Chinanews, Jiaxing, August 30 (Zhou Sunyu) Speaking of a new career, what can you think of?

Hotel test sleeper?

House organizer?

Or wake up the teacher?

　　Open a second-hand trading platform, search for the term "shoebox repair", and you will open the door to a new world.

　　The dazzling array of search results hints at the boom in the shoebox repair market; the exquisite repair effect comparison charts highlight the "exquisite" craftsmanship of the merchants; the complete and detailed business scope and process introduction seems to be able to feel the merchants want to pass The screen tells consumers, "Now, what is professional."

　　So, what is a "shoebox restorer"?

Why do you want to "repair the shoe box"?

Master Jiang Tang is repairing the shoe box. Photo by Zhou Sunyu

"Shoe repair box" for collection

　　Jiang Tangzhu (pseudonym, the same below) is from Tongxiang, Zhejiang. He has been engaged in shoe box repair for 3 years. He has repaired nearly 4,000 shoe boxes. Now he is a well-known restorer in the circle. Sent to the nickname "Shoebox Surgeon."

　　Walking into Jiang Tangzhu's studio, the battle is comparable to the restoration of cultural relics in film and television works.

　　I saw Master Jiang Tang wearing a magnifying glass, picked up a broken shoe box and looked at it carefully, then flattened it, and took out the broken parts of the shoe box with tweezers.

Then cut a piece of paper of a similar size from an abandoned shoe box, carefully placed it on the damaged place, and glued it together.

Finally, I put on a pair of goggles, took out the spray gun, and sprayed it with the same color as the original shoe box.

　　"That's it." Seeing a damaged shoebox repaired as before, Jiang Tangzhu showed a proud smile to the reporter.

　　"In fact, repairing a shoe box is also a kind of doorway. Each shoe box is damaged in different ways. Some are broken by pets, some are damaged by blisters, and some are accidentally cut when they are taken apart and delivered. I will have a specific case for each one. Specific analysis'." Master Jiang Tang said.

　　He told reporters that shoebox repairs can be divided into three levels, the simplest being wrinkles and fading, followed by cracks and scratches, and the most difficult being completely broken.

It usually takes between half an hour and 2 hours to repair a shoe box, and the longest one took him nearly 8 hours.

　　Why repair the shoe box?

Jiang Tangzhu said that for sneaker enthusiasts like him, shoe boxes are also a kind of collectibles.

　　"Just like some people like to collect stamps, I like to collect shoe boxes, and shoe boxes are also in limited quantities. Even ordinary shoe boxes have beautiful designs." Jiang Tang said that damaged shoe boxes are like stamps for stamp collectors. Missing a corner, it will be very uncomfortable to watch.

It is out of this mentality that I started the road of shoebox repair.

　　He said that at first he was looking for someone else to repair it, but because there were no professional restorers on the market and the repair effect was not satisfactory, he decided to do it himself. In order to get the most perfect repair effect, he had already spent tens of thousands of yuan to buy each Class tools.

　　As the fame spread in the circle, more and more people came to look for Jiang Tang's shoe box repair, he unexpectedly discovered that shoe box repair seems to be a career.

Master Jiang Tang is repairing the shoe box. Photo by Zhou Sunyu

"Shoe repair box" is also a deal

　　According to Mr. Jiang Tang, the customers who repair shoe boxes are mainly divided into two categories. One is the same as themselves, who use shoe boxes as souvenirs and collectibles out of "feelings".

　　"I was most impressed by the repair of a shoebox that was'smashed into slag.' At that time, the customer found me and hoped that I could repair it. It was a gift from his good friend, but then the two people had a quarrel. The box was torn apart. After the two parties reconciled, they wanted to repair the shoe box, which means that the relationship between the two people is'reunited with a broken mirror.'" Jiang Tangzhu said that repairing this type of order is very fulfilling for him.

　　The "big head" of shoebox repair customers is the second-hand transaction of sneakers, and the proportion of such customers accounts for 80% of Jiangtang's main customer source.

　　It is understood that, in order to ensure the authenticity of second-hand sneakers, they often conduct transactions after authenticating through a special trading platform. Among them, the shoe box has become an important factor in identifying the authenticity of sneakers.

　　"Shoeboxes are unique. Shoeboxes are to sneakers equivalent to ID cards. If you don't have a shoebox, many people will assume that you are a pair of fake shoes." Jiang Tangzhu said that even a pair of brand new and genuine shoes , Lack of a matching shoe box, at least 100-200 yuan discount.

　　He said that the integrity of the shoe box occupies 5%-20% of the price of sneakers. It is precisely this situation that makes shoe box repair popular among sneaker lovers. "You spend more than ten or twenty yuan to repair one. A shoe box can increase the price of your sneakers by three or four hundred yuan. Why not do something like this?"

What is the prospect of "shoe repair box" jobs?

　　Like many people who are engaged in emerging industries and have been questioned by others, Jiang Tangzhu has also encountered strange eyes from people around him.

　　"For many'outsiders', how can shoe box repair be considered a profession? But in the eyes of our'insiders', this is a very powerful craft." Master Jiang Tang said.

　　In Jiang Tang's view, by playing the role of "shoebox repairer", not only can he be recognized by "insiders", but he can also get a good income.

"Now I can receive orders from all over the country every day, and I'm just doing it out of my own hobby, as a side job. No matter what kind of shoe box is repaired, the price is 28 yuan."

　　He believes that behind the hot "shoe economy" is that young people want to highlight themselves and express themselves. Even if the "shoe economy" fades, the niche extension of careers such as "shoebox repairer" will take another form. Appears, such as "Game Cassette Repairer", "Blind Box Repairer" and so on.

　　"Just like more and more people are buying luxury goods, dry cleaners are slowly extending out stores specializing in the maintenance of luxury goods. I believe that as young people take over economic power, there will be more and more occupations like me." Jiang Tang Said the Lord.

(over)