DeadSTK

Scaling a Sneaker & Streetwear Reselling Business using

Automation & Market Insights

Introduction

DeadSTK was a sneaker and streetwear reselling venture designed to capitalize on high-demand, limited-edition product drops from brands like Nike, Adidas, Supreme, Palace, and Yeezy. By leveraging automation tools, market analysis, and strategic pricing, I created a scalable business model that maximized profit margins while navigating a competitive and fast-moving resale industry.

The Scope

DeadSTK was more than just a reselling venture—it was my introduction to understanding market dynamics, automation, and consumer behavior at scale. The challenges and successes of DeadSTK sparked my passion for product management, leading me to explore how technology can optimize business strategies. This experience ultimately inspired me to envision a marketplace tailored for resellers, providing streamlined tools for automation, pricing analytics, and multi-platform distribution.

Project Scale: March 2020-May 2022

Skills/Methodologies: Market & Trend Analysis, Pricing Strategy & Demand Forecasting, E-Commerce Automation, Inventory & Order Management, Competitive Research, Multi-Platform Selling (StockX, GOAT, eBay, Instagram), and Data-Driven Decision Making.

Tools used: StockX, GOAT, Grailed, and eBay for resale analytics, Shopify & Supreme bots (Cyber, Kodai, Velox), Proxies & Server Networks (Residential Proxies, VPNs), Twitter, Discord & Reddit for trend monitoring, and Excel/Google Sheets for basic inventory and pricing management.

The Challenge

When the pandemic started, most retailers moved to selling all their inventory online, which presented a unique opportunity to scale the buying of limited items and reselling. The resale market was evolving rapidly, with new barriers making it harder for independent resellers to compete. The introduction of advanced bot protection, increased competition from established resellers, and fluctuating demand meant that traditional buying and selling methods were no longer sustainable. Success required a data-driven approach, leveraging automation and market insights to stay ahead.

The sneaker and streetwear resale markets are highly competitive, driven by:

Limited supply: Brands like Supreme, Nike, Adidas, and Yeezy deliberately restrict inventory to drive demand.
Retailer restrictions: Anti-bot measures, purchase limits, and raffle-based releases make it difficult to acquire inventory.
Market volatility: Prices fluctuate based on demand spikes, restocks, and cultural trends, impacting profitability.

Product Phases

Phase 1: Research & Market Insights

With retailers shifting entirely online during the pandemic, acquiring limited-edition sneakers and streetwear became both a challenge and an opportunity. Researching demand patterns, resale trends, and automation strategies was critical to scaling. I analyzed release data, tracked social media hype, and benchmarked successful resellers to refine acquisition and pricing strategies.

I found that 70% of high-value sneakers and streetwear sold out within seconds, requiring automation to stay competitive. Retailers enhanced bot protections, while resale values fluctuated based on collaborations (Nike x Off-White, Supreme x The North Face, Adidas x Yeezy), restocks, and social media influence. Managing inventory across multiple platforms—StockX, GOAT, Grailed, and eBay—was key to maximizing profitability.

Key Barriers to Success

Supply Scarcity: Popular releases sell out in seconds, requiring automation and advanced purchasing strategies.
Anti-Bot Restrictions: Brands and retailers implement bot-detection software to prevent bulk buying.
Demand & Pricing Uncertainty: Market values fluctuate dramatically, requiring real-time pricing strategies to maximize margins.
Multi-Platform Selling Complexity: Managing inventory across StockX, GOAT, Grailed, and eBay required automation for efficiency.

Approach to Overcoming Challenges

To succeed, I needed a system that:

Secured inventory efficiently despite competition and retailer limitations.
Optimized pricing strategies based on market trends.
Ensured profitability at scale through automation and data-driven decision-making.

Phase 2:

Automation & Inventory Acquisition

Objective: Secure limited-edition sneakers and streetwear before the general market.

With inventory selling out in seconds, automation became essential to securing high-demand sneakers and streetwear. Manual purchasing was no longer viable due to retailer-imposed restrictions and increased competition. To stay ahead, I leveraged purchase bots for rapid checkouts on platforms like Shopify, Nike SNKRS, Adidas Confirmed, Yeezy Supply, and Supreme’s website. These tools enabled me to automate the buying process and significantly improve acquisition success rates.

