My Experience at SneakerCon
Introduction
Last year around this time, early November, I went all the way to Chicago with my family. We head to the Windy City every year, usually more than once just to go shopping or sightseeing or try out neat restaurants. This time was different, though. My brother and I were going to Sneaker Con.
My Experience
This was the first time we could go to one of these massive events because usually different cities host them, further away from Michigan. Since Chicago was hosting it last year, we knew we had to take the opportunity.
Usually, when someone has a very rare piece of clothing, pair of shoes, or collectible piece, they can sell it online for two or more times the retail value. Sneaker Con is a place where people of the same interest can meet up in person to bid for, buy, or sell rare items. This makes the event so unique, and we were excited to experience it firsthand.
My brother, Francis, had bought a pair of shoes, Off White Blazer All Hallows Eve from the Nike website for a retail price of 120 dollars. We were confident we could sell them there for at least 7 times the price he had bought them for.
Where to Attend
As I mentioned before, SneakerCon is a widespread event, hosted in larger cities such as New York, Chicago, or Atlanta.
This being the case, to attend a Sneaker Convention some people must put forth a greater effort than others just for the opportunity to see ultra-rare pieces of clothing and to sell parts of their collection without the typical fees one would face online.
What to Know Beforehand
To enjoy such an experience, you need to know the basics of the clothing/shoe industry, so you can appreciate the exclusive pieces that people are selling there.
It also helps if you bring a lot of cash, as that is the go-to way of payment. Paypal, Google Pay, or Apple Pay are other ways you can pay for a product.
If you intend to sell something, the buyer will usually insist that you have a professional legit check the product, inspecting the entire piece to guarantee that it is 100% authentic. This way people don’t end up spending resale prices on a fake pair of shoes or clothing.
If you intend to buy something, be ready to negotiate the price down to where you want it… Go into the trade or sale with a set price in mind. You probably also want a lot of money if you intend to buy anything, as the prices range from 25 dollars for a sticker to thousands of dollars for a pair of shoes.
Best Time to Go
The best time to go depends on when a city is hosting the event. Plan accordingly if you want to buy or sell anything there. The best way to do this is by looking out for any ads or posts online about the next event.
This way you can prepare by saving up your money and/or getting shoes that you may want to sell. Usually, Sneakercon goes for 2 to 3 days in a row, and the best time to go is in the morning if you’re looking for good deals. This way you can beat the crowd and find items before other people buy them.
Getting there early also allows you to avoid a long wait in line while security checks everyone in. Avoid going in the middle of the afternoon when everyone else goes because you will have to wait in line for a very long time and there won’t be as many excellent finds.
Who the Event is For
Anyone interested in clothing, fashion, or vintage/collectible items and art would enjoy this convention very much. The culture there is incredible and almost everyone is super friendly and supportive, whether you are just getting into the culture or are a veteran with a respectable collection, everyone supports you.
It surprised me to see a lot of younger children wearing hundreds of dollars’ worth of clothing. And when I say younger, I mean the youngest kid I saw there was probably 7 or 8 years old, walking around with wads of cash from selling hyped clothing.
Why You Should Attend an Event
As I mentioned before, the sneaker culture is so exceptional, you should experience the group at least once in your life. The people that make it up are all ages from 7 to 70 years old. And they are mostly all friendly and supportive of your interest in the culture. The money flow behind such an event as SneakerCon is incredible too.
Not only are there hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of shoes and clothing floating around, passing hands at the convention, but there is so much cash passing hands throughout the event, probably at least half of a million dollars worth of product and cash in total. It is quite the experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SneakerCon is a massive event that is all about buying and selling sneakers and collectibles. The worth of the reseller market makes up the entire convention and the interest behind such an event is massive, yet undervalued as there is a tiny amount of the entire population that knows the worth of such a thing.
More people should check out the sneaker culture and should also attend at least one SneakerCon in their life. It will change your perspective on shoes and clothing.
