collecting - Ubinami- Sneakers & Lifestyle

Buying, selling, and trading sneakers can be extremely addicting. The rush of getting a grail or long-awaited pair cannot be replicated. Countless people call sneaker enthusiasts crazy for spending so much on a pair of shoes. Sneaker collecting definitely isn’t for everybody, but those who devote their time and energy to it often reap extraordinary rewards.

Buying sneakers is nowhere near as simple as it used to be. Now, a consumer must do their due diligence and footwork in-person, online, or a combination of both just to have a chance of buying the desired pair of sneakers.

Sneakers bring countless emotions along. Anyone who buys a new pair of kicks and puts them on for the first time knows about that unmatched feeling. Sneakerheads all over the world are constantly chasing their next “high.”

Thrilling Sneaker Pickups

Anyone interested in sneakers knows that new pickup feeling. It cannot be bought or replicated. However, countless pickups don’t always bring that thrill. Every purchase isn’t the same. Some are more meaningful for obvious and not so obvious reasons.

Additionally, some sneakers become instant classics in a rotation because of personal reasons. A long awaited pair that requires footwork typically outweighs general release pairs that can be bought with little effort.

Anyone with money can buy a pair of sneakers. However, to pickup a pair that holds some type of significance is an experience that goes beyond materialistic aspects. Memories, stories, and feelings attached to certain sneakers make the pickups thrilling and exciting. Sneaker collecting is never about quantity, but instead focuses on the quality of a collection.

Sneaker enthusiasts all around the world are constantly chasing that feeling of a fresh pair landing on their feet for the first time.

Expensive Yet Rewarding

Building a sneaker collection is not cheap at all. Even when buying general release and/or discounted pairs, most sneakers easily run over $100. Sneaker collecting might not be an ideal hobby for someone who isn’t financially stable. However, anyone can get into sneaker collecting due to the accessibility and ease of buying new sneakers.

Sneakers and money have a complex dynamic. More often then not, pairs that are priced extremely low are usually too good to be true. An authentic pair of Jordans with some hype will rarely sell for under retail in the secondary market. At the same time, many solid sneakers become discounted over time for a variety of reasons. Any new sneaker collector must do their due diligence to avoid getting scammed, tricked, or fleeced.

There are tons of hobbies that are nowhere near as expensive as collecting sneakers. Everyone has their own buying preferences; someone interested in sneakers must be prepared to shell out several hundred to even thousands of dollars to build up a solid collection. An interest, hobby, or way of life will never be defined by the amount of money spent. A collector with sneakers valuing over $10,000 might not feel as fulfilled or satisfied about their collection compared to someone who just started with only a few pairs in their possession.

Sneakers are expensive but can definitely be rewarding. Many individuals buy themselves new pairs when they reach certain life milestones and accomplishments. When someone can look back on their collection and appreciate the hard work, time, and energy put into building, they will typically feel a sense of satisfaction and appreciation for their efforts.

Sneaker collections become unique and personalized over time.

Sneaker Collecting vs. Accumulating

All belongings and possessions aren’t collections. All accumulations aren’t meaningful or significant. Collections like sneaker collections mean different things to different individuals. One person with a collection of fifty might not be as satisfied or fulfilled as someone with twenty pairs. A collection’s true value isn’t measured by quantity, but instead by the quality and meaning.

Sneaker collections become meaningful over time. A particular pair usually doesn’t get fully appreciated instantly.

Sneakers that are only accumulated don’t hold as much meaning as collected and curated pairs. Obtaining more of anything doesn’t constitute a collection. Someone with over one hundred pairs of sneakers cannot fully appreciate every pair to the same extent as an individual with thirty solid pairs. Collections are extremely subjective. Anyone can buy and consume while less collect and appreciate each piece of their collection.

The Future of Sneaker Collecting

Sneaker collecting has countless unknowns. Who knows if sneakers will become even more mainstream than they are now. Also, one might question how sneaker buying will look compared to today. There are many uncertainties regarding sneakers, but one thing is certain- there will be numerous individuals who will continue to select, collect, and appreciate sneakers for their entire lives.

Sneakers bring people together more than they pull them apart. The days of killings over Jordans aren’t over, but sneaker-related violence seems to be steadily declining compared to a few decades ago. We need more peace in the world especially in the sneaker community. Everything doesn’t have to be a competition. Collecting sneakers should never be a competition.

