Sometimes it’s nice to discover that you’re not the only one. So don’t think it odd – or that you’re odd – for an obsession that no one else would understand…like shoes!
It was 4 am last Tuesday, the dog had to go out, and I sat down to surf the internet so as not to disturb her – spy.
Reading some Facebook posts I noticed a link about western boots that caught my eye – vintage cowboy boots by Tony Lama that sucked me in like a bug to a blue light.
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“Vintage ‘Signature’ models, slightly pre-owned, for hundreds less”, the poster had written, along with a link to his eBay page. I was tempted, but I NEVER do. But I did it this time.
Publisher and editor Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA sports and the Buckeyes for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Now I don’t know how the post popped up, but it must have something to do with Google because I’ve Googled previously for contact information on Lucchese and Tony Lama, and somehow I made the list. They call it algorithms, and it’s how sellers find potential buyers based on what they’ve Googled in the past.
I’ve never been much of a picky dresser – at least from my socks up – but I do have a kryptonite, and it’s called shoes. I’ve always liked shoes, all kinds of shoes, and in particular…I love cowboy boots – jeans and boots. Never rode a horse much, and never wrestled a steer, but I bought my first pair of Tony Lamas when I was in minor league baseball at a Shepler’s store in Oklahoma City…and I was hooked. Totally, and irrevocably hooked.
There have been lots of pairs since – different colors and different hides like goat, calf, ostrich, alligator, and lizard. And like the adage about something that you can’t get enough of…how many shoes does one man (or woman) need?
So I clicked on the link and it was like being Peter Pan in Neverland – people with eBay accounts from everywhere who make their living from buying and selling online. And the selection of second-hand boots…was breath-taking!
Not worn out boots, or cheap boots, but the best of the best – Justin, Tony Lama, Lucchese, even customs – boots that someone got drunk and bought one night in Texas, only to sober up and realize he’d spent a thousand dollars on something he’d never wear again.
There were dozens and dozens of pairs. Type in your size, what you like, and hit search. The selection was endless. I’ve always liked Tony Lama boots (and the song about Tony Lamas by singer Deryl Dodd), but when the company sold years ago to Berkshire Hathaway the product, like so many others, lost a lot of its reputation and quality. I hadn’t bought a pair in decades. But here, on this page, was every Tony Lama you’d ever dreamed of and couldn’t afford to own…pennies on the dollar, and nearly all with the invitation, “Make your best offer.”
I left the link, but the link wouldn’t leave me. I thought about what I had seen – all day – talked to people who bought and sold on EBay, and they all assured me that those who sell quality online are not hucksters. If there’s something wrong they’ll tell you.
So I went back to the link, showed it to my wife Mindy, and contacted the seller in North Carolina, who within seconds responded with more information about the boots that interested me.
“They’re 80s vintage,” he wrote. “And they’re better than the picture. I’m selling for $159 dollars. If you don’t like them send them back to me within two weeks, no questions asked.”
That was less than a pair of Cole Haans, and at that price I thought about a second pair, but thought better – that one pair would either teach me my lesson, or scratch my itch. I needed a fix. With Mindy’s help I had them purchased within a matter of minutes.
“I’ll get them to you by Friday,” the seller from Nashville, North Carolina assured. “You’ll like these,” another boot friend from Texas told me. “Tony Lama hasn’t made that boot for decades – not since the merger.”
He said Friday, but they were delivered on Thursday. I couldn’t wait to see, but I cringed as I opened the box, which had been packed and shipped with obvious care. I swallowed hard, ready to take my beating.
And…Good Lord, they were like new! A pair of Tony Lama Model #6210, tan goat and lizard wingtip that had not been worn since that night and one too many back in Texas – back in the 80s, because that was the last time that boot was popular. I emailed immediately to assure that I would not be sending them back. They fit perfectly.
“You needn’t worry,” he responded. “People who sell boots and upscale have a reputation to uphold, because there’s so much competition…and please subscribe to my YouTube channel?”
Like it or not, it’s how business is done these days.
Believe it or not, I may never wear the boots. When I’m gone Mindy will put them back on eBay.
Addicted?
Sure. But hey….
How can you not buy a pair of shoes from a guy in North Carolina you’ve never met…a guy named OLLIE?
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