What I saw last week… If the Shoe Fits, and a guy named Ollie

Sometimes it’s nice to discover that you’re not the only one. So don’t think it’s weird – or that you’re weird – for an obsession that no one else would understand… like shoes!

It was 4 a.m. last Tuesdaythe dog had to go out and I sat down to surf the internet so as not to disturb her – spy.

As I was reading some Facebook posts, a link about western boots caught my eye – vintage cowboy boots by Tony Lama that lured me like a beetle into the blue light.

“Vintage Signature Models, Lightly Used, for Hundreds Less”the poster had written, along with a link to his eBay page. I was tempted, but I NEVER do that. But this time I did it.

I don’t know how the post appeared, but it must have something to do with Google because I previously googled contact information for Lucchese and Tony Lama and somehow came up with the list. They call it algorithms. This is how sellers find potential buyers based on what they have Googled in the past.

I’ve never been particularly picky about what I wear – at least not from my socks on – but I have a kryptonite and it’s called shoes. I’ve always liked shoes, all kinds of shoes, and especially…me Love Cowboy boots – jeans and boots. I’ve never ridden much or wrestled a bull, but I bought my first pair of Tony Lamas while playing minor league baseball at a Shepler’s store in Oklahoma City…and I loved it. Totally and irrevocably addictive.

Since then there have been many pairs – different colors and different skins such as goat, calf, ostrich, alligator and lizard. And like the saying about something you can’t get enough of: How many shoes does a man (or woman) need?

So I clicked on the link and it felt like I was Peter Pan in Neverland – people with eBay accounts from all over the place making a living buying and selling online. And the selection of second hand boots… was breathtaking!

Not worn-out or cheap boots, but the best of the best—Justin, Tony Lama, Lucchese, even Customs—that someone drunk bought one night in Texas, only to sober up and realize they’d spent a thousand dollars on one Pair of boots – something he would never wear again.

There were dozens and dozens of couples. Enter your size, what you like and click “Search”. The choice was endless. I’ve always loved Tony Lama boots (and the song about Tony Lamas by singer Deryl Dodd), but when the company was sold to Berkshire Hathaway years ago, the product, like so many others, lost much 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… pennies on the dollar and almost all with the admonition, “Make your best offer.”

I left the link, but the link wouldn’t leave me. I thought about what I had seen all day and talked to people who bought and sold on eBay and they all assured me that those who sell quality online are not hucksters. If something is wrong, they will tell you.

So I went back to the link, showed it to my wife Mindy, and contacted the seller in North Carolina, who responded within seconds with more information about the boots I was interested in.

“They are vintage from the 80s,” he wrote. “And they are better than the picture. I’m selling for $159. 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 considered a second pair, but changed my mind: This one pair would either teach me my lesson or scratch my itch. I needed a solution. With Mindy’s help, I was able to purchase them within minutes.

“I’ll get them to you by Friday,” assured the Nashville, North Carolina seller. “You’ll like these. Tony Lama hasn’t made this shoe in decades – not since the merger.”

He said Friday but they were delivered on Thursday. I couldn’t wait to see it, but I cringed when I opened the box, which had obviously been packaged and shipped with care. I swallowed hard and was ready to take my beating.

And…my god, they were like new! A pair of Tony Lama model #6210 tan lizard wingtip goatskin that hadn’t been worn since that night, and one too many back in Texas – back in the ’80s, as that was the last time these boots were popular was. I immediately sent an email to reassure me that I would not be sending it back. They fit perfectly.

“You don’t have to worry,” he replied. “People who sell boots and high-end products have a reputation to maintain because there is so much competition… and will you please subscribe to my YouTube channel?”

Like it or not, it’s the way 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?

Secure. But hey….

How can you not buy a pair of shoes from a man in North Carolina you’ve never met…a man named OLLIE?