How sneakerheads ruined online shopping

Online shopping is often billed as a passive and leisurely activity, a task to pass the time. But for anyone intent on buying an in-demand item, online shopping is far from "retail therapy." It's an ultra-competitive sport between the hundreds or thousands of shopaholic vultures refreshing a website minutes before an item is scheduled to "drop." For The Goods, Casey Taylor dives into [how sneaker resale culture changed how we buy things online](, from PS5s to the parent-favorite Nugget couch. People are always willing to pay more for an in-demand item, and resellers know that. Such is the nature of supply and demand, but thank the sneakerheads for that. —[Terry Nguyen](, reporter for The Goods How sneakerheads ruined online shopping [sneakers all lined up]( Maja Hitij/Getty Images In the affluent blocks and neighborhoods of cities and suburbs across the country, moms of young children spent the summer and fall of 2020 raging at the impossibility of acquiring the one item that could bring them happiness. They were stuck inside like everyone else, but with difficult-to-please toddlers who had nowhere to play — and the solution to all their problems, the Nugget couch, [was sold out again](. It’s impossible to predict what the hottest toy of the year will be, but in retrospect, it makes sense that this one doubled as furniture. Animal Cracker-addled tyrants — forbidden from local playgrounds due to coronavirus restrictions — could hoist themselves onto the [fort-like designs]( and give parents a few minutes of solace. Unfortunately, every restock to the direct-to-consumer business’s website sold out within minutes, assuming you were able to even get one in your cart before trying to check out. Moms were left delirious, paying over $500, or more than twice the retail price of the Nugget, on aftermarket platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. “I thought $229 was crazy expensive, so no way I was going over that,” says Pennsylvania mom Jessica DeRafelo. “But I know there’s some crazy Nugget people out there.” [Read the full story ]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Clubhouse, the invite-only audio app, explained The beta version of the audio app is currently invite-only, but its exclusivity has generated a lot of public interest. [Read the full story ]( 1970s VCR dating paved the way for Tinder and Hinge Great Expectations, which existed into the ’90s, was the original dating technology. [Read the full story ]( More good stuff to read today - [Most Americans are doing pods wrong]( - [What teen investors learned from the GameStop frenzy]( - [Celebrities have always done endorsements. Now they sell their fast food orders.]( - [In the world of Super Bowl ads, 2020 never happened]( - [The limits of the lunchbox moment]( - [The best face mask is one that fits]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.