How Much Do Sneaker Resellers Make A Year?

The world of sneakers is an odd one. Highly competitive and fast-moving would be the two most appropriate terms to describe this world.

The constant need to stay on top of trends of the general population creates the opportunity for a business to grow for others. For those who are clever enough to capitalise on this situation are essentially holding their golden ticket in life. Everyone is in search of the next product that will drop from their favourite brands. Be it Yeezys or Jordans.

The hype is absolutely real. This hype also gives birth to the extremely lucrative businesses of sneaker resellers. These smart and entrepreneurial people are the true masters of the hype that consumes society at any given moment. Like wild predators ready to strike, they're incredibly precise. Not to mention, these people are ruthless in their ventures. After all, it is not easy to anticipate and control the hype around products yet to be released.

Resellers rely on their in-depth knowledge of the industry and the target demographics. They incorporate that knowledge into their plans for controlling the market and its customers. When a product drops, these people are ready to buy up all available stock as soon as possible. Using various means to achieve this, they get a massive head-start on the underground market. Dedicated fans of certain products are willing to pay insane amounts of money to purchase their desired product by any means necessary.

From bots for online drops to various other ways, these people make sure to secure as big a stock as possible depending on the popularity of the said product.  The smaller a drop is, the rarer the product will be. This only incentivises the resellers to find the biggest stock from which they can earn crazy amounts of money. The markups on these products are ridiculously high, and profits made from all these sales make for great business.

While the legality of this is questionable, it is undoubtedly something that has been around for quite a while. From massive profit margins to controlling entire markets, these people are quite clever entrepreneurs. Relying on one's wits in such a fast-moving industry is no small feat. Only the truly dedicated ones make it in the long term. 

The sneaker resale market is very lucrative, and it's valued at around $1 billion. The internet has made the business somewhat of a free-for-all with everyone having access to it. Every other person wants to join the hustle. But the hustle isn't for everyone. Amazon and eBay are filled with second-hand sneakers as resellers are promptly putting these sneakers for sale as soon as they get their hands on stock. The hustle is relentless, but it brings with it much appreciated rewards.

The insane markups add up to insane overall profits, and a person doesn't need to be a financial expert to understand how massively profitable all this truly is. Many marketplace apps such as StockX and GOAT, not to mention the social media sites where a person is just one DM away from turning a rare pair of sneakers into a stable income. 

It is a rule of thumb to charge around 15℅ for each pair to start, but depending on the availability and rare nature of products, the percentages climb very high, very fast. Even doing it as a side job can net someone a few thousand bucks each month. With experience and time in the business, a person is bound to make connections. The bigger the connections, the bigger the customer base. Like any other business, reputation does make a big difference. People have said that they've made up to six figures on average a year and those are only scratching the surface.

The experienced resellers bag close to our over a million dollars yearly. One of the most successful sneaker resellers, Benjamin Kapelushnik, got started in the business in his teens and he made his first million only three years into it.

Undoubtedly, the connections he gained from selling sneakers to the likes of DJ Khaled helped him out big time. However, his own efforts can't be discarded so easily. He has put in the work to establish himself, and that's undeniable. It isn't impossible to make a living doing just this. Even a single pair of the right shoes can easily go for around $5,000, and the number keeps going up if the seller knows what he's doing.

It's easy to understand that if the resellers are aware of market trends and can adapt to them on the fly, earning six figures is certainly within reason. This profitable industry is one that is continually evolving, and those who can stay on top of all these changes are set for smooth sailing for the foreseeable future. 

Sneaker resellers run a big business in the underground sector of the sneaker industry. Their dedication to the market has birthed hundreds of up and coming hustlers that keep the absurd economy of sneakers moving swiftly along. It is a risky business in the beginning, but those who persevere are treated with huge success for their efforts. There's no substitute for hard work, no matter what industry you are in. Resellers have a significant impact on the market and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.