Are you looking for a new hobby?
Hobbies have a way of calming people and of improving their moods. Often, you’ll see most hobbies involve collecting certain items like coins, stamps, and minerals. However, these are niche interests, and such collections are often hard to expand.
So, why not become a sneakerhead instead? It’s easier to collect sneakers than coins and such since they aren’t as rare as items in said collections. The footwear industry never stops releasing new shoes, too, so your collection will always have room to grow.
How do you go about starting a sneaker collection, though? Read what we have below to learn how to do so. With our help, you can have a massive collection even with little money.
Understand the Footwear Industry
The footwear industry is among the trickier industries to understand. For beginners, it’s easy to mistake one brand for another and not know the value of certain varieties. It’s also among the industries that have many counterfeits floating in the market.
Knockoffs even affect big brands like Nike, Adidas, and New Balance. A novice in the industry can find themselves easily duped by ill-intentioned people.
What’s great is preventing this is easy. You only need to read up on what sneakers people consider rare and the values behind their varieties. Go check on online forums and start discussing with other experts and enthusiasts.
Do some research, too. Know how much a specific brand sells their shoes for, and combine it with the costs of shipping and such. You won’t fall for overpricing tactics that some sellers and outlets employ this way.
Know Where to Look
Once you know your stuff, it’s time to look for a pair to buy. It’s important to know where to look, so you avoid being one of the last people to own a pair of the newest sneakers on the market.
Know the best sneaker store in your area. They’ll likely have the latest releases in stock soon after the company ships it worldwide. Such stores are also reliable enough to know that you’re not buying knockoffs.
You can also check out thrift shops from time to time. They often have bargain bins where you may come across salvageable sneakers. Some people may have sold a rare pair without knowing, so you may be in for quite the find.
Visiting these places also means you face less competition. Whenever a new release hits shelves, other sneakerheads flock to their nearest outlet. You often have to face a mob or wait in line for hours to get a pair.
It’s also a good idea to look online. For the sake of convenience, you can buy sneakers from websites at the same price plus shipping. Websites like KICKSCREW always have sneakers from different brands in stock for you to buy now.
Be Patient
Patience is key to saving as much as you can when collecting sneakers. The footwear industry always releases a new variety of sneakers every year. Whenever something new comes out, the brand puts its previous releases on sale to cover manufacturing costs.
Wait for these sales to come around if your sneaker collection needs to grow and you have little money. You can also catch huge sales on different retail websites. These sales can knock off as much as 75% of the sneaker’s original price.
Patience also helps you when foreign brands do an overseas launch. While it’s possible to pre-order a pair for it to arrive after release, it will cost you a lot of money. Wait for it to hit local shelves to save on shipping and the premium added on pre-orders.
There’s also a currency conversion issue in this case. Foreign releases often have their tags priced in their country’s currency. Conversions often mean you pay at least 10 USD more than you have to.
Consider Becoming an Influencer
Becoming a sneakerhead influencer is always a good way to get ahead of the rest. If you have enough charisma to pull it off, you can amass quite the following. Brands will love any positive attention they can get and often reward the promotion by seeding you the newest sneakers before releasing them.
They do this to get you to hype up your audience with their latest product to improve sales. Getting sneakers ahead of time isn’t the only perk of becoming an influencer, though. You also get to build a network with other sneaker enthusiasts.
With their help, your small following can improve in a short time. By leveraging social media along with this, it’s possible to achieve virality in no time at all.
Re-Sell
Doing this is one way for you to make some money out of your hobby. Sell sneakers you don’t care to hold on to in the long run. You won’t have trouble finding buyers because there’s always a demand for sneakers, from casual to athletic footwear.
That said, it’s also worth it to hold keep some sneakers unused. Doing so increases the value of the sneakers. Unused is as good as new, making it appealing for everyone.
Learn How to Care for Your Sneakers
Before you can even think about selling shoes, make sure they’re in good condition. Keep them from getting too damaged by using them sparingly. Using a pair every day wears it down, making it easier to damage.
You should also know about the different types of sneakers. Different sneakers are better suited for specific situations. For example, athletic footwear won’t tear if you go for a job like casual sneakers.
Keep your sneakers in a clean, organized space, too. Doing so makes it less likely that it becomes damaged or dirty. If it’s unclean, resolve it immediately before the stain becomes difficult to remove.
Become a Sneakerhead Today
Collecting sneakers is one of the few collection hobbies with infinite scalability. Become a sneakerhead and watch your collection grow today!
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