SALT LAKE CITY – College students normally don’t have a lot of money, and what money they do make goes straight to paying for college tuition. With a side hustle, students can make the money to go out and enjoy themselves during college.
Introducing the world of reselling — fashion, hype, and trendy products — the “side hustle.” It may sound silly at first, but the people doing it, known as “hypebeasts,” are smart, savvy, and can talk a customer into buying almost anything. It is so simple that kids from high school are making thousands of dollars a month reselling trendy items.
Initially, it wasn’t all about Supreme, Bape, Yeezy’s, and all of those other trendy brands that have taken over the reselling business. Air Jordan sneakers were among the first products to resell. Why? Because Jordan changed the game of basketball and brought a new swagger to the game. He was fly and tons of people wanted to be like him … like Mike. Over time Jordan grew into a lifestyle and eventually into a business. Demand for Jordan sneakers was at an all-time high. Every time there was a new pair
White cement retro 4 Jordan’s. One of the most coveted shoes on the market.
that dropped everyone had to have them. There was a limited supply at each store, so they would tend to sell out fast. Some recognized an opportunity in the demand and began selling the sneakers for three times their original price. Why would anyone buy those sneakers for that outrageous price? These shoes represented a lifestyle that brought a community of people together. They represented memories and in some cases, they determined whether or not you had some extra cash.
See, many people couldn’t afford to buy shoes or even buy them for the resale price, but because they were so special, people saved up to make sure they could grab a pair of fresh Jordan’s.
Mike O’Brien has first-hand experience with reselling and is a manager at a sneaker store named Finish Line. For O’Brien, sneakers have been a way of life. They are what makes him happy and what he likes to spend his money on. Sneakers are a big part of who he is and has grown to be.
Mike O’Brien holding a pair of Space Jam retro 11 Jordan’s.
“When I was little I loved the game of basketball,” says O’Brien. “Jordan was like my idol and I wanted to be like him. I always thought the shoes were cool looking and I wanted to have every single pair.”
As he grew up, he saw the opportunity at a young age to make a little money with his passion for sneakers.
“I used to camp out all night back in high school for a pair of some fresh Jordan’s,” he says. “It didn’t matter if it was a school night or if I had a test the next morning if there was some fresh Jordan’s about to drop then you already know I was going to be there.”
Today, reselling has shifted more to the fashion side of things. With brands like Supreme, Bape, Off-White, and many more, these companies are creating products that are desirable to people. The hype of these products and what it means to own them, drives the resale price sky high. Especially when these companies team up with a high fashion brands like Louis Vuitton — those resale prices are insane, and the profits, impressive.
Supreme x Louis Vuitton backpack.
Just like a business, it takes dedication and time to build credibility as a reseller. It requires a clientele, research to avoid wasteful products that won’t resell at a high value, and some finesse. Finesse, is perhaps the most important of them all — the skill to use words in a way that convinces people to buy, what to buy and who to buy from. Jack Zhang, is interested in fashion and has become a successful local reseller.
Jack Zhang
“Fashion is one of my passions. I love looking and feeling fresh with some of the most exclusive clothing items on the market,” say Zhang. “Once I learned more about the business of reselling I was hooked. Buying these hyped up products and selling them for double, triple, and sometimes even quadruple the price is something you can’t pass up.”
The side hustle is easy; show up, buy it, and then resell it once all of the items have sold out. Soon there could be a nice little cash flow. Sometimes, a patient buyer who holds onto items for a year or so can make even more money. With Supreme products, a buyer who purchased 25 percent of the 149 items released in a year could pocket a profit of $10,000. Now that, is some serious cash, especially for a side hustle.
U NewsWriting 