When people make collecting a competition, they lose some substance and authenticity in the act of collecting itself. A collector who is always worried about trends, competing with others, and what the next person is buying won’t be able to curate a fully personalized collection. An authentic sneaker collection should be a representation of individual tastes and styles, never a mirror of another collection.

Collecting Sneakers: Investments and Returns

The art of collecting brings numerous purposes and reasons along. Some collectors look to obtain massive collections while others look to collect and bank in on certain collectibles. The world of sneakers is no stranger to returns that attract even non-collectors.

Just like the stock market, the sneaker market can be simplified to a classic phrase: “buy low, sell high.” Reselling sneakers is now viewed as an investment option with fantastic yields. Collectors may sell a pair they didn’t intend to keep in the first place or they might sell pairs that have been collecting dust over multiple months or even years.

Collectors everywhere hear stories of the longest of long holds. A pair of sneakers released this year may be worth double, triple, or even ten times its current market value five years from now. Selling sneakers can be tricky; one pair that goes up in value tomorrow may crash in just a few weeks. Even people who wear their sneakers now and look to get rid of them in the future may still come up with a substantial profit.

Sneaker reselling is not just something for resellers who are strictly looking for profits. Even the most seasoned collectors resell pairs for various reasons. Reselling one pair to buy another seems to be the norm especially in times of economic distress. Enthusiasts everywhere may look to keep their collections under a certain number; limiting collections gives more value to each pair of sneakers rather than having countless pairs that rarely see the concrete.

Diminishing and Skyrocketing Market Value

Similar to the car market, the sneaker market witnesses rapid asset depreciation. As soon as someone tries on a pair of shoes, the value goes down. As soon as they are worn and collect a spec of dirt, they go down even more.

Collectors may keep multiple pairs at a time brand new or “deadstock” for potential selling or trading purposes in the near or distant future. Although sneakers do not depreciate as dramatically as cars, there is still a major benefit of holding pairs that one may be unsure of wearing.

Major collectors may have multiple pairs to keep on ice in order to potentially get some grails in the future. The sneaker market is constantly fluctuating. One particular pair of sneakers may be worth under its retail price currently but could skyrocket in value in only a few years. The reverse is also true. Sneakers that are extremely high in resell value now may drop significantly after some news comes out or more pairs are released.

Sneaker values all over are forever changing; very few sneakers stay stagnant in the secondary market. Market changes include countless ups and downs with little periods of inactivity. Companies such as StockX and GOAT allow buyers and sellers to track sneaker prices in real time- just like the stock market. The analysis of resell performance on the secondary market will continue to become more widespread as countless individuals are looking for unconventional ways to invest their money.

Collecting Sneakers: Unique Personalized Collections

Sneaker collections speak volumes on how an individual expresses themselves. Some collectors may strictly stick to Jordans, others may be more favorable to other labels like Adidas, New Balance, Reebok, Saucony, or Asics. A collection shows someone’s personal style; sneakers are a form of expression that have evolved over numerous years.

A sneaker collection goes far beyond materialistic aspects. Someone may cherish particular pairs because of the stories tied to them. For example, a pair of sneakers may have been a sought after grail that someone could not afford when they first got into shoes. Another collector may look to keep sneakers in their collection that were obtained through camping out all night or through months of saving up hard earned cash.

People express their styles when they wear sneakers unique to them. At the end of the day, no two collections are exact. Unique collections showcase various colorways, materials, and brands. Stories run abundantly among sneakers; more pairs ultimately leads to more stories that add another layer of distinctiveness.

Know Your (Sneaker) Worth

At the end of a day, collecting sneakers is an expensive yet rewarding lifestyle. If you find yourself to be a nostalgic and/or sentimental person, a collection will hold more weight compared to someone who is more concerned with materialistic aspects. Sneaker collections bring out the best of meaningful memories and stories and help people express themselves in a healthy way.

The worth of a sneaker collection cannot be determined easily. Some may not appreciate your collection as much as you do, but who cares what other people have to say about the shoes you collect and wear?

Know the worth of your collection (both literally- in terms of monetary value for any insurance or trading reasons and figuratively for the greater meaning of all the sneakers). Nobody can ever curate the perfect collection for someone else. A collector knows what will work best in their sneaker collection more than anyone else. Wear and collect what you like. Keep it simple.

Tag: collecting

Sneaker Collecting: Thrilling Yet Expensive