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  Global Trade Testimonials

Believe it or not I started selling on eBay after my 13-year-old son talked me into buying him a dog whistle on eBay in August of 2004. This sparked my curiosity about possibly making money by selling on eBay to get off of my disability income and eventually support myself. I spent a couple of months doing some research regarding eBay Selling and discovered that if I was serious about making money on eBay, I needed to consider selling worldwide to approximately 100 million potential eBay buyers, instead of just 30 to 40 million US customers.
     

I began selling on eBay toward the end of October of 2004, listing only in the US and frankly, I wasn't making the progress that I'd hoped for. I started searching the various discussions groups, gathering all of the information that I could find on international trading and was eventually invited to join the mentoring group called "A-Z of International Trading on eBay." With the help of the group leader, members of the group, and my own continued search, I started opening international doors by listing my items one-by-one in other countries to get an initial feel for international trading.

I then decided to sell my items worldwide. As a result, the international sales started coming in, and in just one month I closed five sales to Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands and have already made my first international friend from the Netherlands through eBay.

I really love selling internationally, mostly because the international borders seem so transparent or non-existent. Most of the listings that US sellers post on eBay only ship to the US. If only other US sellers would realize that with minimal effort, they can have their listings in front of approximately 100 million potential buyers, instead of limiting themselves to 30 or 40 million potential buyers here in the US.

The competition in the US is fierce, and there are so many buyers outside the US who are thirsty for US products. We just need to be willing to sell to them. By the way, shipping internationally is kind of like shipping across country, only sometimes you have a large body of water to cross, but that's OK because you don't see the water.

Ken McGuire
Crawfordsville, Indiana

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I started selling on eBay in February, 2000. Not long after I had listed my first items for sale, I started receiving bids from Asia, Europe, and Australia. Amazed by the response that my listings generated, as well as the number of international buyers who were willing to purchase items that they couldn't find in their local markets, I decided to list one item directly on eBay Germany. As a result, the bids soared overnight as did the numerous emails that poured in from buyers asking whether I had additional items that I could list using the Buy It Now price. And, that's how it all began.
     

Today, I attribute 80% of my sales to the European, Canadian, and Asian markets. My buyers tell me what they are looking for and which products are "hot sellers" in their local markets. This eliminates the need for me to do extensive market research.

Granted, occasionally, I get strange looks at the grocery store, when I turn up at the checkout line with a cart laden with dozens of jars of peanut butter, multiple packages of Reese's products, and dozens of Pop Tarts boxes. If only they knew!

Cross-border trading is extremely profitable, and personally, I find it enjoyable to stay in contact with eBay Members from around the world. They often send personal emails to communicate their excitement when a package has arrived. This is often followed by pictures showing their kids playing with their new toy. The greeting cards and "thank you" gifts that I receive from Europe and Asia are the best reward a seller could ask for.

eBay and PayPal give me all the tools that I need, and my buyers tell me what I need to sell. I just need to list the items, ensure that I have a steady inventory in my eBay Store for repeat buyers, and ship items as soon as I receive payment.

I enjoy cross-border trading so much! I started a mentoring group called "A-Z of International Trading on eBay" in April 2004 to share my experiences with other sellers who want to start selling worldwide or to select countries.

In my opinion eBay is THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE where buyers and sellers can trade with ease and security!