Arbit Sneaker Market Digest

When Should You Buy and Sell Sneakers?

Author

Coop @Arbit
December 21, 2023

What’s up guys?! Thanks to everyone who met with us in Chicago at Got Sole last weekend! We had a blast! We’re off the road until January (see you soon, SneakerCon Ft. Lauderdale! 👀), but the work doesn’t stop. More Beta invites hitting your inboxes soon, and new year-end trends and analysis below. 👟 

Last Week’s Arbitrage Pick—Jordan 4 Retro SE Craft Medium Olive—at Chicago Got Sole

API Now Available for UPCs and Real-Time Prices!

Last week, we made available a Real-Time Prices API that provides comprehensive and accurate sneaker resell prices in real time from across major marketplaces. 💲 Today, we’re making another API available, this one for Sneaker UPCs (Universal Product Codes).

A Sneaker UPC API supports platforms in the sneaker market ecosystem in various ways, including

  • enhancing the verification of sneaker details to ensure the authenticity of products,

  • and seamlessly integrating accurate and up-to-date pricing information for e-commerce platforms.

Subscribe to our APIs here. 🤑

Market Analysis: Best Times to Buy and Sell Sneakers are Clear and Predictable

We analyzed resell prices and volume going back to 2021, and the charts illustrated a beautifully predictable cycle of peaks and valleys. Understanding this seasonality provides foreseeable windows to buy low and sell high.

The chart below takes the average daily sales price from the period between January 2021 and December 2023 and shows the difference (Y-axis) between that average and the average sales price for a specific period of time (X-axis). For example, year-over-year, average sneaker sales in March peak at $10 above average prices across the entire January 2021 to December 2023 period.

Prices tend to be higher in the first quarter of the year, peaking around February. The summer brings lows, as does the period between back-to-school and holiday shopping.

Y-Axis Shows Difference ($) Between Average Daily Sales Price for Period from January 2021 to December 2023 and Average for a Specific Time Period

We see a pattern of seasonality also represented in sales volume (see chart below), though volume takes a dip at the top of Q1 before prices do.

Y-Axis Shows Difference (#) Between Average Daily Sales Count for Period from January 2021 to December 2023 and Average for a Specific Time Period

In conclusion, for buyers, the best deals will generally be found in the spring and early summer months. For sellers, top of Q3 (back to school) and end of Q4 should deliver the most profitable cocktail of high prices and high demand. Natalya and Bempah

-Team Arbit #trusttheprices

ABOUT ARBIT: Arbit is a marketplace that uses AI to help people buy sneakers on the resell market at the right time and price. 👟🤑