I quit my job to resell trainers — now I’m making £2,000 a month --[Reported by Umva mag]

The smart ones among us flog our old shoes, clothes and accessories online, hoping to earn a bit of extra cash during the
cost-of-living crisis.

But one savvy seller has revealed how he turned his side hustle into a full-time business – turning overa profit of £2,000 a month.

Jed Brailey, 24, from Essex, began selling clothes and trainers as a teenager. Back then it was a way of funding his all-consuming obsession with streetwear.

The global trainer market is worth tens of billions of pounds and is growing fast.

Rare pairs of sneakers fetch eye-watering sums (yes, millions!), and celebrities from Travis Scott to Kanye West – and most iconically, Michael Jordan – collaborate with the top brands such as Adidas and Nike. While Jed might not be selling anything in that price range, he’s still making good money.

‘My business started as a way to fund my own passion,’ says Jed. ‘If I wanted to keep a certain product I would always try to buy two and sell one, and then use the profits to justify keeping the shoes that
I really wanted.

‘It grew from there. As many things do, it was a hobby that grew into a business.’

Jed worked full-time in the jewellery industry for six years, building his streetwear empire alongside his day job.

He did all he could to get his hands on new releases – also known as ‘drops’ – often convincing his mum and girlfriend to also enter the ballots and raffles necessary to bag a pair of sought-after trainers.

Once his business had taken 
off sufficiently and he was netting a tidy profit every month, he took the plunge and decided to sell streetwear full-time.
Jed both sources from and sells to
a loyal customer base of ‘sneakerheads’, many of whom he knows from meeting in person or via social media.

He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the streetwear market, selling items that may look like any other trainer or t-shirt to the less savvy among us, but that can sell for hundreds or even thousands of pounds to fellow streetwear fans desperate to get their hands on the coolest, rarest bit of kit.

He drives interest in his products on social media and his website and creates buzz around his brand by doing regular shows on Whatnot.

Jed still lives at home, running his business and filming his videos out of his bedroom, with boxes of shoes and piles of T-shirts all over the house and in the loft.

While he says maintaining a work-life balance can be tough, the authenticity of selling trainers from his childhood bedroom also wins him points with his followers.

‘I try to sell directly to customers – I want to build a relationship with people and talk about the products I’m selling, because they have a story behind them. People value authenticity, and want to know the backstory,’ he says.

‘There’s a boom going on in the streetwear industry. Young people express themselves through the clothes they wear. There’s almost a cult behind these brands – people are so determined to have the latest thing.’

Jed puts his success down to passion. ‘The most important thing I’ve learned in life is that you have to be passionate about what you’re doing,’ he says.

Jed’s dream for the future is to have a studio where he can film content and store his collection.

‘In the future, I’d love to have a multifaceted space where I can express myself and not be in my bedroom any more,’ he laughs. ‘But one step at a time!’

Check out Jed Brailey’s store and to start selling yourself visit Whatnot.

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