The History of the Term “Deadstock”

If you’ve ever tried shopping for sneakers on any marketplace before, chances are you probably would have encountered the term “deadstock”. While there’s a variety of different ways to explain its meaning, it is universally understood by sneakerheads to describe items that are brand new, unworn, and in its original packaging.

But that wasn’t the original meaning of the term. In fact, it had a very interesting evolution through the years. Back in what some old-school collectors would label as the good ol’ days, “deadstock” was used exclusively by retailers to describe brand new stock that couldn’t leave the store’s shelves. In other words, these were stock that were so unsellable they were considered dead, which gave rise to the terminology.

As time went by and sneakers started becoming more and more valuable, it was now the customers and resellers who started using the proliferating term to describe their shoes on marketplaces, which has since morphed into the definition that we have today.

While our own definition of “deadstock” does not stray too far from the path, there are some specific conditions that we require in order to be able to start selling on our platform smoothly.

“Deadstock” on the SNKRDUNK App

After your item(s) arrive at our facility, the first thing our authentication team does is to inspect them and ensure that they are deadstock before beginning the authentication process. To ensure a smooth selling process, your item(s) must be in the following conditions:

1. The item must be brand new and unused.

2. The original shoe box, product, and all of its accessories must be present.

3. The shoe box, product, and accessories must be clean and undamaged.

※ The bags for the accessories are not considered as part of the accessories and therefore not necessary while submitting.

For a more detailed look at what these conditions entail, please refer to the Guideline section under My Page tab on the SNKRDUNK App. If you haven’t downloaded it, you can do so here.

If your item passes the initial round of inspection and is considered deadstock, it will then go through our authentication process to earn the SNKRDUNK Guarantee. You will then receive your payout and the item will be sent to the buyer.

However, in the event that your item is deemed to not be deadstock, the transaction will be cancelled immediately and the item will be returned to you, but you will be responsible for the return shipping costs.

To prevent this from happening, please do a thorough check before listing it on the SNKRDUNK app. You can also refer to this helpful guide on what to look out for before listing your sneakers, and our tips on how to pack for shipping. Start selling by downloading the SNKRDUNK App and registering an account with us today!

The Selling function is currently available for SNKRDUNK App users in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. We’re working on making this feature available to all users soon—stay tuned!

More on SNKRDUNK Selling function:
Sell Your Sneakers on the SNKRDUNK App Now
How to Pack for Shipping
Tips for a Higher Sell-Through Rate