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Knocking it out of the park for buyers worldwide

What builds a 25-million dollar international business? For Dave and Adam's Card World (user IDs: dacardworld, greatboxes, dacw_vintage) it's free shipping, building trust, and knowing the value of investing in a customer.

Dave and Adam's Card World was just a small sports card store in Buffalo, New York when they began their business on eBay in 1996, buying trading cards in bulk and listing them individually. By 1997 they were one of eBay's top volume sellers, and as of this writing, are a 55 employee company that does over 25 million dollars in annual sales. Adam Martin, co-founder and CEO, attributes a large part of his company's success to eBay selling. "Can you think of a better way to gain a customer than selling on eBay? We wouldn't have our current customer base without it. Selling on the site helped us build the nest egg that allowed us to expand to where we are today."

Investing in the game, moving up to the majors

After years of listing and selling single cards at an incredible volume (up to 3000 a week), Dave and Adam's Card World built up a sizeable sum they sought to reinvest in the company. In 2001 they expanded their eBay offerings to include unopened boxes and cases of sports and fantasy cards, sourced by developing relationships within the collectibles industry. "We made our initial contacts at conferences," Martin states. "We approached both manufacturers and distributors, letting them know we were interested in buying their excess and unsold goods—and we had the cash to back it up." These relationships and the expansion of their product offerings also led to an expansion of their eBay selling: three user IDs that focus on key areas of their business. "We now have three user IDs," explains Martin. "Each has their own account manager and staff. Dacardworld sells gaming and entertainment-related items. Greatboxes sells unopened sports products, and we list singles and pre-1989 items under dacw_vintage."

Free shipping is a winning play

With recently announced fee adjustments that reward free and low-cost shipping, sellers like Dave and Adam's Card World are set up to be even more profitable sellers, but offering free shipping has upped their game for years. "What online retailers have to ask themselves is 'what are you willing to pay to gain a customer?' We are more than willing to break even to gain a customer—that's why we've offered free shipping for years. Making product available to our customers and moving inventory is far more important to us than a nickel here, a dime there."

Building buyer trust, regaining the ribbon

For any business, visibility in the marketplace is key. Add to that a visible track record of positive buyer experiences and you are set up to score. "People who are really into collectibles are understandably concerned about who they deal with. Many fear that they're buying from 'Comic Book Guy' on The Simpsons—an unscrupulous nerd hiding in his basement, intent on ripping people off. Selling on eBay really helped us build trust with buyers and the collectibles community. What's more, the visibility of eBay.com, the security around eBay Buyer Protection and incentives like eBay Bucks continually bring us customers we wouldn't have otherwise."

Martin and company have found that, especially with new buyers, eBay Top-rated status helps consumers feel confident in their purchase choice. "That (eBay Top-rated seller) ribbon is incredibly important. Shoppers, especially casual ones or holiday shoppers, really do look at it. It can even sway buyers to purchase your item, even if your price is slightly higher than that of a competitor's that's not Top-rated."

Dave and Adam's Card World has learned that once the ribbon is attained, you've got to work to keep it—especially when there are changes in the game. During the 2010 holiday rush, dacardworld struggled with low ship time DSRs, resulting in that account losing eBay Top-rated status. Martin explains. "At that point, we were uploading tracking info one transaction at a time, so there was a delay between when items were shipped and when buyers were actually notified. That, combined with the increase in volume carriers experience during the holidays, led to our losing eBay Top-rated status due to ship time DSRs." This is only a temporary setback for Dave and Adam's Card World, as they're working hard to regain the ribbon. "As a seller, you do everything you can to do right by the buyer. To that end, we're now using bulk uploading tools, so every customer gets emailed their tracking the same day their item ships—usually within 24 hours of purchase. This shows buyers that we're delivering on our end as promised, and keeps them in the know if there's a delay due to the carrier."

Taking on the world, one international sale at a time

"If your items have international appeal, going global is a terrific way to grow your business," Martin states, noting that this growth requires a little leg work. "Shipping and customs really vary. It's worth investing the time to understand them so you can inform international buyers about taxes, ship costs and ship times at time of purchase. Having this info ready for your buyers is great for them, and great for your DSRs and feedback. Even if you have millions of buyers in the US, there are billions of buyers worldwide you don't want to miss!"

Note: If you sell internationally, you'll now gain valuable insights into your global performance via the Seller Dashboard. Take advantage of this new information to grow your international sales!

Coaching the team towards another banner year

In looking towards the future, Martin is aiming for the bleachers. "We plan on really expanding our offerings—even more products at a greater volume—that are always visible and always priced competitively." He is also looking forward to the upcoming eBay Shopping Cart. "I think the ability to buy from multiple sellers is a great way to attract more buyers. Once implemented, I think it will really grow the Dave and Adam's Card World business." He's also excited about eBay's 2011 fee adjustments, and plans on passing his company's savings on to his customers. "eBay's current pricing strategies are terrific. Because of them, we'll be able to better serve our customers by offering them items at even lower prices."