To avoid detection and bans, I utilized residential proxies, which routed traffic through real consumer IPs, making purchases appear more natural. Additionally, I developed a multi-account strategy with unique payment methods and shipping addresses to increase the chances of securing multiple pairs per drop.

Phase 3:

Data-Driven Pricing Optimization

Objective: Maximize resale profits through strategic pricing models.

With fluctuating market values and unpredictable demand, a dynamic pricing strategy was essential for maintaining profitability. I leveraged real-time tracking tools from StockX, GOAT, eBay, and Grailed to monitor pricing trends and buyer behavior. By analyzing social media hype and historical sales data, I built demand forecasting models to target high-demand items, predict price fluctuations and optimize listing strategies. Using these insights, I strategically decided whether to quickly sell items expected to drop in value or hold inventory anticipated to appreciate. This approach ensured I maximized profit on high-demand products while reducing risk on lower-demand items.

One of the most striking examples of market volatility I encountered was the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 "Chicago." This sneaker was already highly sought-after, consistently rising in resale value since its release in 2017. However, when Virgil Abloh passed away in November 2021, the resale market reacted immediately. Prices for his collaborations, particularly "The Ten" collection, surged overnight. The Off-White Jordan 1 "Chicago", which had been selling for around $5,000 before his passing, skyrocketed to as high as $10,600 in some sizes on StockX within hours.

This kind of real-time market shift was exactly why I continuously monitored trends, news, and cultural events. Understanding these patterns allowed me to determine when to hold or sell inventory. In moments like these, quick decisions based on market data and cultural events could mean the difference between missing out on potential profit or capitalizing on a surge in demand.

Phase 4: Leveraging Reselling Insights to Develop a Marketplace

As I scaled DeadSTK, I encountered various challenges with existing resale platforms like StockX, GOAT, eBay, and Grailed. High seller fees, complex inventory management, and lack of pricing transparency created inefficiencies in the reselling process. Additionally, through conversations with buyers, I gathered valuable feedback about their frustrations with authentication delays, inconsistent product quality, and difficulty comparing prices across platforms.

Recognizing these pain points, I began conceptualizing a dedicated reselling marketplace. This platform would streamline the selling process, integrate automation for inventory management, ensure transparent pricing, and enhance the overall buyer experience with better authentication processes and seller accountability. These insights formed the foundation for a potential long-term business opportunity beyond reselling and started me on my journey towards product management.

Final Learnings & Reflection

My journey with DeadSTK started as a way to capitalize on sneaker and streetwear resale opportunities but evolved into a deep understanding of market dynamics, automation, and pricing strategies. Scaling operations taught me not only how to optimize acquisitions and maximize profits but also exposed me to the inefficiencies and challenges resellers face on existing platforms.

By experiencing firsthand the logistical and financial challenges of multi-platform reselling—high fees, inventory complexity, and pricing inconsistencies—I realized there was an opportunity to build something better. Conversations with buyers reinforced this, as they expressed frustrations with authentication delays, fluctuating resale prices, and a lack of transparency.

These insights led me to conceptualize a platform designed to streamline inventory management, optimize pricing strategies, and create a more efficient experience for both buyers and sellers. While DeadSTK began as a reselling venture, it became the foundation for a broader entrepreneurial vision—building a marketplace that simplifies and enhances the resale experience for everyone.

Next Steps: Applying Reselling Experience to Product Management

My experience scaling DeadSTK gave me firsthand exposure to market analysis, automation, and customer-driven problem-solving—all core aspects of product management. Through researching demand trends, optimizing pricing strategies, and conceptualizing a marketplace, I developed skills in data-driven decision-making, user feedback integration, and platform strategy.

Going forward, I will apply these insights to a product management role by:

Leveraging market insights to build data-informed product strategies.
Solving user pain points through research-backed feature development.
Optimizing automation and efficiency for scalable business solutions.
Bridging business goals with technology to create impactful, user-friendly products.

The transition from reselling to product management is a natural progression—one that builds on my ability to identify market opportunities, develop streamlined solutions, and execute strategies that drive growth, engagement, and profitability.