In this article I want to tell you about one of the most incredible and memorable experiences I have ever had, obviously with hindsight. It is linked to the world of reselling, a particular universe, often not understood by everyone, but that allowed me to live unique adventures like this.

The most simple form of reselling is buying highly sought-after products, often in limited editions, to sell them at a higher price or to collect them. It’s a world made of passion, dedication and sometimes a pinch of madness. And that’s why I want to tell you about the release of the Ikea x Off-White collection, an event that has attracted the attention of design, fashion and reselling enthusiasts around the world.

For those who don’t know, Off-White is a high fashion brand founded in 2012 in Milan by the creative genius and designer Virgil Abloh, also known for being the artistic director of Louis Vuitton from 2018 until his untimely death in November 2021. Virgil has revolutionized the concept of luxury, creating a language that combines streetwear and high fashion, making his brand one of the most desired in the world.

On the other side is Ikea, a company that does not need introductions, world leader in affordable and functional furniture. The collaboration between these two seemingly opposite worlds has given birth to a collection that aimed to bring the concept of luxury and design to the home, with unique pieces that mixed functionality, aesthetics and a touch of exclusivity.

The line included a series of unique pieces and iconic design. Among them, the famous carpet "Wet Grass", which simulated the wet grass with a touch of surrealism; an Ikea receipt-shaped rug, which played with the irony of branding; a picture of the Mona Lisa backlit with integrated USB ports, which combined classical art and technology; a wall clock, pillow covers and many other objects.

As already happened in a previous collaboration between Ikea and Off-White, the carpets have proved to be the most exclusive and sought after pieces of the collection. Their unique design and symbolic appeal made them cult objects for collectors and fans of the genre.

Together with my brother and Gianmarco, a friend of ours, we decided to organize ourselves for the release of this collection. The first step was to figure out where the exit would take place. It’s not always easy: some collections are only distributed in certain cities, and often Milan has the priority when it comes to events of this kind. Fortunately, this time around, Rome was one of the cities selected for the event.

The destination was the Ikea of Porta di Roma, located inside a large shopping center in the northern part of the city. The problem of Porta di Roma, as other places in the capital, is not easily reached by means of transport, so the idea was to rent a car2go, a small smart, then park it inside the shopping center paying an extra fee.

The experience in this type of events taught us to go the day before to Ikea Porta di Roma to better understand how the organization of the exit worked. Our aim was to gather information on how the collection is distributed.

When we arrived, we immediately noticed some guys outside the Ikea. After talking with them, we found that there was a kind of informal, self-managed list they had just started. It worked like this: they would put you on this list and assign you a number that indicated your place in the queue for the next day.

Obviously, this management was not official, but it was a common practice in these events. Despite being "unofficial", a tacit agreement is created between the participants, based on trust and respect for self-imposed rules. It was the only way to guarantee us a place and live the experience without too many problems.

Once we understood the system of the list and the calls every two hours, we realized that it would be a long night. To keep our place in line, it was necessary to present ourselves at each call with the assigned number. No one could skip a shift, or else they would be removed from the list. In short, there was no way out: we had to prepare to spend the next 12 hours there.

After a short discussion, we went home to get organized. The mission was clear: to equip ourselves for a night out in the open, with everything we need to resist the cold, fatigue and boredom. We brought some snacks, water and power banks for the phones.

On second thought today, I am really happy to have had this experience. We are used to having everything with the maximum comfort, but the truth is that some things require waiting, a bit of effort and a good dose of adaptation.

The world of reselling is not easy: there are those who do it for passion and who use it as a way to take some money in your pocket and go on. But the best thing about all this is that it allows you to live unique experiences, which you can only do at a certain moment of your life. These are situations that take you out of routine, make you experience emotions out of the ordinary and, in the end, leave you with memories that will hardly disappear.

Sometimes, it is these experiences out of the routine that are remembered, those that make you feel alive and remind you that even in the most unexpected moments can happen something unique, such as spending a night crouched in a cart, sleeping for a couple of hours, Waiting for endless times and having the adrenaline in trying to catch something you know that you may not be able to catch.

Back at Ikea, we decided to take a break and refresh ourselves with the iconic Swedish meatballs, a real must. After dinner, we lined up, chatting with each other.

But the fatigue was beginning to show. At one point, in the absence of more comfortable alternatives, I decided to get into a shopping cart, crouched as I could, and managed to sleep for a few hours. It was not the maximum of comfort, but in situations like this you have to adapt.

At dawn, the Ikea employees had brought cookies for breakfast. Finally, when we opened, we entered one at a time. The rule was clear: you could only buy one piece per item. I took everything I could: the "Wet Grass" rug, the receipt-shaped carpet, the painting of the Monnalisa and other pieces from the collection.

As soon as I came out, many people approached me, asking how much we sold the various articles. Some pieces we sold there at the time, while others we took home by renting a car to carry everything.