#S.O.S #Surplus #Stuff #Amy #Moyer #Sneakers #WorthPoint
Do you have closets, mud rooms, cabinets, and racks filled with more sneakers than you can shake a stick at? Have you heard of “sneakerheads” and wondered if any of your old kicks are worth some big bucks? Read on to learn what to do with your S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Sneakers.
Sneakerheads, Unite
While I am not a sneakerhead myself, I have been forever fascinated with those who are and who are deeply involved in sneaker culture. Before it was truly cool, back in the 1980s, when I was a kid, I had a high school classmate, Justin, who worked at our local sneaker shop called Sneaky Pete’s. That classmate was sneakier than Pete himself and would take it upon himself to practice the five-finger discount with store stock, sneaking boxes of inventory into the trunk of his car during poorly lit parking lot hours. Justin quickly became known as “Sneaky Justin,” and he was your go-to fellow for discounted yet highly sought sneaker styles of the time.
Being more honest than Abe and also not a sneakerhead, as mentioned, I never partook of his wares myself, but I was always captivated by his business model (yes, I have no doubt Sneaky Justin moved on to bigger heists and is likely in jail now).
Kicktionary, Not Dictionary
Fast forward a couple of decades and sneaker collecting has become all the rage with no sign of a weakening market. Sneaker collecting is primarily the realm of young men in their teens to thirties, generally with low familial commitments and thus money to burn.
These fellows use a “kicktionary” instead of a dictionary, well familiar with terms such as Fufu and Fugazi (fake), Grail (lusted after pair), PE (player exclusive), VNDS (very near deadstock), and Uptowns (Nike Air Force 1 nickname). They have active accounts on StockX, where they stalk their latest sneaker obsession and subscribe to every Nike alert under the sun to stay abreast of each new release. Do sneakerheads wear their collection? Sometimes, but more often than not, they display them on wall shelves in their homes.
Got Sneakers?
My interest in sneakers is limited to those I can run (jog, walk) in without major discomfort. I revel in a new pair of On Clouds (okay, I call them On Cloud, just as I call my AirPods “earbuds”) while at the same time dreading the gradual decline of support and cushioning as wear, tear, and gravity take over the marshmallow-y footwear. It would be a stretch to say that I am a “runner,” but when the joints and busted ACL permit, I do enjoy an excuse to listen to music and spend some time outdoors while my feet awkwardly slap the ground.
I have recently agreed to run a 5K with a running buddy, although she is running the half-marathon option in the race (I hope she doesn’t beat me). Amongst the various emails about running on the right side of the road and picking up a T-shirt, I was pleased to see an option to bring S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Sneakers to donate to a “GotSneakers” campaign hosted by a local Rotary. It turns out that GotSneakers is a whole thing, as in a free sneaker recycling program for individuals and businesses where you can earn money for each pair of recycled shoes.
Note Your Nikes
At the end of the day, before you donate your S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Sneakers, check online to make sure that they aren’t collectible. Nike and Converse are two brands often sought-after by collectors, but models by other brands like Adidas may also be desirable. Always check your Nikes, as they remain the number-one collectible sneaker brand.
Are your old sneakers in rough shape or in excellent condition? Condition is king, and if your old shoes are nearly unused, they are more likely to have decent resale value. How about original boxes? Not only will an original box add value to a vintage pair of sneakers, but you may be able to sell the box on its own.
You will have a broader audience of buyers for sneakers in the most common sizes: 10–11 for men and 9 for women. That said, there are always buyers for all sizes, and many interested folks may have saved online searches for their size parameters.
While some buyers may be interested in more contemporary designs, plenty of millennials and Gen Z kids lust after retro designs from the 1960s to the 1980s, more for fashion than practicality. If you are cleaning out an older relative’s closet, always take a peek in the back for some vintage unused running shoes bought with good intentions and poor execution.
For those who you don’t resell, visit GotSneakers or one of the other zero-waste sneaker sites. Sole4Souls and Sneakers4Good are both viable options, but every run-of-the-mill charity that takes clothing donations likely takes S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Sneakers as well. Be sure to get a tax-deductible receipt and enjoy the free space in your mudroom or closet, at least until the next time you kick your sneaker shopping into high gear!
Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.
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