Controversy Over 'Reselling at a Premium' in the Second-Hand Market After Children’s Sneaker Open Run Incident

A brawl occurred at the open run event for children's sneakers, leading to police intervention, while the product is being traded in the second-hand market for nearly double its retail price.

According to the distribution industry on the 25th, numerous listings with premium prices have appeared on online second-hand trading cafes like "Joongonara" and second-hand trading apps like "Danggeun Market" since the day before the sneakers were stocked and sold.

Sellers emphasize phrases like "unopened new product" and "bought during the open run" while selling sneakers, originally priced between 85,900 won and 99,900 won, for 150,000 to 180,000 won.

What’s even more surprising is that despite these high prices, many items have already been marked as 'reserved' or 'sold out.'

On the second-hand trading platform, there are several posts stating, "I tried it on my child, but it doesn’t fit," offering to exchange their purchased product for the same item in a specific size. However, in addition to these exchange requests, many instances are found where products are being resold with a premium under the guise of "it doesn’t fit my child."

As the situation worsens, some sellers have even adopted an 'auction' method. One netizen expressed disbelief in an online community, stating, "There are people in my neighborhood holding auctions. They post photos of the purchased product and say they will sell it to the highest bidder."

This phenomenon is part of the recurring 'resell' culture that takes place whenever limited-edition sneakers or popular products are released, and recently, the target has expanded to include children’s products as well.

Experts point out that this behavior disrupts normal consumer culture and creates negative consequences by depriving genuinely needy consumers of purchasing opportunities.

A representative from the Korea Consumer Agency stated, "This phenomenon can occur due to the imbalance of supply and demand in limited-edition products; however, it is particularly concerning to see this situation in children's products. It is necessary for manufacturers to secure enough supply and limit the purchase quantity per individual."

Image source: youtube 'Hong Hyun-hee and Jae-soon's Hongsson TV', Joongonara screenshot