Vintage style has been making a comeback in recent years. Suddenly, the old sneakers and crewneck sweatshirts you had when you were younger are popular again.
For those who are looking to collect sneakers, there are certain tips you can keep in mind to make the process easier. Let’s explore everything you should know about how to find vintage sneakers like Jordans, Chucks, and Vans.
Thrift Stores
As you might guess, thrift stores can be a great place to find vintage sneakers. Depending on where you live, you might even find that it is far easier than you expected.
In general, larger cities have a higher probability of you finding the shoes you are looking for. This is simply due to the fact that a larger population means there is a greater chance someone will be getting rid of their old sneakers.
Keep in mind, though, that the items you find at these stores won’t always be in the best condition. For many people, this won’t matter too much since they plan on wearing the items anyway.
For collectors, though, it can be more difficult to find a pair of sneakers suitable for you.
Additionally, popular items (such as vintage Nikes) are likely to sell the same day they are stocked. As such, it’s often in your best interest to get to thrift stores early in the morning.
Facebook Marketplace
For those who wish to look for vintage sneakers on the Internet, Facebook Marketplace is a good start. It’s not uncommon for people to list a large number of items at once, many of which are articles of clothing.
As with thrift stores, these items may or may not be in the greatest condition.
Another factor to consider is the possibility of people intentionally putting fake items up for sale. To elaborate, selling fake or replica vintage sneakers is fairly common these days.
To make matters worse, it is virtually impossible to verify the legitimacy of products over the Internet. For those who don’t care too much about authenticity, this won’t prove to be much of an issue.
The major issue is that you will end up drastically overpaying for a low-quality product.
Clothing Resale Apps
To help streamline your online search, you could also take advantage of clothing resale apps. These are mobile applications that are designed to function as an online thrift store.
Users can connect with each other and buy/sell clothing, and these platforms are fairly popular when it comes to selling vintage sneakers.
You are also less likely to encounter fake or replica sneakers on these applications. This is simply due to the fact that clothing resale app communities have high standards when it comes to the information they receive about the items they purchase.
As a result, scammers tend to stay away from these marketplaces.
Clothing resale apps are great places to find sneakers that are in used condition if you don’t need something that looks brand-new. More often than not, you can find a pair of worn, decent quality Vans for less than half the price they would cost at a store.
Garage Sales
Although these are more difficult to take advantage of than the other options, garage sales could easily lead you to your favorite pair of vintage sneakers. This is especially true for people who are selling their belongings before moving to a new city, as they likely want to get rid of everything they can as fast as possible.
It’s also worth noting that you are highly unlikely to get scammed at a garage sale. This is due to the fact that the owners do not advertise specific items when they advertise garage sales.
So, buyers wouldn’t even know whether or not vintage sneakers are available until they got to the property. The only way you would end up with fake or replica sneakers is if the owner had unwittingly purchased a pair for themselves in the past.
Another major benefit of garage sales is that the owners are almost always willing to negotiate on price. For instance, they may have a pair of retro sneakers listed for $60. However, they might let you take them for $30 if you also purchase a few other cheap items they would otherwise have difficulty selling.
You end up saving a bit of money, and they get some hard-to-sell items off the table. So, don’t be afraid to ask.
Dedicated Online Resale Stores
For those who want to eliminate the chances of ending up with fake sneakers, dedicated online resale stores are the option for you.
The main selling point here is the fact that they go through extensive lengths to verify the authenticity of the sneakers they keep in stock. Additionally, they are highly likely to have brand-new pairs of sneakers available.
For a collector, this is a proverbial goldmine.
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Finding Vintage Sneakers Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult
The above guide will ensure that the process goes as smoothly as it should. From here, there’s a great chance that you will find the exact vintage sneakers you are looking for and can take your outfits to the next level.
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