go watch JFK if you believe that limited kicks and PEs is what led to collecting. Seriously, if you think that, then you have a lot of sneaker history to read and watch. WOW, I'm shocked by what you wrote to be honest. Don't people know that people have been collecting since the late 60s and 70s by now? PLEASE watch JFK and read Bobbito's Where'd You Get Those for more info. Anyone who actually believes what Mister Saint said, is incredibly naive about the situation. While Nike didn't purposely limit stocks as apparent as they do now, which isn't even that bad depedning on the model and cw, consumers didn't camp because people didn't really know the shoes were wanted by people until the following happened:

The reason why shoes are worth so much now is because Japanese kids started the resale market back in the late nineties. They saw a market for shoes and they exploited that market. The shoes were very sought after and they saw this sought afterness and realized "hey, these people will pay money for them, let's see just how much we can make" and thus the current sneaker culture as we know it was created. I am unsure whether there was a resale market before the late nineties, but I know for a fact that it was the Japanese collectors who really kicked it off.

Were Chicago X's being sold for high prices when they dropped or was this a new thing after say 98?

Were OG Jordans 1-13 being sold for high prices before 98? I don't know, but what I do know is that the resale market truly was up and running in the late nineties as a result of these Japanese kids seeing a market for them and taking advantage of that demand. Can you blame them though? If a someone is willing to pay you 300 or 400 for a pair you bought for say 80 or 100 bucks, would you be able to turn that down?

BUT what really created the "problem" of today's sneaker culture is that many many people saw that there were money in shoes and thus they bought pairs simply to sell, a reseller. Nike saw that people were seeking pairs and they began purposely limiting their runs.

For SB dunks, the hype didn't really catch on until 04, 05ish. For Jordans, I don't really know. Dunks though were limited in 98 (first year Nike reissued them) on purpose by Nike to create demand. But that hype died off until 04ish, but really culminated with the Diamond SB dunk in 05. After that, a bunch of HBs and resellers jumped on.

The internet also plays a big role in the money aspect of sneaker culture. With sites like eBay, FC, and forums, people who live nowhere near a release location can buy shoes as long as they have the money for them, and this IMO kind of ruins the fun and skill of having to go out and find pairs or rather actually having to put in some time and effort rather than just sitting behind a computer and clicking "add to cart" on RD or on eBay. I also don't like the leaks of shoes months in advance, because if we know what shoes are dropping 9 months or even 3-4 months from now, the shock value is reduced.

You can blame Nike all you want because they put out the shoes in limited runs, but its these limited runs that make us camp out for pairs and actually put in the time to get your hands on a pair. If Nike produced more pairs to satisfy the whole market on every release, they'd run the risk of having stores resorting to put pairs on sale and possibly having them not sell. I have to admit, I don't like it when a shoe is only released overseas or is so limited that they are nearly impossible to get, but there needs to some kind of limit on the number of pairs Nike produces. I blame the Japanese kids who started this resale market, but at the same time, they only saw a opportunity to cash in and they seized it, so you can't really be mad at them for that. Just be happy that we still have shoes to buy and fiend after, if you don't like resellers then don't worry about them. I'm still collecting and if a reseller wants to take advantage of demand, then fine by me. As long as you can secure your pair that's the only thing you should be concerned about.

Let's be happy that the that most of the shoes aren't so limited that they are impossible to obtain. Nike, generally doesn't limit shoes so much that it has to come to that. Thus, it isn't as bad as it could be. While I say that, I do think Nike is greedy because they lower quality on their stuff, which makes sense for certain products where the main consumer doesn't care (Jordans for example), but at the same time, they are hurting us, the collectors, the true fans of the shoes, the ones who actually appreciate them, and study them for hours every day. I don't like Nike in that respect, but at the end of the day, they are a company and in this time its all about money. That's the main problem we should be concerned about. Nike has gone from being a true brand who values quality above all else to one who takes advantage of the situation and gives us products that are sub par to their original counterparts.That's what I'm worried about.

So to all of you who complain about resellers, that's how it is now, either take it or leave it. I'll still be collecting whether my shoes are worth a lot or whether they are worthless. You should do the same and not be concerned over some greedy guy who is trying to make a quick buck OR who is a legitimate collector and who is just selling his products at market value, there are plenty of guys who do the latter, don't forget that.

Basically the bottomline comes down to this:
AS ALONG AS THERE ARE SHOES THAT PEOPLE WANT AND ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE THAN RETAIL FOR, RESELLING WILL CONTINUE. AND IMO THE WORD "LIMITED" JUST DESCRIBES WHEN THERE ARE LESS PAIRS THEN PEOPLE WHO WANT THEM, THUS THOUGH A SHOE MAY BE A GR, IF THE ABOVE IS THE CASE IS TRUE, THEN THE SHOE IS TECHNICALLY "LIMITED".

