Ebay does not want to be outdone in the sneaker resale game.
The e-tailer, one of the world’s largest sneaker destinations, said Friday that it’s releasing “the ultimate All-Star Weekend Drop.” A series of 23 limited-time sneaker drops will coincide with the NBA’s All-Star weekend starting Friday, reaffirming its place in the sneaker resale market.
With the rise of the $3 billion valued sneaker resale market, some may have forgotten eBay was once the best place to find rare, used or out-of-production sneakers. Now, with players like Stadium Goods, Stockx and GOAT taking up any leftover white space, eBay is making a move to again be the name sneakerheads think of when looking to buy or sell.
The 23 drops set for the sporting weekend is a nod to NBA legend Michael Jordan’s jersey number, and the drops will include game-worn basketball shoes, streetwear memorabilia and rare sneaker releases. eBay has also tapped a few famous sneaker collectors and an NBA player to add their collections to the offering with some of those proceeds going to Project Fit, a charity that encourages young children to be more active.
“eBay is tapping into the moment when basketball, pop culture and street style collide—creating an All-Star Weekend Drop that brings together an unrivaled collection of inventory,” Renee Paradise, senior director of fashion at eBay said. “From the newly released Air Jordan 6 Infrareds and the rarest game worn Jordans, to the hottest Supreme collaborations and multiple styles of hard-to-cop Yeezys, eBay is the only place that can assemble this curated and coveted collection of apparel, footwear and memorabilia.”
The sneaker release will begin on Saturday, Feb. 16, coinciding with the NBA’s All-Star showcase in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ahead of the drop, eBay and Highsnobiety also opened a pop-up called “The Vault” at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte to give fans a chance to preview the collection and meet some of the stars eBay has collaborated with for the drop, including sneakerheads Jacques Slade, Aleali May, Kickstradomi, Sneaker Galactus and NBA player P.J.Tucker.
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The first drops, which start Friday, will be composed of coveted “grails,” (a thing that is earnestly pursued or sought after) including multiple styles of the ever-valuable Air Jordan basketball sneaker and a selection of sneakers from top brands like Nike, Puma and Adidas that will be an extra 20 percent off for the weekend—in fact, eBay said all of its sneaker drops will be sold below retail prices.
This is a major play for a retailer that, according to head of sneakers at eBay, Jeff Chan, has been negatively affected by the advent of new resale platforms. However, Chan said in an interview with GQ he believed eBay could become the “Instagram of sneakers” and reassert itself in the market.