ICYMI: 7/17-7/21
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ICYMI: 7/17-7/21
Sneaker stories of the century of the week 7/17-7/21
Monday, 17th July 2023:
While everyone was out searching for SB4’s, this was my @sneakercon pickup!
Thanks @arkive2k_ !!!
Top Comment: norcal_sneaker_restorations Little leather lotion and those will be popping
Tuesday, 18th July 2023
The images of this supposed Devin Booker signature model dropped on every blog in the sneaker sphere and then like 18 minutes later I saw a bunch of conflicting articles saying that it wasn’t actually his signature model and the media sites got it all wrong. And then the walk backers had to walk back.
As for the shoes…I like them. It’s just a smooth silhouette. Doesn’t really look like a hoop shoe nor something I would expect to be a hoop shoe in the year 2023, so outside of that context, I like it. That orange one looks awesome, and the shape of the toe box is nice and sleek. I know that @devinbooker is like the savior of Phoenix and dude carries with him that West Coast swag, so, IMO, these fit his aesthetic well. Even if these *aren’t a Booker model, they sure look like one.
What I find interesting about this whole thing, tho, is the media reaction. As soon as they hit, every picture I saw had the @sneakernews tag plastered right over the swoosh, and I saw A LOT of pics…I know there are people who have MASSIVE accounts because they provide ‘first look(s)’ (like that @zsneakerheadz account), but…I dunno…I always take most of that stuff with a grain of salt anyway. It’s like people NEED to know and/or see I guess that’s all a part of being a significant player in big media: you just gotta be first, even if there is little basis in truth.
But…if you all ever wonder why I’m super slow to post ‘news’, this is usually why. I like the facts to emerge before I start spouting off my thought…News is really just ‘new’, it doesn’t have to be true to be believed.
Top Comment: bellathreelegs It looks like a "new" SB model that would've came out in the early days alongside the Zoom Tre and Sb Delta Forces
Wednesday, 19th July 2023:
The Art of the Deal, 1/2: @arkive2k_ posted a video the other day about how ridiculous folks are over there on StockX middling over a $3 or $5 difference in price on a $100 pair of shoes and, maybe there’s a good reason, but I don’t see how anyone is gonna pass on a 3% difference. Why?
To me, it seems, on StockX, a small percentage of y’all just don’t understand the art of negotiation. And as a seller who sells primarily on eBay… I’m convinced that 98% of people I deal with just don’t understand the first thing about negotiation. So I wanted to make a post (voicing my frustration) to help educate y’all on how to negotiate.
At Sneakercon the other day, my buddy (who’s been living in China for the past ~15 years) says to me ‘these guys out here just don’t know how to negotiate. There’s no back and forth.’ And I said ‘that’s absolutely true. Negotiation is much more of an international game than an American game’.
Negotiating, historically, was not part of my culture growing up. The price was the price. There wasn’t much p2p The idea never even crossed my mind…until…I started traveling to other countries in the early 2000s…where I realized that negotiating is the only way to do business p2p. I remember I used to HATE negotiating. For whatever reason, I never felt right going back and forth with someone over a price and never really liked (what I thought was) hurting anyone’s feelings. I was terrible at it for a long time because I just hated it…but then…I guess I got into a groove. If I want something, or I want to sell something…I have a relatively rigid set of rules. Usually, I have a pretty good idea of what something is worth TO ME and that’s the number I tend to use as my basis.
- When buying, if the asking price is NOT within 40% of my basis number, I likely won’t even bother with negotiations.
- When buying, if the asking price is around or even AT my basis number - I will rarely, if ever, offer someone more than 25% below their asking price.
- When selling, I will almost ALWAYS accept the offer if it’s within 20% of my asking price.
Above all - I try to remain RESPECTFUL.
