6 Reasons Why Sneaker Reselling Is Good For Australian Sneaker Culture

There has always been a stigma around reselling since sneaker culture began.

People have been kicked out of lines, people are banned from getting releases, and casual sneakerheads have been extremely hostile towards resellers who cause sneaker prices to go up.

 

Even large companies such as Adidas and Nike have implemented various tactics to prevent the resellers from accessing shoes - prioritising those who are wearing the sneakers instead.

We may be a little biased but we argue that sneaker resellers - and sneaker reselling in general - is a necessary and integral part of sneaker culture.

Here's 6 reasons why sneaker reselling is good for Australian sneaker culture.

1. Sneaker reselling helps give more stock to Australia vs the rest of the world

Sneaker supply in Australia remains scarce. With every sneaker release, only a few sneakers are allocated to each store in Australia.

Compared to the US and Europe, PUSHAS estimates that Australia typically receives less than 5% of the total sneaker stock of the world. This means that for every 100 Yeezy Kanye releases, Australia only gets 5.

This has made it hard for Australians to purchase limited edition sneakers. Unless you have a mate in the States or Europe to assist you, then the chances of you copping your grails are low.

In today’s digital age, individuals are able to outsource sneakers from other countries and bring them back to Australia.

However, this means you will be competing with the rest of the world for the supply.

Even though the geographical barrier has been broken down, the demand for limited edition sneakers remains high worldwide.

I'm sure if you had tried to cop Yeezys or Off-Whites from a US site, your chances were extremely limited.

Then comes the sneaker reseller.

Respectable sneaker resellers have put in their time to research and set up infrastructure to cop sneakers. This means that they help contribute to increase the overall numbers of sneakers in Australia.

Effectively, sneaker resellers have been bringing more supply across the borders, so they are narrowing the gap between existing supply and demand in Australia.

You most likely were able to cop your latest pair, only because of your friendly neighbourhood reseller.

Yes, there is a mark-up, but without the reseller, your chances of copping your latest sneakers would have been close to zero.

2. Sneakers have become more accessible

Not only is Australia getting more supply due to the efforts of resellers, but sneakers have also become more accessible.

For example, if you are hunting for that one pair of Jordan 1 Bred down in your size, you are able to access multiple local platforms (such as PUSHAS) and forums to do a quick search.

You are able to access numerous amounts of listings on platforms from local resellers.

This allows you to browse and compare sneakers of different conditions and prices from multiple sellers.

A couple of years ago, there might have been 1 store, and a couple of listings on Ebay or Gumtree. It would have been difficult to find your size, and in the condition that you want.

You might have even been exposed to fakes.

Nowadays, sneakers are more accessible so you as the consumer have more choice.

There is a misconception that resellers increase prices overall. This is simply not the case.

It's true that resellers mark up their prices over retail. But a couple of years ago, if you wanted to buy a rare sneaker, there was not much supply in Australia.

Any economics student will tell you that low supply equals high prices.

More stock within Australia has helped in providing sneakers at a more reasonable price for buyers.

This means you are able to compare pricing to find the most competitive resell price, instead of one person or holding all the power to set prices as they please.

Even though brick and mortar store prices are still expensive, resellers and platforms like PUSHAS have really been competitive and have driven the overall prices of the Australian sneaker market down.

Further, since there are so many resellers now that exist in Australia, they are all trying to compete and beat each other on price. So it becomes a race to who can price it best, and flip their sneakers faster.

Any reseller will tell you that more resellers in the market has meant that they cannot push prices too high now or their sneakers will not sell.

4. Consumers now benefit from great convenience

Sneaker reselling in Australia has provided consumers with a lot of convenience.

Before, Australian sneakerheads would have to buy overseas. They had to pay exorbitant shipping fees, taxes, currency conversion fees, and customs fees just for one sneaker.

Shipping also usually took 2-4 weeks if they were lucky.

Consumers now can use services such as AfterPay to pay for their sneakers. They can now meet-up with a local reseller to purchase their sneakers, rather than buying from someone they don't know overseas. They can even get 1-4 business day shipping if they buy from a platform like PUSHAS.

Sneaker reselling culture has helped build an ecosystem in Australia. They have made platforms like PUSHAS possible.

 

 

5. Sneaker reselling can support someone's livelihood

Sneaker reselling is a service and they do value-add to the sneaker economy.

Similar to UBER’s catch phrase - Be Your Own Boss – sneaker reselling has also provided a similar motif.

With house prices soaring, individuals are looking at sneaker reselling as a form of extra side hustle to make up for those little expenses.

Most people don't see the work that goes into reselling. Prior to releases, they do their research to make sure the process of securing a pair is correct and they are not taking a gamble on the wrong sneaker.

The seller either camps a few days in a line for a shoe, stays up for a release with multiple devices to secure a pair. After they have landed a pair, they need to work their sale and marketing skills to sell their shoes. They speak to customers for a whole day, as they go back and forth – which may not even land that sale.

They could wait up to months whilst their money is tied up in inventory.

This is all time that is unpaid to the reseller.

You only hear about the success stories about someone selling a pair of sneakers for 5 times the price, but you never hear about the lengths they go through to resell a pair.

Ultimately, sneaker reselling has become a service for buyers to access sneakers more easily. As we all that, it has created an avenue for individuals of all different ages to earn extra income.

We believe it is only fair that sneaker resellers make a profit for the service they provide for Australian consumers.

6. Sneaker Reselling contributes to building a community and growing a culture in Australia

People are always looking for more meaningful relationships with others.

Through the sneaker reselling, people all over the world have found a reason to connect – whether it be online or in person.

This is what the sneaker culture is about: connecting and bringing people together.

It is through building and connecting with others and the buying and selling scene that has allowed sneaker resellers to build a community where they are able to share resources with the community and provide their insights on sneaker culture.

This has created communities from all different platforms, such as Reddit and Facebook. We are seeing more and more people join these communities than ever.

They come together with similar interests and ideas to assist the community with where you can find releases and how you can get them. Sharing is caring!

The sneaker resellers really contribute in fostering and growing the sneaker culture here in Australia, as they provide in depth knowledge and domain expertise to late adopters and the wider community.

Therefore, sneaker resellers play an integral part in sneaker culture.

They are a core feature in the ecosystem, as they provide a service that makes sneakers more accessible within Australia. Not only that, they help foster a community and provide insights to the new audience to gain the knowledge they need to find sneakers.

What are your thoughts of sneaker reselling? Leave your comments below.

 

By Sandy PUSHAS