From 150 to 1.5 million euros per pair: the flourishing business of "resellers" of sneakers

In his bedroom, stacks of books meet stacks of shoeboxes. For him, the comma evokes punctuation just as much as a reference to the "Swoosh", the emblematic logo of the American equipment manufacturer Nike. “My first pair was an Adidas Yeezy, a little over a year ago. Bought for 220 euros and resold a few days later for 350 euros to an acquaintance. From 8 am until evening, I stayed connected to the brand's website. And I grabbed her. At first, I thought I would keep it for myself and then, finally, I thought it was a way to make a little income. »

Henri, a 17-year-old high school student in the Grenoble region, is what is known in the jargon as a "reseller", named after those young people who buy new and highly sought-after products online and often resell them immediately after. , earning a capital gain in the process. More and more resourceful amateurs, half-passionate, half-traders, aged 15 to 25 for the most part, who benefit from the law of supply and demand, but also from the proliferation of limited series to do the somersault. At the forefront of a generation for whom "money from online sales has become a very common way of gaining purchasing power, autonomy and asserting one's identity", underlines Elodie Gentina, professor of marketing and specialist in the consumption patterns of adolescents and young adults.

In the kingdom of the most desirable and most speculative items, the brand of streetwear clothing and fashion accessories Supreme, game consoles like the Sony PS5 but, above all, sneakers. It is in this market that most “resellers” launch and prosper. Because sports shoes have become objects of speculation, which sometimes reach exorbitant amounts. On an annual global resale market valued at 6 billion euros, some models are soaring. In April 2021, Sotheby's sold for 1.8 million dollars (1.5 million euros) Nikes that belonged to Kanye West.

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Hours of learning

Far from these peaks, the resale of a trendy and new model, bought between 200 and 300 euros, can bring in two to three times its purchase price. Or at least generate substantial added value for a student budget. We remember the enthusiasm for the sneakers of the Lidl brand, produced in limited edition for the second time in July 2021 (a first edition had been put on sale in December 2020). Costing 12.99 euros, they sold for ten times more. An ephemeral runaway – many pairs in the colors of the hard discount specialist are now found on the floor of sales sites between individuals – but which benefited a few days to some clever little ones.

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