Like many obsessive collectors, Suzanne Nobles spends countless hours online scouring for treasures. The 25-year-old Arizona-based blogger isn’t tracking down rare antiques or priceless baseball cards, though. No, she’s on the lookout for Lululemon.
One recent score—a pair of gray and split-pea green running shorts—cost her $95. While they initially retailed for $54, the shorts instantly sold out on Lululemon’s website and in stores, so paying nearly double was Nobles’s only shot at adding them to her collection.
“If you want something that is no longer available or that is quite scarce, you hunt it down,” says Nobles, who wears her 70-some pieces of Lululemon during CrossFit. “Lululemon makes great technical pieces that fit well, so if I want something, I’m going to pay for it.”
When it comes to the Lululemon resale market, Nobles is far from unique. Hundreds of thousands of people are active members of this underground community. There are more than 100 private Facebook groups dedicated to buying and selling both new and used Lululemon items; over on eBay, countless sellers list Lululemon products with 1000 percent markups. Lulu running shorts can go for upwards of $800, as can the brand’s vaunted leggings. Bras easily resell for $250, while tanks are listed for$500.
More here – Racked
You know your exercise hobby has disappeared up it’s own @rse when running shorts cost $800! I don’t recall Sir Roger Bannister crediting his breaking of the 4 minute mile to $800 shorts.
Tye
Actually reading further it appears to be another lesson in “the price of something is what the market will pay”, not what you think it is worth. Humans are a funny lot.
I just read a financial blog titled “when ridiculousness is ubiquitous” (Mr Money Mustache)
These people are pretty much perfect examples