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Confessions of an Air-Jordan-oholic
- Thread in 'Jordan Brand' Thread starter Started by pat,
- Start date
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great read.....
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Thanks for your kind words. I hope you're well also?
"I have no idea if you remember me or not, but I used to email you back and forth with Air Jordan type questions long before Niketalk ever existed." - Yes, I do remember, of course. But, I've always been horrible with equating screen names with real names (except in my case, where my screen name IS my real name- smile). I do remember, even when we traded emails back in those days, I always had to try to remember who you were on the forums vs. email, because (if I remember correctly), you always emailed me with your real name, but talked on the forums with "ijapino"....
"I'd buy one to rock and one to stock" - Yeah, I started doing that in 1993 with the AJ8s. But, I only bought 2 pairs of the colorways that I really liked (at first). I figured I would have one pair new in the box that I would crack open some time in the future (which NEVER actually happened, by the way... anything I bought to keep brand new, stayed brand new, despite that the original plan was to use them at some point). Then, it grew to buying 2 of every pair whether I liked them or not (one to wear, one to keep new). Then I started buying 2 pairs and keeping them both new. Then, I started buying 3 pairs of the ones I really liked (1 to wear, 1 to keep new, 1 just in case). And, I remember buying 5 or 6 pairs (for myself), and about a dozen more pairs for friends, of the Air Jordan 6th edition ultra-limited Olympic shoe, which were launched secretly after the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Don't even ask how I got out of that NikeTown alive with literally about 1/4th of their entire inventory just for myself and friends. The same went for the original launch of the limited gray AJ11... few stores got them... and even the ones that got them, didn't get many of them... the store I went to got about 50 pairs total, I walked out with about 10 of them... police escort, literally... as the gangsters were stealing them from everyone who walked out of the store... let alone some suburban white boy (no racism intended, just the reality of what I was dealing with) who ventured down into gang territory to buy 1/5th of the store's supply of this limited shoe... while there's a line of 100s of people around the corner who won't get a single pair. Ahh, the power of having good connections and loyally buying a tone of inventory even for the slow releases... when it comes to the limited releases, the stores are loyal in return. I was buying for friends all over the globe, who were in turn buying limited releases for me that I couldn't get my hands on. But, I digress.
Yeah, I hear ya, the hobby escalates exactly that way. Start just with a few pairs that you wear, and pretty soon you're buying out store inventories.
"I suppose one day I can follow in your footsteps again and slowly get rid of my collection." -- Well, those wouldn't be my footsteps. I sold mine very quickly (well, all but about 75-100 pairs anyway). I borrowed a large truck and rented a U-haul trailer behind it, and poof, they were all gone. I never saw them again. There's nothing "slowly" about that. Anyway, don't follow in my (or anyone's) footsteps. Follow your own. If your hobby/obsession isn't harming you in any way, keep it. If it's impeding your long term plans, or if you're spending beyond your means, yeah, ok, drop-kick the hobby. Don't take my tone in the original post the wrong way. Yes, I was advocating NOT getting so hooked on Air Jordans that it becomes an addiction that changes your life's path. But, hey, if you have the means to keep doing what you're doing, and your life's path isn't impeded in any way by collecting Air Jordans, hey, more power to ya!! Buy 'til your heart's content. There are many people who have the ability to buy 10,000 pairs of Air Jordans without blinking an eye or affecting their future. If you're one of them, awesome!!! (I was not one of them, but ironically, it's one of my long term goals to become one!!! -- smile)
The fact that you said you "tried" to kick the habit, however, indicates that perhaps it's not so harmless? Yeah, you should weigh that out for yourself. Though, I am sure that you're not a tragic case either way... if you're homeless, but you have a rental unit with hundreds of pairs of deadstock AJs you're not selling... umm... you need an intervention. But, I'm sure that's NOT you. You're probably fine, just maybe pushing the envelope?
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My website was called "Pat's Air Jordan Page" - it's LONG gone at this point.
