Complex’s docuseries Sold Out: The Underground Economy of Supreme Resellers explores the world of reselling Supreme, where cutthroat fans do whatever it takes to purchase gear from the streetwear brand, and then sell the goods themselves for big profits. Our four-part series embeds the individuals who perpetuate this global phenomenon to get an on-the-ground look at the illicit market of Supreme apparel.
Supreme is one of the most sought after streetwear brands in the world. Many line up outside the stores hours—even days—or stay glued to their computers, before every Thursday drop. Some even figure out hacks for copping items online. As a result, each Supreme collection or collaboration sells out in minutes, and plenty are forced to look elsewhere to purchase the apparel or accessories.
Enter resellers. A reseller is an individual who buys good or services with the intention of selling them for profit. Over the years, Supreme has become one of the most coveted brands on the resale market, especially given the hype around it and the label's decision to release product in tightly controlled, limited amounts.
The second episode of Sold Out: The Underground Economy of Supreme Resellers introduces some of the biggest players in this market. These resellers, all but one of whom requested to have their identities hidden, divulge information on the hush-hush, competitive nature of their businesses and break down the science behind their operations, most of which are run through eBay, PayPal, Instagram, and sometimes consignment shops. They also reveal the struggles of being a Supreme reseller (they prefer to be called “collectors” because they believe the term “resellers” has a negative connotation to it), the backlash they’ve received from the public and Supreme, the latter of which has expressed in the past its disapproval of resellers and will sometimes forbid resellers to purchase items in-store, as well as what it takes to be successful in this world.
