Who is @kcuf_trends?
The mega dealer who sells the most expensive Polo Ralph Lauren pieces speaks.
I spoke with one of the Polo game’s most prosperous dealers, whose empire spans the 5 boroughs and the globe via his @kcuf_trends page.
J.E.: You are a person that everybody has an opinion about, though little is actually known. The title of this profile is going to be, ‘Who is kcuf trends?’. So yeah, checks notes, question number one.. who is kcuf_trends?
K.T.: kcuf is ‘f*ck’ spelled backwards. When I created my page I called it that simply because I do not follow trends. But it’s just me, Rob Lo, self-employed, lo dealer, service oriented, been dealing RL for over 20 years. I grew up watching my two cousins rocking all the big graphics and big spell-out items. I warmed to the brand at an early age. Personally, my favorite pieces are the Ski 1992 jacket, the Country line tee shirts, the 92 white Stadium hat and the Athletic bear knit aka Grandpa bear.
J.E.: It’s funny, when you say the name Rob Lo, the movie star Rob Lowe comes to mind for me. But I guess for some people, ‘rob lo’ maybe something else, regarding your prices, comes to their mind. Knowing you in real life, and how much goes into this business for you, I know you are coming from a good place. But what do you say to the people who think your prices are too high? Five Thousand for a Tennis Man and so on.
K.T.: Five thousand dollars is a lot of money for anybody. When you watch ‘Family Feud’ or one of those game shows and somebody wins five thousand dollars that’s a really big deal. Keep in mind, there is a lot less money in the world right now then there was during the pandemic. Five thousand dollars is an insane amount of money for anybody to spend on any shirt. But we’re not talking about a shirt. I’m selling art to art collectors who can afford to purchase a pristine piece of highly collectible art, a piece of time, which they can display on their wall or wear on their back if they choose. I’m in the art business. This is what I enjoy, but this costs me a lot of money and a lot of time. I’m not dealing in common items where I can just go to the store and pick them up in bulk. I’m not always making a big margin on these pieces. How much does a Tennis Man cost me? Do you know where I can get a brand new, out of the box, Tennis Man right now for cheap? Because my client has an expectation. They need a brand new Tennis Man, which was limited to begin with and has been out of circulation for 30 years, and they need it delivered to them now. The only way I can make it work for me is by having my own inventory on hand. This is really key, I must accumulate to ensure product is available. All of that goes into pricing.
J.E.: I get it and I congratulate you on the business you have built and the clientele that you work with. I’m really doing this interview for two reasons, to congratulate you and also to see about a discount. We can talk about the discount later but for now tell me about your clientele.
K.T.: I don’t talk too much about my clients because discretion is one of the main things they are buying from me. It’s nice when certain pieces go to certain people and it’s exciting and cool when people like you want to deal with me, but I’m really willing to work with anybody. I keep my door open and give everybody my time and respect.
At times, certain collectors do reach out to me and ask for certain pieces they are looking for. As I network and build relationships, I’ve learned over time which products certain serious collectors are searching for. I try to assist and follow up when needed. I like to provide a hand-holding experience when dealing with my network.
Sometimes, I will be bidding on a piece, and I will learn that one of my clients is also bidding on that same piece. I’ll stop bidding then and there. I don’t want to bid against my clients. I’ll have to find it another way. I’ll let you have it. Remember, anyone can still get it done.. anyone can get whatever they want without me.
Working with me is like any other partnership. With every transaction I’m learning about you. I show you that I’m serious. When I can, I try to accommodate newer collectors with the more recent pieces if that’s what they desire. Learning what you want is the part I enjoy the most. Learning your sizing and interests. ‘Know your customer’ is something I learned a long time ago. Knowing your customer makes everything easy and keeps it fun.
J.E.: You really do have a savvy business mind and a keen eye for quality. I also like what you said about keeping it fun. What does the market look like to you currently?
K.T.: Absolutely! I have to have a good eye and I have to have fun. That’s just me. In terms of the market, our market is always changing and evolving. We are witnessing lots of new collectors enter who help keep the passion alive. I feel like there’s a much larger need for vintage across the board now than before. More eyes are on it simply because todays products are just more common - this is across the board not specific to RL - and consumers are starting to understand that as their collection deepens.
J.E.: Lastly, now that you’re here, what type of things are you going to do to stay on top?
K.T.: All the same things that I’ve been doing for the past 20 years: trying to succeed. Working hard. Coming up with new ideas, new situations to benefit my clients. It’s a constant, very consuming job. Anybody who wants to be any kind of dealer and be any good – it takes a lot of time, a lot of work. As the culture expands and more of the new generation learns about vintage, this can go on for another lifetime. The key is to continue to educate others and not hold back any of the history when asked.