As for 1999 black/red AJ4s, well, I never liked them that much, so I sold them all. I forgot how many I had in that color... maybe 3 pairs of 1999s, and 1 pair of 1989s? They were worth more to others than they were to me at that point. So, you ask, "how could I NOT keep a pair" - my answer: "so that people like you may buy them"....
All I have now are:
AJ1s - 1 pair blk/patent/gold/retro from about 7-8 years ago, deadstock. I have no idea why I own these, and should get rid of them.
AJ2s - none
AJ3s - none
AJ4s - none
AJ5s - none
AJ6s - Around 10 or so pairs that I wear, none deadstock.
AJ7s - Around 10 or so pairs that I wear, I might have one deadstock, but I'm not sure.
AJ8s - Around 10 or so pairs that I wear, plus a couple of deadstock pairs.
AJ9s - A few pairs that I wear, none deadstock. I regret missing the recent re-launch of these, but I just wasn't paying attention.
AJ10s - A fewe pairs that I wear, plus one deadstock Sacramento.
AJ11s - none
AJ12s - none
AJ13s - Around a dozen or so pairs that I wear, plus one or two deadstocks.
AJ14s - Only one of these. I might have kept a deadstock as MJ's final shot as a Bull... but I don't think I did.
AJ15s - Only one of these, none deadstock.
AJ16s - None.
AJ17s - Only one of these, none deadstock.
AJ18s - I have a few of these, none deadstock.
AJ19s - I have a few of these floating around.
AJ20s - I have a few of these floating around. But, they are annoying. Stupid uncomfortable strap.
AJ21s - I have a few of these floating around.
AJ22s - I like these, I have around a dozen, I think.
AJ23s - I like these, but I only have a few pairs.
AJ2009s - I don't remember if I have them or not.
AJ2010s - Um, no. I am not interested in a shoe with a big hole in the side.
AJ2011s - I haven't seen them yet. Maybe I'll buy a few. Not sure.
(Quantities could be significantly off... as I said, I really really don't count any more.)
Believe it or not, I even needed to Google some of the recent models to remind myself what they looked like. HA!!
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Originally Posted by ThunderChunk69
agreedOriginally Posted by zyr12
Great read.
but OP
do you have a blog or something you can post this? just for the simple fact that I'd love to link it, but don't want to link to a niketalk thread
I don't have a blog. Is there some problem with linking to NT?
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Great read.
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"I've always wanted to go to Australia!!!!" - Then you MUST go!! I always sort of thought it would be fun enough, but nothing crazy-special. My wife was the one that really really wanted to go. Wow, was she right. Australia was the best trip I've ever taken. But, don't go unless you can set aside about 3 weeks minimum (more if you can!!). I had just shy of 3 weeks, and it wasn't enough. Sure, even if I was there for 3 months, it still wouldn't be enough. But, seriously, Australia is so great, you NEED 3 weeks at least. Anything short of that is simply not enough. (Well, if you're not a scuba diver, and you're not dedicating one of your weeks to the Great Barrier Reef, ok, well, fine. But, then I'd just tell you to BE a scuba diver!!! - smile)
"Knowing that that collection stemmed from your personal gallery.. it is a pleasure to meet you." --- Well, thanks, but it's a bit unwarranted. Yeah, I think mine (and my friend's) collections simultaneously sold was probably their biggest one-time infusion of shoes for sale (I forgot how many pairs the two collections totaled, around 500-600 pairs?)... but, believe me, there were other people with collections that could make mine look like a child's afterthought (they just weren't as public as I was). Also, Instyleshoes had MANY avenues to get shoes, so, while my collection might have been the LARGEST single purchase, it was, by no means, the only run of rare stuff they got. They got TONS of shoes from other collectors.
"I, for one, wish i could treat my addiction like el futbol and kick it... but there has to be some inherent/immediate tragedy/life altering event for me to do so." --- Well, again, I made my original post to let the shoe addicts of the world know that they don't NEED to be shoe addicts. But, I don't make priority decisions for others. All I can say is that it's a major red flag that you're saying "I wish I could kick it" -- my question is WHY? Is it dominating your life? Is it preventing you from doing other things? Do you put your mortgage payment at risk? If so, yeah, you should kick it. But, if not, well, decide for yourself.