 

[elcerrito91]

Originally Posted by ACBboyz84

Without limited kicks, rare PEs there would be no such thing as Niketalk or collecting . It's the limited crap, hard to get stuffs that keep it interesting and something to look forward to having. Unfortunately along come these resellers that take advantage of the demand/supply . In the end it come down to a personal choice. You can either treat it as a hobby and keep collecting or just don't buy into hype and don't waste your money

Go watch JFK if you believe that limited kicks and PEs is what led to collecting. Seriously, if you think that, then you have a lot of sneaker history to read and watch. WOW, I'm shocked by what you wrote to be honest. Don't people know that people have been collecting since the late 60s and 70s by now? PLEASE watch JFK and read Bobbito's Where'd You Get Those for more info. Anyone who actually believes what Mister Saint said, is incredibly naive about the situation. While Nike didn't purposely limit stocks as apparent as they do now, which isn't even that bad depedning on the model and cw, consumers didn't camp because people didn't really know the shoes were wanted by people until the following happened:

The reason why shoes are worth so much now is because Japanese kids started the resale market back in the late nineties. They saw a market for shoes and they exploited that market. The shoes were very sought after and they saw this sought afterness and realized "hey, these people will pay money for them, let's see just how much we can make" and thus the current sneaker culture as we know it was created. I am unsure whether there was a resale market before the late nineties, but I know for a fact that it was the Japanese collectors who really kicked it off.

Were Chicago X's being sold for high prices when they dropped or was this a new thing after say 98?

Were OG Jordans 1-13 being sold for high prices before 98? I don't know, but what I do know is that the resale market truly was up and running in the late nineties as a result of these Japanese kids seeing a market for them and taking advantage of that demand. Can you blame them though? If a someone is willing to pay you 300 or 400 for a pair you bought for say 80 or 100 bucks, would you be able to turn that down?

BUT what really created the "problem" of today's sneaker culture is that many many people saw that there were money in shoes and thus they bought pairs simply to sell, a reseller. Nike saw that people were seeking pairs and they began purposely limiting their runs.

For SB dunks, the hype didn't really catch on until 04, 05ish. For Jordans, I don't really know. Dunks though were limited in 98 (first year Nike reissued them) on purpose by Nike to create demand. But that hype died off until 04ish, but really culminated with the Diamond SB dunk in 05. After that, a bunch of HBs and resellers jumped on.

The internet also plays a big role in the money aspect of sneaker culture. With sites like eBay, FC, and forums, people who live nowhere near a release location can buy shoes as long as they have the money for them, and this IMO kind of ruins the fun and skill of having to go out and find pairs or rather actually having to put in some time and effort rather than just sitting behind a computer and clicking "add to cart" on RD or on eBay. I also don't like the leaks of shoes months in advance, because if we know what shoes are dropping 9 months or even 3-4 months from now, the shock value is reduced.

You can blame Nike all you want because they put out the shoes in limited runs, but its these limited runs that make us camp out for pairs and actually put in the time to get your hands on a pair. If Nike produced more pairs to satisfy the whole market on every release, they'd run the risk of having stores resorting to put pairs on sale and possibly having them not sell. I have to admit, I don't like it when a shoe is only released overseas or is so limited that they are nearly impossible to get, but there needs to some kind of limit on the number of pairs Nike produces. I blame the Japanese kids who started this resale market, but at the same time, they only saw a opportunity to cash in and they seized it, so you can't really be mad at them for that. Just be happy that we still have shoes to buy and fiend after, if you don't like resellers then don't worry about them. I'm still collecting and if a reseller wants to take advantage of demand, then fine by me. As long as you can secure your pair that's the only thing you should be concerned about.

Let's be happy that the that most of the shoes aren't so limited that they are impossible to obtain. Nike, generally doesn't limit shoes so much that it has to come to that. Thus, it isn't as bad as it could be. While I say that, I do think Nike is greedy because they lower quality on their stuff, which makes sense for certain products where the main consumer doesn't care (Jordans for example), but at the same time, they are hurting us, the collectors, the true fans of the shoes, the ones who actually appreciate them, and study them for hours every day. I don't like Nike in that respect, but at the end of the day, they are a company and in this time its all about money. That's the main problem we should be concerned about. Nike has gone from being a true brand who values quality above all else to one who takes advantage of the situation and gives us products that are sub par to their original counterparts.That's what I'm worried about.

So to all of you who complain about resellers, that's how it is now, either take it or leave it. I'll still be collecting whether my shoes are worth a lot or whether they are worthless. You should do the same and not be concerned over some greedy guy who is trying to make a quick buck OR who is a legitimate collector and who is just selling his products at market value, there are plenty of guys who do the latter, don't forget that.

Basically the bottomline comes down to this:
AS ALONG AS THERE ARE SHOES THAT PEOPLE WANT AND ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE THAN RETAIL FOR, RESELLING WILL CONTINUE. AND IMO THE WORD "LIMITED" JUST DESCRIBES WHEN THERE ARE LESS PAIRS THEN PEOPLE WHO WANT THEM, THUS THOUGH A SHOE MAY BE A GR, IF THE ABOVE IS THE CASE IS TRUE, THEN THE SHOE IS TECHNICALLY "LIMITED".