Here we are in June. Shoes are being worn, every release is still selling out and I for one am absolutely
taking L after L.
This month’s feature doesn’t have to deal with that. Introducing Thomas Vu, June’s trader of the month. At the time of writing this, he’s over 350 trades on the app. His approach on Tradeblock is interesting. To take words right out of his mouth, “I am always willing to trade heat for bricks depending on the value.”
On a platform that is typically used to trade up or size swap, Thomas see’s value in trading for what most call, “bricks.” Grabbing people’s unwanted shoes in exchange for some “heat” may be a no go for a lot of us, but Thomas focuses on one thing, value.
He takes those shoes and grabs more heat with the proceeds from selling or adds them into trades on the platform. Everyone has their own way of approaching Tradeblock, but Thomas is educating the next
generation of traders to not just look for the hype because there are profits to be made off of the pairs that people often overlook.
Izzy: Tell me a bit about yourself
I was born & raised in the streets of Orange County. While growing up in the OC, I got exposed to Nike
SB Dunks which is what got me interested in collecting shoes and other Hypebeast things. I like the
culture, fashion, and the community. I appreciate the fact that even though we’re strangers in line trying to purchase a pair of shoes we like or just hitting someone up on a forum to buy shoes, we can connect and build a relationship. I feel like that's what the community really is about. Besides collecting shoes, I also enjoy traveling and trying new foods so if you’re interested, y’all can follow my public ig @vuthomas1508.
Izzy: What’s your favorite shoe ever?
My favorite shoe ever would be 2016 Banned 1’s because I can’t afford the 2011 Banned 1’s anymore ;(.
Izzy: What’s one silhouette that’s super slept on?
Honestly, the silhouette I feel that is super slept on are the Air Max 97s. I’m not too sure why they don’t
get much love but I just love the way they look and how comfy they are on my feet.
Izzy: What was your #1 release of 2021?
Unpopular opinion, but I feel like the Air Max 1 Patta Aqua was my favorite release from 2021.
Izzy: When did you first jump on Tradeblock?
I had to check my credit card statement for this one but it looks like my first trade was January 12, 2021; so it must have been around then. I did not realize it's been that long.
Izzy: What was your first trade?
Honestly, I don’t entirely remember which trade was my first but I think it was with my used 2016 Banned 1’s for Bodega Dunk, Iowa Dunk and Air 1 Jordan 1 Black Metallic gold.
Izzy: Are you a reseller, collector or a bit of both?
I started collecting SB Dunks and Dunks High and Lows in highschool. The funny thing is, back then I
actually got all my pairs for like $25-40 used at goodwill, Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange. The rest of
the shoes that I bought brand new were at a discount at local skate shops and Urban Outfitters. I didn’t
start reselling until my friend convinced me to go to raffles with him and help him get a couple pairs of
shoes. Then one thing just led to another.
Izzy: Based on your answer to the previous question, how do you use Tradeblock to help you
collect/resell/a bit of both?
Tradeblock has helped me resell a bit because I am always willing to trade heat for bricks depending on
the value. At the same time my collection of shoes have grown tremendously to a couple hundreds of
personal pairs. There seems to be a bunch of size 13 traders; I am running out of space!
Izzy: What are your trade tips/hacks?
I could go into depth about this but I feel the easiest way to work with someone is to make a counter when you’re presented with a trade offer of a decent value. That usually helps to lead to a trade being finalized. I’d say, on average for every 100 trades I send out, I get like 1-2 completed trades which I believe is pretty normal. It’s pretty subjective though so that may not be the case for everyone. Also something that is common for me is that I’m able to tell which silhouette someone is more likely to want to keep or get rid of based on their closet. It’s just second nature to me at this point; but then again, I am aiming for value.
Izzy: What’s your Tradeblock username?
My Tradeblock username is vuthomas.
Izzy: What size are you?
I am a size 4-14. Oops, it's actually 12-14. But actually 3.5-17.
Izzy: What’s on your wishlist?
On my wishlist I currently only want a used size 13 Jason Vorhees just for sentimental value.
Though, I also wouldn’t really care if I never got them again since everyone is asking the high for it.
Honestly, I prefer any used 13 shoes of any brand or silhouette for the right offer.
Izzy: Why should someone jump on Tradeblock?
There are many reasons to jump on the Block but the biggest reason is that TradeBlock gives a
platform that makes it easy to connect with other collectors to help each other build your collection.
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