I can tell you that I've NEVER missed a mortgage payment, nor risked missing one, because of a shoe purchase. I never got THAT badly addicted. But, yeah, I was a pretty bad addict. I spent more than I should have. Maybe not risking the ability to pay my bills... but I wasn't setting aside as much for the future as I should have been. I was spending thousands per month on shoes (at my peak). And, in retrospect, if I had started my company 10 years earlier, instead of spending all of that cash on shoes... hmm... where would my company be today??
Anyway, pick your own priorities. If shoes are a priority, and the rest of your life is in line without risk, hey, keep it up. But, as I said in years past, "if you can't pay, you can't play." Don't spend your mortgage on shoes instead. (I'm not saying you are.)
"and like a prom dress... i'm off." --- HA! Hilarious. Now wishing that I went to a co-ed school instead of my all-boy Catholic high school. No prom for me (wow, 25 years ago??). Ah, but prom dresses aside (and wouldn't want to dwell on that anyway, since I'm happily married), there were more reasons I shouldn't have been in a Catholic high school, since I was an atheist the entire time. HA!
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I agree there, if you wish to kick the habit/hobby, then you are doing something wrong if it's dominating your life.
I myself am slowly a stroll through memory lane by acquiring all the Jordans I would ever need, which are the OG colorways that Mike wore.
I recently bought a pair of DS '01 Black/Cement 3's, and just opening that box, inhaling that Golden era of retros smell, really took me back.
You don't get the same excitement with retros nowadays, unless it's a True retro, an exact replica of an OG.
As I'm getting older, I get that feeling that it would best to walk into the sunset as soon as I have every colorway I have desired since I started.
I myself am slowly a stroll through memory lane by acquiring all the Jordans I would ever need, which are the OG colorways that Mike wore.
I recently bought a pair of DS '01 Black/Cement 3's, and just opening that box, inhaling that Golden era of retros smell, really took me back.
You don't get the same excitement with retros nowadays, unless it's a True retro, an exact replica of an OG.
As I'm getting older, I get that feeling that it would best to walk into the sunset as soon as I have every colorway I have desired since I started.
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Pat-thanks for stopping back. It's been a loooong time! Many good memories from your webpage and that era. It was the two dudes with simple names who's collections I envied, Pat and Hiro.
Congratulations on your business. There is nothing more gratifying that creating your own job and watching that grow! What a great story, walking away from a passion (addiction) and putting the balls on the table. Business is up and down but if you have made it through the last couple years and are still continuing to grow, you will be fine.
Never been to AUS but one of my best friends is a Kiwi and I've promised to go back with her for a couple weeks and explore at some point.
Keep it up and you will get to your goal before you know it.
Congratulations on your business. There is nothing more gratifying that creating your own job and watching that grow! What a great story, walking away from a passion (addiction) and putting the balls on the table. Business is up and down but if you have made it through the last couple years and are still continuing to grow, you will be fine.
Never been to AUS but one of my best friends is a Kiwi and I've promised to go back with her for a couple weeks and explore at some point.
Keep it up and you will get to your goal before you know it.
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Great read indeed
As I've gotten older and got married I downsized from about 50 pairs to 10 total pairs of jordan/nike retros
To each his own, but with a kid on the way....shoes just don't seem important anymore
As I've gotten older and got married I downsized from about 50 pairs to 10 total pairs of jordan/nike retros
To each his own, but with a kid on the way....shoes just don't seem important anymore
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Very good read. Respect.
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Good post, Pat. And I hope you feel better. I think a good reality check is always welcomed.
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Nice read! I am seriously thinking twice about this lifestyle that we all have(shoe addicts) but sometimes we just all get sucked in with all these releases by nike and jordan brand. And in my opinion, for all those people who are asking if niketalk is bad influence I think we might have a certain hand in it as well because most of us niketalk memebers(including myself) hype up a lot of releases and sometimes it gets out of hand and it influences most of our members in getting those "HOT" releases. I mean when I read other people post they go as far as saying that shoes are better than your family because they don't ask too much or shoes are better than your girlfriend because they don't leave you.... something like that. I mean c'mon man! They are just shoes! Nothing beats the companionship of your family, friends and your wife or your girlfriend!....unless your a dude who can't get no love from your family or has no friends or never tried asking a girl out or no girl likes you(well that's a different story...).... Anyways just my two cents on this. And yeah, I will still collect shoes but I think i might slow down a bit...There are much better priorities in life than just shoes. Let's think about it guys just like Pat. Thanks man!
