Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Phipps. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Andrew, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
This is a great question. I love being a business owner. I enjoy the freedom and flexibility of making my own schedule. However, after doing this alone for over 5 years now, I am starting to wonder what it would be like to have a regular job. I know I would have co-workers and a sort of built in group of friends which would be nice. Running my business solo can get lonely sometimes. I make a great effort to get out into the community and meet people in other ways, but I do believe having co-workers could be beneficial. I just don’t think at this point I could ever go back to a set schedule where I am told where to be and when. I am so used to the freedom running my own business has allowed me that I don’t think I ever see my self working for a boss.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My business is centered around buying/selling/trading vintage and collectible wrestling gear. Not WWE type gear, but legit wrestling gear that could be worn by high school or college wrestlers. This is mostly wrestling shoes, but occasionally wrestling singlets, headgear, kneepads, backpacks, etc. I got into this business because this was my number one hobby growing up. I spent most of my childhood trying to collect the best wrestling shoes the world had to offer. Now as an adult, I have basically started an online resell shop for wrestlers across the globe to buy/sell/trade. Just as there is a big market for sports cards, there is a big market for collectible wrestling gear. People will pay big bucks or make large trades to acquire a piece of gear they’ve been after for years.
This isn’t solving a burning problem that the world is facing, but my business provides a platform for people with the same niche hobby as me to thrive. I am lucky enough to be able to get in and see some of the rarest and most sought after pieces of gear that the world has to offer. And then I get to provide them to someone who wants it even more than me. It can be a very fulfilling feeling helping that 50 year old dad whose been searching for a shoe for 20 years finally get his hands on a pair.
I am most proud that I was able to take my favorite hobby and make it my job. People always say if you enjoy your work then you’ll never work a day in your life, and I truly believe I am living that life to the fullest. To this day, I have never gotten tired of it. It’s engrained in me and I just love everything that the wrestling shoe culture embodies.
I think what sets me apart is my love for the hobby. I never started this to make money. It really just happened so naturally. Another thing that sets me apart is my wide variety of shoes. I try to make sure I have all sizes available and as many styles, varieties, and options as possible. I have those $1,000+ shoes for the high rollers, but also the $40 shoes for the beginners.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2022, my original Instagram page for my business account was disabled. I had spent 4+ years growing it and I had amassed 25,000 followers. This was a harsh blow. I had lost all my business chats, along with all my posts, and everything I had put into growing that account. I was down and out for a while, but eventually I got back up and restarted a new page. And now, as of 2026, I have amassed over 41,000 followers on my new page. I rely heavily on social media for marketing and advertising my products, so this was a very large obstacle to overcome as I had essentially lost my whole platform and all my audience.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
Luckily, I had a collection when I started my business so it gave me some buying/selling/trading leverage right from the start. But back in 2020 I had used basically everything I had saved at the time (around $5,000) and I went and bought as much inventory as possible. It was a big risk at the time since I used all my money I had, and I had no idea if the business would be successful. Now, 6 years later I have hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of gear available that all came from that initial $5,000 investment. The biggest key for me has been trades. I love to buy and sell but trading allows me to acquire new inventory so easily.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: drewrestler_shoes_
