- Supreme was just sold to VF Corporation, the owner of Vans, The North Face, and Timberland, for $2.1 billion.
- Apparel and accessories from the New York City-based streetwear brand have historically been massive hits on the resale market, partly because of limited stock releases.
- If Supreme were to lose its element of scarcity under VF’s umbrella, its products could soon go down in value.
- Business Insider asked three resale experts which Supreme products will retain their value on the resale market over the long haul and which items are still worth investing in.
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For many apparel and footwear resellers, Supreme used to be a gold mine.
Products released from the New York City-based streetwear brand have historically offered high returns on investment on the resale market, thanks to the limited stock of its weekly drops. A Supreme box logo crew neck sweater that retailed for $158 is currently fetching around $700 on StockX, a leading resale platform. And cookie packages from Supreme’s collaboration with Oreo in February went for as much as $17,000 on eBay.
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But now, Supreme fans fear that time could be running out for the brand that has been a symbol for counter-culture and the rejection of the mainstream since its founding in 1994. On Monday, Supreme was sold to VF Corporation, which owns Vans, The North Face, and Timberland, for $2.1 billion. Since streetwear thrives on scarcity, analysts suggested that the acquisition from a company that lives in the world of mass production could make Supreme susceptible to potentially losing some of its hype-driven value.
“Ultimately, streetwear and scale do not make sense together,” streetwear analyst Justin Gage said. “If you mass produce Supreme, it dies.”
Under the acquisition, Supreme will now have access to VF’s global supply chain, international platforms, digital functions, and consumer knowledge.
While some Supreme fans see the sale to VF as a sign of the brand’s oncoming death, some resale experts say that certain Supreme products will likely continue to perform well on the resale market.
According to Amir Azarcon, sneaker and streetwear expert at luxury consignment retailer The RealReal, demand and resale value for a brand tend to increase when it announces a new acquisition or change in leadership.
“Case in point, I don’t think this announcement will have a negative impact on Supreme’s resale value and could actually contribute to it seeing higher resale values,” he said.
The consensus among experts agree that Supreme is not dead, yet. But given the shift to VF, Business Insider asked resale experts which Supreme products will most likely retain their value on the resale market over the long haul and which items fans should invest in now.
