This 17-Year-Old Makes Thousands of Dollars Waiting on Line at Supreme

Boris Kunin founded Lyne Up, a reselling service, and gets paid to line up for Supreme, Air Jordans, and more.

Boris Kunin is one of the many people who has capitalized on Supreme’s popularity. In fact, Kunin, Manhattan-based owner of reselling company Lyne Up, can sometimes sell up to $30,000 worth of Supreme merchandise to one client. Oh, and he’s only 17 years old.

Kunin became interested in streetwear after learning about the culture from his friends. From there, he realized he could make money reselling the brand after someone asked him to line up at a Supreme drop to buy the “S” logo cap. “I got paid $50 but right when I gave him the hat, he flipped it for $150 or $170,” he says. “Before that, I was purchasing stuff for myself and trading items. I wasn’t really reselling it. But that changed when I did the deal with that guy.”

In 2013, Kunin founded Lyne Up. With the help of his close friends, Kunin gets his clients the products they want—sometimes by lining up for them or buying it off of other resellers. “Our motto is ‘never line up ever again,’” says Kunin. “So we line up for you.”

We talked Kunin about Lyne Up, what his parents think of his business, his routine for a Thursday morning Supreme drop, and more.

supreme reseller

What do you think makes Lyne Up different? What do you think makes people want to use your service as opposed to a bot or a cart service?
Well, a bot or a cart service is not human. And part of the reason people want to deal with me is because I get things even earlier than others. If you use a bot, it takes about five to six business days for the item to actually arrive. I also offer a cheaper service rate than bots.

You founded Lyne Up in 2013. What do you think has been the biggest change in the company since then?
It’s a different ballpark now. I used to sell to people who wanted one or two items. Now, I sell to people who want 300 to 400 items for their store. We also used to only resell Supreme. Now, it’s also Jordans, Bearbricks, memorabilia, collectibles, stuff like that.

What happens if someone asked you for an item and you weren't able to get it? Has that ever happened?
If the item isn’t available in-store or online anymore, but the client still wants it, it’ll cost them a premium price. If I’m not able to get it at all, I offer full refunds and coupons.

Coupons?
Yes, like a rebate for a future release. So, you get $10 or $20 off depending on your purchase. All you have to do is hit me up, and I get it done. I wanna keep your connection. That's what matters.

Who's the biggest or most famous client you've gotten an order from? How did they get in contact with you?
I can't really say the name, but it's a private client from California. He purchases a bunch of stuff every single week. On average, he spends about $20,000 to $30,000 a month, which is pretty good considering he himself purchases and sells it without a store. The dude is constantly looking for more items.

Does Supreme know about your Lyne Up business? Have they ever approached you about it?
There's one employee. Every time I enter the store he’s like, “Boris, what’s going on?” He probably does see that I don't wear the items I buy.

Supreme

How lucrative is this business for you?
It depends on the week. But I guess you could say on average, half of what I make goes back to the company and the other half is profit.

You’re only 17 years old. Has that ever been an issue for customers?
I mean people do definitely feel a little discouraged by my age. People ask me how old I am and are like, “Why should I do business with a 17-year old?" But, listen, they gotta take a risk sometimes.

What do your parents think about your business?
They think it's really cool that I'm doing this. They fully support me.

What is a routine Supreme Thursday drop like for you?
When we get to Supreme, we start buying as many items as we can. Me and my team either purchase on the side of the street off other people or wait on line. After the day is over, we go back to my place and we count what we have for our customers. From there, we ship it out from our storage unit office.

I’m assuming you walk around with a lot of cash. Do you ever get nervous someone will rob you?
Of course I’ve thought about it. But I guess the best thing you could do is not look too flashy. Don't talk too much and get everything done in a fast, positive way.

Have you thought about opening a retail space?
I've actually done three pop-up shops before, and they were all successful. I guess you could say a retail space will be happening soon.

Anything you want to add?
Reselling is not for everyone.

For more on Kunin and Lyne Up, watch the video above. 

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