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ResExp: Expectations

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Really, when it comes down to it, it’s about setting and managing realistic expectations. That’s another key distinguishing point between #coppingkicks and #rossfinds. For whatever reason those indulging in #coppingkicks are expecting to get every sneaker they go after. They’ll always expect the “W” and not just for a single pair but multiple pairs of hyped sneakers. And, that’s not realistic. There are just too many others out there in the same situation, armed with the same tools and knowledge, going after the same pairs of shoes.

Doing the #rossfinds however, there are usually little to no expectations. Sure, you hope to find something good, but you know that for every store you enter, you expect to leave emptyhanded. I guess that’s why finding a gem is that much sweeter.

I can’t quite tell which is worse though – tracking the success stories of those #coppingkicks or doing the #rossfinds. I guess monitoring either one sets unrealistically high expectations for yourself. Sure, it can be fun to indulge and imagine similar success, but in both cases, set realistic expectations.

ResExp: (Sneaker) Size Matters

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Whether #coppingkicks or searching for #rossfinds, one notable distinction is that size matters. It really matters. Success in one field doesn’t equate to success in the other.

So here it goes. When doing the #rossfinds thing, you’re hoping to score men’s shoes sized 9-12. These are the most common men’s sizes, so therefore, you have the largest audience of potential customers. Check out this size run of the recent Yeezy Zebra release that illustrates the size breakdown.

Although not 100% accurate (that 85 size 8.5 was an admitted typo), you get the idea of the size distribution with size 9-12 dominating the size run. Here’s a graphical view showing the bell-shaped results.

zeezy350-zebra-size-run

Now let’s flip it around for #coppingkicks. This strategy targets the extremes. Success with #coppingkicks means copping kicks as small or as big as possible. You want the size 6 or 16. In this market, you avoid the common sizes. You target the small supply to drive the high demand and accordingly, the high cost. Reselling the common sizes aka bricks won’t lead to profit and in fact, could lead to losses. The lower sizes aka “bae sizes” are for the women, youngsters, and small footers. The larger sizes are more of a gamble since the population of size 16-ers isn’t common, but they need fresh kicks too.

The basic idea is to own one of the 256 size 4 shoes and have more bargaining power than one of the 1316 in a size 9.5. It’s the basic principle of supply and demand at work.

ResExp: Revisiting Poshmark

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I briefly dabbled with Poshmark as another means to sell my #rossfinds, but Posh is a different kind of place. The clientele is unlike eBay, and accordingly, your goods aka your closet, needs to match up. Rossfinds is not an ideal match for Poshmark since you can’t say the items are NWT (New with Tags) if you don’t have the original box, and the fees make it harder to negotiate price.

So I stopped selling on Posh, but I’m revisiting it since some of my recent finds have been a little more posh. Stuff like this Air Jordan 12 in Vachetta Tan. We’ll see if this newest attempt leads to anything worthwhile…

ResExp: Risk Versus Reward

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For the sake of brevity, I’ll refer to buying higher end items as #coppingkicks and buying discounted items as #rossfinds. Okay, with that out of the way, let’s briefly talk about the risk of either endeavor.

With #rossfinds, you’re looking at discounted items, so costs of items are accordingly discounted. The risk of buying these items are much lower. While bombing on an $80 shoe that doesn’t sell is tough, absorbing that hit is more tolerable. If nothing at all, a #rossfinds purchase can be returned within 30 days of purchase, and past 30 days, you’ll get a store credit. Granted a store credit is funds destined to that store, but you can ideally find another #rossfinds to flip. Rewards with #rossfinds are moderate. Sure, you can find gems once in awhile but don’t expect a homerun each time you visit a Ross. There’s nothing wrong with $20-30 profit per item sold and a steady stream of $20 profits does add up over time.

