Last Call

Vaughn Slowaski, owner and founder of Scoop Drip

Veer Mudambi

Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

During the height of the pandemic, Worcester resident Vaughn Slowaski was able to turn his passion for sneakers into a career, opening Scoop Drip a short distance from the Canal District. Highlighted in a previous Worcester Magazine article last year on the rise of “re-commerce,” Scoop Drip buys and resells sneakers. Anyone can come in with a pair for appraisal, and Slowaski can tell them if they have a collector’s item on their hands. As Scoop Drip comes up on its first birthday this weekend on Sept. 12, Slowaski sat down with Last Call to reflect on the last year and how he got into the industry.

Tell me a little more about the transition from operating during the pandemic to more normal store experience?

Well you see more faces — literally. Fewer masks and more people are coming out, which means more people selling and buying shoes. It’s my first year in business so it’s cool to have that chance and know that business is progressing.

Have you started implementing your post pandemic plans?

That’s always a constantly changing battle. It’s something we always need to stay on top of — getting the shoes in as we sell them. We sell them faster than we can get them sometimes.

What’s your criteria when deciding to buy a pair from someone?

First, we have to go through the whole sneaker and make sure it’s even real, ‘cause replicas are a big problem in this industry right now. You have to use a black light and use your eye — I’ve been doing this and playing with sneakers for a very long time so I know what leathers they use and what to look for when something’s off.

Real as in the actual brand they say it is?

Yeah — actually a Nike and Adidas shoe and not made in some random factory somewhere and shipped on the … dark web, I guess we’ll call it. Everything gets faked so you have to do your best and do your homework, so you know what you’re looking for and keep that other stuff away.

How do you do this homework and research?

Well, part of it is I’ve been doing this so long. But before a shoe comes out, I try to go to a Foot Locker, shall we say, and ask if I can check them out, the way the material feels, the way it actually looks and the smell — smell is big. You have to look at the stitching and look for a watermark. At least four or five times a week, I have to tell somebody ‘hey, your shoes are fake, sorry.’ It’s sad but I have to protect myself. You don’t see the blood splatter until you turn the UV light on though.

Blood splatter?

Yeah, somebody has come in with a pair of bloody sneakers, and I’m like, that’s a biohazard, I’m not even going to touch your sneakers.

So when people come in, is it like that show “Pawn Stars”? You negotiate on the spot?

Yeah, kind of. People come in, I give an offer and if they want to, they’ll take it. Maybe we’ll negotiate a little bit on the price. As long as there’s enough margin on top for us to make some kind of profit, I’ll go for it. It’s mostly young kids who go get shoes with their parents, and I love helping them have a little hustle to get a bit of spending money. Some people need the money, or they’re over the shoe and want to go on to the next shoe that’s coming out that next week so they want money to buy that next pair that’s really sought after. We have a big sub-culture in the sneaker world.

They’re limited items. When shoes are made, they only make so many pairs and once all the pairs are sold, that’s it. It becomes a sought after and rare item like anything else, like Pokémon cards. Kids tear the packs open, rip ’em up and the ones that make it through the bunch have value.

Is there any kind of restoration and refurbishing for rare shoes? Like if you see a shoe that’s totally out of stock but could use a bit of touching up, would you?

That’s a big market — I don’t do it personally but I know a few people who do. I would consider it — I know someone who restores sneakers, can match the original paint almost perfectly.

How did you get into sneakers?

For me, it was just wanting to look nice growing up. Wanting to feel good about myself, and a nice pair of sneakers always did that for me. It was sort of a reward to myself and a way to stand out in the crowd.

What made you take that step and start getting into the science of sneakers?

That was just a matter of me working in a factory at night and I would buy every single pair for myself every week. It was my hobby at the time and it got to the point that my room was full of sneakers and I was like, what am I doing? I’m counting all this money I’ve spent and I learn there’s another market — the resale market. At first I didn’t want to do it because they were like my babies but then I realized it was a way to actually expand the community of sneakers and meet more people. I’ve met an amazing number of people with the same hobby and passion. Once I realized it could potentially be a career path, I started taking it more seriously — started to get more than just the pairs for myself. Started getting every size I could buy.

Bet your room was really full then. [Laughs] Ended up moving everything into a storage unit cause it wouldn’t fit anywhere else.

Do you remember exactly when you realized this could be a career? Like when someone told you about this?

I remember who, what, where, when and the shoe. It was my cousin Tyrell. He was always one to find a way to make a flip. He would buy sneakers and flip them. He sold the Lebron James South Beach. I think he paid $200 for them and sold them for $1,500 and that’s when I realized — oh there’s a market for this and a very feasible market. This was like 2010, so I had to be around 18 and 19.

The first shoe that I bought multiple pairs of to resell were the Jordan 12 Flu Games. I think they were released in 2015 or 2016. That was when I personally started buying sizes other than size 10, with the intention of selling them. After I got my pair, I’d say what else you got? You got every other pair, I’ll get them all [laughs].

How do the manufacturers feel about this, do you think?

They’re working hard to fight against [re-selling]. I don’t think the retail stores want it — they put protocols in place like one pair per person and such.

What advice would you give other young entrepreneurs trying to get started?

Just stay diligent. Don’t give up. It’s hard in the beginning and there will be days when it feels like it’s not worth it but it is, if it’s your dream. Don’t ever give up on it.

Vaughn Slowaski at his store, Scoop Drip, at 140 Millbury St. Scoop Drip sells exclusive sneakers, snacks and streetwear.

SARAH CONNELL SANDERS