eBay Canada announces its Hall of Fame to celebrate 25 years of eBay and 25 Canadian entrepreneurs Français
The program shines a spotlight on passionate and resilient entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast that exemplify the spirit of eBay since its launch 25 years ago
TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2020 /CNW/ - Online marketplace leader, eBay Canada, has launched the eBay Hall of Fame to showcase 25 sellers as part of marking eBay's 25th anniversary milestone. The program recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit of 25 unique eBay sellers from across Canada, featuring the compelling personal and business stories that led them to the platform.
eBay's first sale was a second-hand laser pointer that was purchased by a Canadian for $14.83. The Hall of Fame program showcases the diversity of sellers that have used eBay over the last quarter-century, selling products from used laser pointers, to new shoes, sports memorabilia, handmade jewelry, and everything in between to buyers in Canada and across the globe. With more than 1.5 billion items to explore and over $1 billion spent by Canadians every year, the breadth and depth of eBay's selection is unrivaled.
"Sellers are the foundation of eBay," said Rob Bigler, General Manager of eBay Canada. "The last 25 years have shown us how entrepreneurial, resilient and passionate our community of sellers is, and that not one story or seller is the same. It was nearly impossible to select just 25 sellers for the Hall of Fame program, and this truly represents just a snapshot of the amazing Canadian entrepreneurs on eBay. We are so grateful for their dedication and support over the past 25 years and could not be more excited to partner with them for many more years to come."
The Hall of Fame is accessible through ebay.ca/HallOfFame, where the names, faces, and stories of the entrepreneurs and their small businesses are featured in full. The sellers recognized in eBay's Hall of Fame include (in alpha order):
Tina Braumberger - Dobetterstudios
Vancouver, British Columbia
With a passion for fashion, Tina Braumberger wanted to give her clothes a second life and help reduce the amount of waste created by the fashion industry. eBay turned out to be the perfect place to launch Do Better Studios and make her 'recommerce' dreams come true.
William Chong - Dollyscards
Toronto, Ontario
William Chong loved playing with trading cards and visiting his local games and hobbies store when he was growing up. Eventually he decided to make a hobby of selling his cards on eBay where he found great success in connecting with the trading card community. He never imagined that one day he would end up buying the card shop where he played as a child, as well as two other stores, all thanks to eBay.
Craig Dawson and Rick Belanger – 2DogsDigs
Toronto, Ontario
Collectors of Pop Culture Toys and Dolls, Craig Dawson and his husband Rick Belanger, used to sell their Barbies, TV memorabilia and Beanie Babies at toy shows. When they heard about eBay, they took their business online and started selling to collectors around the world in real-time as a side hustle. Now they're paying their success forward by teaching other thrifters and resellers how to earn income on eBay with their 2DogsDigs YouTube channel.
Eric Dempsey – The_binnacle
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Eric Dempsey took his boating supply store online when e-commerce first started to take off, but he was limited to selling only during peak boating season in Canada. After his eBay store launched in 2019 as part of the Retail Revival program, Eric's customer base expanded to include eBay's large community of international buyers. Ever since, it's been nothing but high sales year-round for The Binnacle on eBay.
Jarvis Du - Refurbio
Mississauga, Ontario
Working to reduce the stigma around refurbished electronics, Jarvis Du and his team at Refurb.io use eBay to sell their ready-made refurbished computers and custom builds. Not only does this help people get perfectly good computers for great prices, but it also helps keep electronic waste out of landfills.
Simon Duguay - Newxon
Jonquière, Quebec
Looking to make some money after graduation, Simon Duguay decided to start selling clothes on eBay. He added one of his miniatures to his inventory and discovered that the demand and profit margins were much higher. Fast forward to today, and Simon's games and hobbies business surpassed $1 million in annual sales in 2019 at his storefront in Saguenay, Quebec.
Lamia El-Khouri - Bouran1995
Toronto, Ontario
Lamia El-Khouri never imagined she would one day be a top seller on eBay. It all started when she began making jewelry based on the gorgeous adornments she encountered while studying ancient cultures for her master's degree. At first it was just a hobby, but when she tried selling them online she realized that others were just as captivated by the designs as she had been.
Royce Hall - Canadaworldcoins
Newdale, Manitoba
Looking for ways to keep busy after retirement, Royce Hall started selling collectible stamps and coins on eBay. He ended up getting a lot more out of the experience than he bargained for. Enjoying the social aspect of selling on eBay more than anything, Royce has been lucky to forge long-lasting friendships with the people he's met along the way.
Edie Jamieson - Sweetbuy_n_buy
Bedford, Nova Scotia
Stay-at-home mom Edie Jamieson was looking for ways to earn extra income while homeschooling her kids. eBay helped her make a profit from her thrift store finds while teaching her children and her sisters all about running a business from home.
