Background of Sneaker Reselling

Many young teenagers dream of starting their own youtube channel, and one day making a career out of it.  That’s where it all started for 19 year old, Keith Adam, about three years ago.  Keith has a passion for buying and selling sneakers.  Not your every day Walmart sneaker, but instead very limited high demand sneakers like Kanye West’s “Yeezy”, and Jordan basketball shoes.  These shoes sell out instantly online and in store, and resell on the aftermarkets like Ebay, StockX, and other sites for sometimes up to 10 times the retail value of the shoe.  This business is very similar to those who flip real estate.  They typically buy the property for a low price, and end up selling it for a much higher price and earning profit.  This high profit margin makes reselling sneakers very appealing to young entrepreneurs.

Starting on Youtube

In 2016, Keith began his youtube journey at 16 years old.  He started producing videos with tips on how to get these limited shoes online and in store before they sell out.  His first videos did not immediately gain much popularity in views, and he rarely made any money on youtube.  After about a year making sneaker videos on youtube, Keith began to gain a following and produce interest in his channel.  His following was mostly marketed to other teenagers like him, who have a passion for sneakers, and wanted to find a way to make extra money from home.

Finding Ways to Innovate

About two years ago, Keith wanted to find a way to set himself apart from other sneakers Youtubers.  He started off using social media to promote himself and gain a bigger following from teenagers.  Keith did a lot of research to figure out a way that he could earn money outside of youtube.  This is where he discovered an app called “Discord.”  Discord is an app that is typically targeted toward video gamers.  It is a platform where groups can form and share ideas, create channels, and communicate through messages, video chat, and voice chat.  This was appealing to Keith, because it allowed him to charge his fans a monthly fee, similar to subscriptions like Netflix, in order to access his reselling information.  His focus was to continue using youtube and social media for small bits of information on reselling, but to focus on a paid subscription to Discord in order to gain full access to his content and reselling advice. He began offering his service through Discord for a small fee of $15 per month.  He used his social media and youtube channel to promote this new service, and it immediately sold out.  Keith was thrilled by the interest in his new Discord group, and from there, his career took off.

Keiths Success Today

Today, Keith continues to produce youtube videos and is active on social media, but his main focus is on Discord.  The interest in Keiths group has grown exponentially, which allows him to increase the price for his service.  Today, you can access Keiths Discord group for a steep monthly fee of $65.  Keith realized that in order to make his group stand out from other competing resellers, he has to produce the best information.  With this expensive monthly fee, Keith employs about a dozen “moderators” in his Discord group, who work around the clock finding out the best information regarding shoes.  These employees allow Keith the freedom to focus on other ways to improve, rather than having to solely work around the clock in order to help the thousands of his Discord subscribers through sneaker releases.  Keith continues to inspire many young teenagers to find a passion for sneakers and the hustle of reselling valuable sneakers.