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i like the 8's too. they were my first pair of j's. id love for them to retro with something like OG quality.
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superb post, but i must lol at my fiending addiction being only a fraction of your non-addiction.
what you describe is pretty much how i was with comic books in my late teens, probably around the same time as your shoe thing, mid-late 90's. sold that clutter, cuz that's exactly what it became, clutter. stocking for the sake of it just weighs you down, so i sold it all for others to enjoy. with my profit, i paid for the wedding ring. pink diamonds aint cheap!
so when my shoe fetish took hold, i never got to the point of copping to stock. i ONLY rock. and that means keeping the number between 30-40. Any more than that and it's stock... and clutter.
thanks for an excellent post, and kind words about my home (sydney).
so when my shoe fetish took hold, i never got to the point of copping to stock. i ONLY rock. and that means keeping the number between 30-40. Any more than that and it's stock... and clutter.
thanks for an excellent post, and kind words about my home (sydney).
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Great toilet reAd! I'm not that deep but dAmn. But good luck with your business man!
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btw....
hope your pneumonia is getting better !!!
hope your pneumonia is getting better !!!
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Thanks for the kind words... well wishes right back at ya!
"It was the two dudes with simple names whose collections I envied, Pat and Hiro." --- How great that you put it in those words... "whose COLLECTIONS I envied"!! Yes, envy the collection itself, not the collectors. There aren't too many people worth envy. I don't know if I'm one of them. Maybe. I hope so. But, certainly not to/from a stranger on the internet. I don't want anyone's envy, let alone yours (I mean that in a GOOD way). Envy of a person should be reserved for people you know well enough to actually envy them... and then envy shouldn't be "envy" in a bad way, but rather as a motivation as a good example.
"Business is up and down but if you have made it through the last couple years and are still continuing to grow, you will be fine." --- Yeah, there's that old saying that 95% of companies die in the first year, and 99% die in the first 3 years. Well, those landmarks are behind us, and we're still alive. So far, so good. We've made it through a bad recession (still growing in all years but one). We have some wonderful marquis clients nowadays, and well, dare I say more work than we can handle?? (A good problem to have.) Of course, you can never be 100% positive of anything. But, yeah, on paper, it sure looks like if anything was going to kill my company, it would already be dead by now. Talk to me 5 years from now... we'll see if I just inserted my foot in my mouth, or not.
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I will confess my days of arguing with pat.
and at the time i argued with everybody here on niketalk.
i was upset at pat for selling his collection to steve. and i will be honest.........growing up in the late 70's and 80's well into the 90's here in new york city. i was heavily involved into the street culture. me being a grafitti artist, i was told by the older guys that if a stranger or a person who wasnt from your neighborhood started asking you questions about grafitti or anything street, you excluded them simply because they weren't a part of us, they didn't talk like us, act like us did nothing like us. so I kind of saw steve as this cat who came out of the blue and all of a sudden he's like the sneaker man to go to. i was like man f-that who is this chump. i been into this stuff (dam i wish i could curse on niketalk lmaooo) since 87 this guy coming out the blue claiming to be like this sneaker god that only these sneaker geek nerd suckas follow on instyle shoes. man screw that..........so i was like pat you suck man for selling it to him. what credit does he get he all of a sudden gets credit for having the illest collection with out doing a dam freaking thing. man i was sooooooooooooo mad.
