In a market saturated with customs, fakes, and blatant bite-offs, anyone with an appetite for getting cash the fast way can make themselves a plug. For instance, if I didn’t have a conscience, nor a genuine appreciation for the culture, I could easily get on AliExpress, order a bunch of counterfeit Yeezys for well less than $100 a piece, and sell them to the nearest thirsty clown for retail. If I was really greedy, I could sell them at Flight Club prices. And just like that I’m a “plug”. And by reading this blog, namely this post, you agree to not do such a heinous act.
A decade or more ago, with some hard work and friends in the right places, you could find a connect that probably gave you some legitimate kicks no matter what. Fakes were harder to make and integrate into the market back then. If someone’s shoes looked funky, it’s because they were. And everyone knew it, too. Unless you get down with Joe La Puma and (what I imagine to be) his dream team of friends, your plug and sneakers need to be checked. Nowadays, to the untrained eye, someone could pull up to a sneaker convention with some fake pairs, dupe some kid out of his legitimate grails, and get away with it. Fakes are that good now.
Make Sure The Seller Is On A Legitimate Resell Site
Make sure this person is on an established marketplace, like eBay and Grailed. Usually the resellers on these sites need to have their sneakers verified. These sites also usually give you a bit of ease because have some sort of guarantee where you can get your money back if the sneakers turned out to be fake. Users selling fake items are also usually suspended and/or banned when reported and/or detected, so it doesn’t do them any good selling fakes on these sites. Plus, if you buy from them only through the trusted sites, there’s a less likely chance of getting scammed. If this person does not set up shop on a trusted site, chances are they can’t be trusted.
Ask Questions About The Sneakers
Don’t ever jump the gun on sneakers that you don’t have faith beyond a reasonable doubt that the sneakers are legitimate. Ask a ton of questions. More pictures, where they got the sneakers from, a receipt, an invoice (especially with sneakers bought online nowadays), and so on. If the answers to these questions aren’t satisfactory, then the reseller is likely not a legitimate seller and you’re better moving on from that deal.
Get Photos With Tags
This is pretty much standard work nowadays. Must people who are trying to sell legitimate sneakers with have photos of their sneakers with the tags. These “tags” are usually something like index cards with information such as the seller’s handle, the date, the website, and so on. This is usually a good sign that the sneakers and the reseller are legitimate. If the sneakers don’t have tags, ask if you can get them in the pictures with the sneakers. Pictures without tags are a potential red flag because those pictures could’ve been ripped and copied from anywhere. And I’d hate for you to get catfished on some sneakers.
Check In With Your Friends
Sending photos of the sneakers to your friends and/or your sneaker group can also help you determine if this reseller is the real deal. A few pairs of eyes on the sneakers in question, along with a few different minds on the price of them can help you decide whether or not the sneakers are a good deal and worth the purchase, and whether the reseller is good. While this may not be the strongest indicator of how to determine is a sneaker or seller is legitimate, it can have its advantages, especially if people in your circle have the sneaker already and can make a few comparisons.
Shop At Consigment Stores
Consignment shops are generally considered to be even safer than buying online because the folks in these shops take more time to authenticate and verify legitimate sneakers. It also helps you because instead of buying from some random seller you don’t know, you’re getting your sneakers from an establishment, so there won’t be anything strange when it comes to the sneakers or the money involved. What you see is what you’ll get. It might be a little extra markup on the price, but in many cases, it is worth it. If you shop there enough, you might a plug at the store that will hook you up with some nice pairs here and there.
The Price Is A Good Indicator
Like anything else, if it’s too good to be true, then that’s also probably a negative. Do your due diligence to make sure you aren’t getting scammed. Obviously, don’t overpay for sneakers, but if the price is a little too good, then chances are you’re gonna get scammed.
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