Cal Gotlieb and Mohammad Alhamdan, two former Portsmouth High School graduates, have worked tirelessly to open their first store, Limited Hype, in Kittery, Maine.

 After pooling the inventory amassed through Gotlieb and Alhamdan’s sneaker reselling business, a dream has transformed into reality.

Gotlieb, a current rising sophomore at Purdue University, is balancing an engineering degree with an internship for the City of Portsmouth. If that wasn’t enough, add running a full-time store to that laundry list.

Limited Hype, a clothing and shoe store located in the Kittery Premium Outlet, opened its doors for the first time on Friday, May 24.  If you’re looking to spend some money, trade items, or sell apparel, Limited Hype is the newest destination.

Alhamdan and Gotlieb have been selling shoes for five years, and in that time they have garnered a great deal of business and expertise in the reselling field. Through online marketing, they shipped out many pairs to people across the globe who placed orders through Instagram and eBay.

However, they had a much larger vision for their entrepreneurial ventures, and the pair knew it would be their dream to open up a tangible store for people to view the items they sold in person.

Alhamdan, who is pursuing his master’s degree in Business at the University of New Hampshire, was ready to take on the task.

“The process was scary at first just because of the time crunch. We had two months to get everything done, and being brand new business owners who never had any experience in the field besides Instagram stores was a new challenge, ” said Alhamdan.

What many don’t consider when beginning a process such as opening a new store is the work behind the scenes that has to be done to set it up. They were committed to enduring that process, and as difficult as it was, their motivation shone through. 

“It started with just one email to the outlets asking if they had space, and it spiraled from there,” said Gotlieb.

Limited Hype hopes to incorporate affordability in a market dominated by large price tags. They boast a large inventory of new sneakers, clothes, and other items; however, that isn’t the full extent of their supply. 

Inside the store, racks full of store merchandise, discounted products, and used sneakers allow a gateway into high-quality inventory that is more accessible than traditional sneaker stores. A popular way to save money on shoes is to buy older accessories. “We have vintage clothing, so if you’re looking for a deal on an item we have hats, jerseys, shirts, pants, sweatshirts, and sneakers,” Gotlieb said.

It’s almost inconceivable that a freshman in college and a recent graduate could undertake such a task, but Gotlieb and Alhamdan were unimpeded by the unprecedented nature of their venture.

“Take that leap of faith. If you have a dream or a goal in mind, don’t wait until you finish college or get a real job. The sooner you start, the better,” said Alhamdan.

Gotlieb was quick to thank his passion as a big part of that drive, saying “In reality, none of this stuff is that hard. If you can learn something and put a lot of time into it, all you have to do is make the phone call or send the email.”

Their greatest success so far has been their opening, kicking off on Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, and seeing over $6,000 in sales on opening day. Upon the launch of their promotional Instagram account, ltdhypekittery, their first video gained 1.3 million views and 26,000 followers, leading to unexpected traffic to the store.

“I talked to customers coming from Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire who saw our videos and wanted to check it out, so the influence that it’s had has been incredible,” said Gotlieb.

As for the growth and future of the brand, Cal and Mohammed are hopeful. The successful opening before the tourism season is in full swing indicates a bright future for Limited Hype, as they hope to carry the momentum into the rest of the summer.

“It started as just a summer hobby, but after the success we’ve had, we hope to expand to more locations and an online store,” said Alhamdan.

Ben Gotlieb, Cal Gotlieb’s sibling and current employee at the store, knew that his brother would find great success. As someone who had helped him with his online reselling, he’s seen the entire process from an outside perspective, and he knew Cal’s passion would bring him success in such a risky business venture.

“Cal is very humble. He’ll never mention that he was shipping out over $200,000 worth of merchandise annually because he is so motivated at everything he does. It’s been great to see him grow and come from tirelessly selling sneakers after Market Basket shifts to now,” said Ben Gotleib.

Part of the success is owed to his parents, who allowed Cal to quit his job in high school to pursue reselling under his brand, Opal, full-time. Additionally, they set up eBay accounts so he could sell sneakers online.

“[Cal] pinned a sheet of paper at his desk promising himself to make $50,000 by the time he went to college, and he smashed that goal and kept going,” said Gotlieb.

There isn’t any limit to how far Alhamdan and Gotlieb can take this business, and after an incredible first weekend, great support and community engagement, and a future as bright as their ambition, they look to capitalize on the summer ahead. 

If you want to support High School graduates with great aspirations, check out Limited Hype at 345 US-1 Unit P003, in Kittery, ME.