by Dennis Townsend, Contributing Writer

Sneakers, when I was growing up, I never gave much thought to style or cost, and during my time the best sneakers on the market was Converse. The only choices you had were whether you wanted them in black, or white, low tops or high tops. Simple enough back then, but now, it’s a very big business with some shoes costing in excess of $200 dollars. And it seems like every basketball player has designed their own exclusive shoe that their fans just has to have making the marketing for these shoes a slam dunk. When I was writing this article, I was trying to decide if I should categorize it as a sports blog or a fashion blog. I come to the conclusion that if a pair of sneakers cost more than $100 dollars, it must be for the sake of fashion.

You could say that Michael Jordan was the pioneer in this new enterprise of basketball wear, and now with each superstar comes a new brand of shoe. Just this year in New York, there was the SoleXchange where vendors and buyers haggled over prices, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d thought that you were on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Everywhere you looked, there were young boys with expensive shoes around their necks, and pockets stuffed full of cash ready to make the “deal” that could make them the envy of their neighborhood. A 13 year old boy was on the floor making transactions so fast that a Wall Street broker would have had a hard time keeping up with him. When all was said and done, he had exchanged, bought, and sold 20 pairs of designer sneakers, and walked away with 7 pairs. That’s 4 more than he started with, and his collection’s retail value climbed from $340 dollars to $1,155 dollars.

With social media, learning about these weekend conventions is pretty easy, and there is always somebody ready to sell or trade their pair of limited edition basketball shoes in a quest to obtain a new prize worth even more money. One youngster had 81 pairs in his collection and he spent an estimated $11,000 dollars to purchase these coveted shoes, and he stated that he could get $20,000 dollars if he sold them right now. And to think 30 years ago, the NBA told Michael Jordan that he couldn’t wear his “Nike Air Jordan 1’s” on the court because it didn’t meet the dress code. Today, there is not another basketball shoe that’s more popular than Nike’s Jordan branded shoe which last year brought in $2.5 billion dollars in sales.

At these “sneaker conventions”, you pay a $25.00 dollar entry fee, and that allows you to bring in a maximum of 5 pairs of shoes to start with in which, at the right venue, could earn you $300 to $800 dollars a pair. Just how big is this business, well I will say that one vendor turned down $98.000 dollars for a pair of “Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” sneakers designed by Kanye West that was signed by the singer himself on stage while performing in Nassau. The vendor who refused the offer was 18 years old, and that will tell you how expensive these conventions can get. So when you go shopping for sneakers, you’ll have to decide if it’s an investment, or just something to wear on the court.

It puts you in a tough spot when your tween wants to be stylish, but you're trying to live on a budget. Like most tween girls, mine want to look their best. One likes to design her own fashions and be creative with existing clothing. I'm one of those parents who likes to stick to a strict budget for each household responsibility. Believe it or not, a stylish wardrobe is possible for your tween, even when you have limited funds to work with.

Accessories go a long way

Scarves, hats, belts, buckles, and jewelry can be used to accent any outfit and can be mixed and matched to create hundreds if unique looks. Check end-of-season sales at department stores for bargains on these items. Sometimes you can even find cute ones at dollar or discount stores. Our area dollar stores and mall shops usually have these items at a very low cost. Give your tween several styles of each item and in varied colors so she can accessorize accordingly. Consignment shops and thrift stores are another great place to find these items at a low cost.

Add some style to used items

Just because your tween has grown out of something or it's a little worn out doesn't mean its time is up. Alter the item for a better fit. Many pieces of clothing can be let out to expand the size. You can also lengthen pants by taking down the seams and adding similar fabric or fun embellishments to the bottom. Patch up holes with colorful or lacy fabrics. Long pants can also be turned into shorter capri-style pants. Fix up shirts by adding embellishments at the bottom and in stained or holey sections. My daughter likes to slice the bottom half from all her shirts and sew different bottoms on each.

Teach your tween how to mix and match

If your tween's wardrobe is limited, show her how to create different outfits from a small amount of pieces. For instance, scarves and belt buckles can be worn in different ways with various clothing items. It's also better to have more tops than bottoms, as they can be paired with various skirts, pants, and shorts to create different looks. Solid colors are more flexible, but allow your daughter to choose some prints as well.

Give your tween lessons in being creative

Show her how she can create her own designs or make new ones from existing clothing. One of my daughters is always cutting up a piece of fabric or clothing to create something new. Sewing skills can really come in handy when it comes to tween fashion. If you're not skilled enough to teach her yourself, suggest home economics class at school or get her involved in a community class. If sewing just isn't her thing, try interesting ways to tie the clothing.

Watch for bargains all the time

Many department stores offer continuous bargains on simple t-shirts and jeans. End-of-season can be the best time to stock up on low-priced items. With clothing, when the sales season ends, it could still be the appropriate temperature to wear the items. My girls and I have actually found new skirts, dresses, jeans, shirts, shoes, and more for under five bucks each during these sales. Beyond sales, look at consignment shops, thrift stores, and even yard sales. Some people make the mistake of buying an item just because it's on sale. If you are not sure if the item will be used, it's probably not a good deal for you. Stick to items that will actually have a purpose. Otherwise, it isn't really a bargain.

*I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network