So i took that street mentality like "who are you, u aint down with us man" you guys may sense hate in here but i was really upset that this guy came out of the blue. and to me didn't earn his stripes in the sneaker culture. after a few back and forths me and pat made up and i promised him to go sky diving with him. (i havent yet, my ghetto puertorican $%* to scared to jump out of a plane lmaoo) but yeah my beef with pat was just that and back then he explained to me why he did it, and i understood. I never really posted my entire collection on niketalk. but i pretty much had what pat had except i had the grey low air jordan 1 og, and a ton of og's. i just felt that just schooling the new school was enough and i felt at the time that too many posers were getting into this culture and i didnt feel the need to share. now that i look back it's stupid to think that way. thanks to my beautiful ex wife she threw out half of that collection just to be a *+!%+. dumped me for a barry bonds fan (boy did she hate mike) but i have custody of my kids which is great. i wont say i'm retired from the sneaker culture but after she threw out my most valued and treasured og's i kinda fell off. will i make a comeback. yeah i will, but being in this entire subculture for years since carrying a beat box and wearing pinstripe lee's i rather teach the kids about og's and the old school than argue with them. i cant blame the new school for being how they are because when i was coming up back in the day...........................I was the same way.
pat love your post man.... say hi tot he misses and i'm glad your doing well my brother. god bless.
-Benny velazquez
So i took that street mentality like "who are you, u aint down with us man" you guys may sense hate in here but i was really upset that this guy came out of the blue. and to me didn't earn his stripes in the sneaker culture. after a few back and forths me and pat made up and i promised him to go sky diving with him. (i havent yet, my ghetto puertorican $%* to scared to jump out of a plane lmaoo) but yeah my beef with pat was just that and back then he explained to me why he did it, and i understood. I never really posted my entire collection on niketalk. but i pretty much had what pat had except i had the grey low air jordan 1 og, and a ton of og's. i just felt that just schooling the new school was enough and i felt at the time that too many posers were getting into this culture and i didnt feel the need to share. now that i look back it's stupid to think that way. thanks to my beautiful ex wife she threw out half of that collection just to be a *+!%+. dumped me for a barry bonds fan (boy did she hate mike) but i have custody of my kids which is great. i wont say i'm retired from the sneaker culture but after she threw out my most valued and treasured og's i kinda fell off. will i make a comeback. yeah i will, but being in this entire subculture for years since carrying a beat box and wearing pinstripe lee's i rather teach the kids about og's and the old school than argue with them. i cant blame the new school for being how they are because when i was coming up back in the day...........................I was the same way.
pat love your post man.... say hi tot he misses and i'm glad your doing well my brother. god bless.
-Benny velazquez
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Have your retro 8s not lived up to the original 1993 8s? Personally, I think the retro-8s are wonderful. Yeah, maybe the remakes were a little bit different in some of the color patterning on the bottom-sole, and didn't have the nice in-sole either. And, they used shinier paint on the remakes, fine. But, quality-wise, I found the retros superior. I remember in 1993 going through boxes and boxes of original AJ8s looking for ones without overglue, asymetry, stitching problems, or some other cosmetic issue. I remember rejecting MORE shoes than I was willing to purchase. But, I didn't see so many problems on the remakes. The first AJ8 remakes out of the box were fine (x several pairs for me and friends). I just didn't see a quality control problem on the remakes. Then, on the black/red or black/purple ones (original 1993), the "AIR JORDAN" writing on the nubuck/suede would wear and turn white almost instantly (it's lasting a lot longer on my remakes).
Did we have different experiences with the quality control? Or, were you referring to the fact that the remakes weren't a perfect match of the originals?
Also, my original AJ8s have problems with the soles falling apart. Of course, I cannot yet judge whether the remake-soles will last longer than the original soles, because enough time hasn't passed. But, at least so far, I don't have the sole falling apart on any of my remake AJ8s.
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I agree with pat. when the 8's dropped back in 93 i my self found my self going through a ton of boxes for 8's for all 3 colorways. i guess nike tried to speedy to production. both retro and og a lil different but not much.
delachris
Banned
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Great post. Love It. Mine is Next
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reading this made me realize I have been getting a little out of hand. i've mostly just been looking for ones i've missed out on in the past and a few of the newer retros here and there; and that's where most of my income has been going. knowing i need to buy another car it would be good to kick this habit a bit
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Only in the JB forum can someone write a long thread and nobody complains.. Dudes would've been going ham if this was General
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