Top Comment: 40yoshoes It’s definitely associated with USA culture, not negotiating/haggling over the price of the vast majority of consumer goods. Maybe homes and cars are the standard exceptions. When I was a young man traveling in the Middle East the first time a gentleman told me he’d slit my throat if I didn’t negotiate over the price of a ceramic plate with him. Real time cultural exchange/lesson.
Thursday, 20th July 2023
The Art of the Deal, 2/2 (plus, a case study): So…my rules (from yesterday’s post)…It might sound complicated but it’s really not. It’s become my second nature when negotiating with people online. If you’re serious, set your mental price basis, your percentages, and above all - try to ALWAYS remain respectful.
As we all know, when negotiating with people online, things can turn sour quickly. And, it kinda sucks, because if someone hits you with something you don’t like right off the bat, that can kill negotiations immediately. There are plenty of dudes who hit me with bullsh*t offers that I’ll entertain for a few minutes, but if they cross the line more than once - I’m done.
So...take this case for example (second slide). You can imagine how annoyed I was with this asshat…keep in mind, this is a dope custom item (by @creativeking) I priced at $94.99 (with $5 shipping):
Dude starts with a $50 offer, half of my asking but I figure it's a start.
So I respond with my number $80, ~20% off my asking.
He undercuts his ORIGINAL offer by $10 and responds with $40.
So at this point, this dude can eat a bag of d*cks. Negotiations are dead.
To rub it in his stupid face, I send a counteroffer to one penny below my asking price, and then I’ll probably just block his user ID and post this whole interaction on my IG for all to see.
Remember, it can be fun to negotiate, but it's really not fun when you're just trying to be a d*ck for no reason.
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Anyway, this closes out my 'Art of the Deal'...Follow me for more beauty tips!
Top Comment: jim_shoes Being respectful is #1. Then presenting a resonable offer with some context (retail new is $100, and these are used with some scuffs, ect). Please and thank you go a long way. Also, "I have payment ready" or "I am ready to pay now" helps.
Friday, 21st July 2023:
The Art of the Deal, 3/2:
Based on @digglahhh comment yesterday, I felt I would have missed a golden opportunity had I not finished it out with ‘special cases’, because no one really knows what to do about those. Maybe this one can reach more than 507 of my 15,547 followers!!!
A ‘special case’ is going to be something that is not really all that liquid. As sneakers, these could be Vintage, Player Exclusives, Samples, or even Customs.
- Vintage: IMO these are shoes that are 10+ years old. Some are unwearable, so it’s hard to really gauge what some of these are worth.
- Player Exclusives: knowing that Nike and Adidas give sponsored athletes a brand new pair of shoes every game, you’ve gotta assume there are quite a few PE’s produced each year. And of those PEs, only a handful are actually worth anything. NBA shoe sizes aren’t very common in the sneaker-buying market, so unless it’s a coveted model made for an important player or event, you’re likely going have to a tough time trying to find a buyer (if it's not @pjtucker )
- Samples: these can fall into several different categories - production, look-see, salesman, conceptual, etc. The value on these can vary WIDELY depending on the model in question and how rare of a sample we’re talking. Some samples of shoes that were never actually released (but caused a buzz) can be worth absurd amounts of money.
Check out what happened to me (this transpired the other day):
- I found a pair of Jordan XXX Georgetown Player Exclusives in a size 15 probably 5 or 6 years ago. I’m pretty sure I paid less than $100 for them.
- I know that they’re absurdly rare (probably less than 100 pairs in the world), but they are a size 15.
- I have been trying to sell these on eBay for $349.99 BIN for probably 5 years now. Not a single bite.
- The other day, some guy offered me $150 - 58% off of my asking - and I accepted.
- But he didn’t pay. So they’re being relisted as we speak.
The thing is…no matter the type described above, you’ve gotta have an open mind when buying or selling. If it's not a highly liquid item - shoot your shot. But above all, again, BE RESPECTFUL!
Top Comment: instyleshoes1999 So many things to say here. Will simply echo your last comment….BE RESPECTFUL.
Enjoy the rest of your week!