Interest in collectible sneakers becomes Canton man's business opportunity

Story updated on Nov. 4 for correction.

CANTON – It began as a chance to fulfill a childhood dream.

Less than two years later that dream has become a business.

Ransom Retros is the place where you might find the sneakers you dreamed of owning. Maybe you have a pair you're ready to sell. Or you can have a special pair of sneakers restored to their glory.

More: SNKRville Ohio a chance for region's sneaker sellers, buyers to network

The shop at 3726 Cleveland Ave NW is a consignment store and restoration center, owner Jonathan Ransom said.

The business got its start early in 2020. Ransom was looking at an app and spotted the shoes he always wanted as a kid — a pair of Air Jordan 5s.

Ransom, who grew up in Massillon, said the high-priced shoe was something his parents couldn't buy. The adult Ransom, however, decided to snag the pair.

When the shoes arrived, Ransom noticed a few scuffs. They were easy to clean up with some finger nail polish, he said.

One problem: Ransom's girlfriend disliked the shoes. An old boyfriend wore the same pair, and she didn't like that reminder.

So Ransom went back to the app and found he could sell the cleaned up shoes for a profit. That got him started buying, restoring and selling shoes.

It also introduced him to the sneaker culture. Collectors buy, sell and trade Air Jordan shoes as well as models made for NBA stars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others.

Signature shoes made for the NBA stars are frequently released in limited numbers with revised colors and designs. Collectors chase the different models and styles. The better the shoe's condition, the higher the price.

Last summer when Hartville Marketplace sponsored SNKRville Ohio, Ransom attended. He met another sneaker fan, Andrew Smith from Akron.

Smith began buying and selling shoes with Ransom. Now he helps Ransom as manager of the store.

Ransom has developed skills cleaning and restoring shoes. He uses ultraviolet light to deoxidize and restore the brightness on a shoe's rubber surface. He also repaints shoes.

"My job is to get the shoe back to looking as new as possible," he said.

Smith added: "Bringing them back to life revives them in the market."

Buying and trading older shoe models means the shoes aren't tossed away, Ransom said. Sneakers collectors are recycling the shoes, which makes collecting an environmentally friendly activity, he said.

Ransom has a grand opening planned for Sunday. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Editors note: Date of grand opening corrected to Sunday.

Diebold Nixdorf touts net promoter score

Customers are saying they like Diebold Nixdorf's products and services, according to results from a survey to determine the company's Net Promoter Score.

The company noted its Net Promoter Score last week in third quarter earnings discussions and a separate press release.

Net Promoter Score: Measuring customer experience and anticipating future growth.

Net Promoter Scores — shortened to NPS — measure a customer's experience and can predict business growth, according to the netpromoter.com website. NPS is affiliated with NICE Satmetrix.

A survey with questions about Diebold Nixdorf was sent to more than 3,000 customer contacts in the company's global banking and retail business segments.

Banking customers noted improvements in buying experience, project planning, account management and other areas. They also said perception of the Diebold Nixdorf brand has improved.

Retail customers noted improved products, account management and services delivery, along with other areas. Nearly 95% of retail clients said they are willing to maintain or expand their business with Diebold Nixdorf.

In the press release, Devon Watson, vice president and chief marketing officer, said Diebold Nixdorf is proud of the meaningful improvement in its Net Promoter Scores, "and will continue learning from and building upon the positive survey feedback."

Canton firm among CNBC financial advisor top 100

Beese Fulmer Private Wealth Management had landed on the CNBC Financial Analyst 100 list for 2021.

In the top 100: CNBC rated investment advisors and a Canton firm ranked in the top 100.

The Canton-based firm ranked 55th and is the only financial advisory firm in Northeast Ohio on the CNBC FA 100 list. Beese Fulmer is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser providing asset management to high-net-worth individuals.

CNBC worked with AccuPoint Solutions and narrowed a list of 38,302 registered investment advisor firms to 749, then conducted more research to determine the top 100.

"Our mission at Beese Fulmer is to create wealth for our clients based upon a rational, deliberate and purposeful approach to investing," Ryan T. Fulmer, the company's president, said in a press release. "We are honored to be named to the CNBC FA 100 and appreciate the recognition that a rational strategy is a winning strategy."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Collectible sneaker passion becomes Canton man's business opportunity