On the other end, #coppingkicks goes for the homerun each time and even more. It’s all about scooping up the limited items and maximizing resale value. Typically costing$100-200, pairs of kicks are often sold with no returns. Nike and Adidas offer solid return experiences, but they are the exceptions. Most stores sell high end kicks as all sales final. If you land desired items, profits can easily exceed $100 per item. But if your risks turn into bricks, you just lots of money with nary a recourse for recovery. Hopefully, you can sell the items at retail price or even take a partial lost which is better than a full loss.

So you need to figure out your risk-reward comfort level. While it’s fun when you see those high expense sales, it could be intermittent, scattered with pricely mistakes. Or are you willing to trudge along gradually building up revenue?

 

ResExp: Testing and Timing the High End

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For most of the year, my reselling experience has focused on affordable sourcing from Ross aka #rossfinds. But for the month of December, with the crowds and long lines at Ross, I went in a different direction. I experimented with higher end commodities like items from Supreme and costly kicks. And you know what? Lots of reselling lessons learned are the same, just in a different context.

Shopping for deals or for exclusives still takes time, either in-store or online. There’s just no way around it. However purchasing time online is measured in seconds (or even faster). A few seconds late and the exclusives are gone. Sold out – bought by bots or those with faster fingers (or better luck).

There’s also prepping for online launches. Creating accounts on various shopping sites and ensuring autofill is ready to go for each browser user all rob you of time. And if you want, you need to spend time reading up and learning about releases. Of course, none of this preparation guarantees success when buying exclusives, but without this preparation, you essentially have no chance.

Time for #rossfinds is in the realm of hours, days, and perhaps even months. Sourcing is primarily done in-person, going through the racks of Ross and other discount stores. Then listing and eventually selling an item can go for days to months.

So the obvious takeaway is that reselling takes time (and commitment). If you’re not willing to invest the time, then you need to look elsewhere.

Holiday Gift Guide 2018 HOPA Shirt

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Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (HOPA) is well known in the islands for serving up some ono shave ice and just as much aloha. So much so that you may want to join the #HOPAlove movement by representing with your own HOPA shirt.

Luckily Ross shares your love, and you might be lucky enough to find a HOPA shirt on their racks. Now the shirt may not have a security tag nor a price tag… hey wait a minute, Santa sees you HOPA fan who likely “traded” shirts. Talk about dressing for less…

Update: Recently read about recent thefts from HOPA. 🙁

No Go for These #RossFinds

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Had to say no to both of these shoes found at Ross aka #rossfinds. While each had its merits, they didn’t win me over in the end.

LeBron 11 Low

lebron-11-low-lava

I’ve been looking for shoes featuring the full length Air Max 360 for a long time. Finally, I came across these LeBron 11 Lows in the lava colorway in my size. While I could have definitely rocked the lava colors, King James and me don’t share the same foot shape. Even with the solid Air Max foundation underfoot, the arch support wasn’t enough. I could feel the inner, medial sides of the shoe flexing with the smallest of steps. I was targeting the 11 Lows as a lifestyle shoe, but if they can’t provide the support while walking around, what’s the point? Sadly, I put these and their paint-speckled Air Max bubble back on the shelf.

 

Jordan Flight Time 14.5

jordan-fight-timeFor the longest time, I never knew what these Jordan-branded kicks were. For the record, they are the Jordan Flight Time 14.5.  I always thought the 14.5 looked distinctive for a Team Jordan shoe. Each colorway works, especially these Chicago Bulls-inspired red, black, and white version.

The look is clean. The padded collar is a nice touch, and the fit was great for my feet. Although narrow mid-foot, these provided better arch support than the LeBron 11 Low. There’s decent tech in the shoe and best of all, they’re only $40. But look at them. They’re made to see court action, and that’s no longer me. I held on to these for some time before also putting them back on the shelf.

Instead, I’m actually looking forward to the upcoming Adidas Crazylight Boost 2016. Even at full price, this shoe looks uniquely different from other shoes on the market and features full length Boost. But I won’t find these at Ross for some time if ever.