Althea Johnson - Kbeautyandsunglasses
Toronto, Ontario
Althea Johnson discovered the amazing benefits of Korean skincare while vacationing in Seoul. Upon her return to Toronto, she realized that she could only order the products she wanted through the USA, and that's when her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. She found a supplier, started selling on eBay and even opened a physical store in Little Italy. Now, Althea shares the amazing benefits of Korean skincare with fans across North America.
Mandy Kennett - Mandicrafts
Oakville, Ontario
Teddy bear enthusiast Mandy Kennett joined eBay so she could sell some bears and maybe buy a few more. Little did she know that her eBay adventure would turn into a successful business selling rare collectibles from around the world, and that she'd find a supportive community too.
Adrien Lavoie - Boardshopw
Gatineau, Quebec
Inspired by what he learned while working for another eBay seller, Adrien Lavoie set out to pursue his goal of launching his own store. WBoardshop began as a side project from his parents' basement while he was in university but quickly took off and pivoted from selling skateboards to focus on shoes. With adidas and Reebok asking him to sell their products too, Adrien eventually had to buy an 11,000-square foot warehouse to keep up with the demand.
Ajay Mirchandani - Target0007
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Real-life Bleacher Bum, Ajay Mirchandani, was no stranger to entrepreneurship when he started selling his old baseball jerseys on eBay. The avid sports fan gradually added more sports related inventory plus items from his other business to his eBay store and now he's knocking his online sales out of the park.
Imran, Aman, Asad, and Ali Nasser - Throwbackvault
Toronto, Ontario
With a knack for finding rare vintage sportswear, the Nasser brothers, Ali, Aman, Asad and Imran decided to launch a business on eBay. As the demand increased for their unique finds, they hired friends and family and expanded their business to include vintage band shirts and upcycled women's fashions. Now, the brothers cater to international collectors through their eBay store, and local clientele through their retail store on Toronto's Queen Street West.
Jessica Oman and Johann Furrer – Storage_warriors
Vancouver, British Columbia
Storage Warriors Jessica Oman and Johann Furrer found great success scouring storage lockers and estate sales for forgotten treasures, then selling them online to happy new homes for a profit. eBay has helped them to reach a wider customer base of international treasure hunters and kept revenue coming in during the pandemic.
Trevor Otterson - Thebanknoteman
Truro, Nova Scotia
Interested in collectibles since he was a kid, Trevor realized that eBay was the perfect marketplace for buying and selling coins, banknotes and trading cards. When he was diagnosed with a rare back disease, his popular eBay store helped him to continue to enjoy his hobby and share his passion of collecting with others.
Aris Pappas - Acp1974
Burlington, Ontario
Aris Pappas was drawn to eBay for its millions of engaged buyers. He knew it would be the perfect place to launch his digital sign business in 2008. His products were so popular that people would join eBay just to buy them. With 100% sales growth year-over-year, Aris now works with big restaurant brands and owns a storefront in West Palm Beach, Florida, but he still relies on eBay for its promotional tools, inbound leads and customer insights.
Michel Paquin - Lemondedufoyer
Sainte-Julie, Quebec
Michel Paquin was hired to help Le Monde du Foyer boost sales of their gazebos, fireplaces and accessories. The business was largely paper-based when he joined, but Michel helped them optimize their eBay store to increase their conversion rates and grow their business from a team of two to a team of 25.
Dhiren Punjabi - Homeandtechdeals
Brampton, Ontario
When Dhiren Punjabi immigrated to Canada, a business owner named Manu gave him his first job doing warehouse management and sales. Despite having no previous retail experience, Dhiren's ambition and hard work helped take the business to amazing new heights, quickly reaching $1 million in online sales after adding eBay to the mix.
Shaun Smith and Stephanie Markham - Smits_29
Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Shaun Smith began his e-commerce journey helping his father sell his artwork on eBay, but soon realized it was a great platform to help other Indigenous artists share the beauty of their work with collectors around the world. Shaun and his partner Stephanie now support local artists in their community on Haida Gwaii by purchasing their creations and reselling them in their eBay store, with plans to also open a brick-and-mortar location.
Nima Tahmassbi - Senvilleofficial
Montreal, Quebec
Nima Tahmassbi started out by selling anything and everything on eBay, but refined his focus to meet the rising demand for air conditioners. Business soon became about more than just keeping people cool. Nima formed ongoing relationships with Habitat for Humanity and Samaritan's Purse to help bring much needed equipment and support to people in times of crisis.
Marco Thorne - Api_hockey
Cornwall, PEI
Hockey fan Marco Thorne dreamed of one day leaving his teaching job to pursue his goal of selling hockey equipment full time. When he finally made the jump and opened a storefront in PEI, he listed his products on eBay, which now accounts for one quarter of his income. Helping families find affordable hockey gear is one of the things Marco enjoys most about running his business.
Eric Tripp - Erics_corner_store
Osgoode, Ontario
During his night shifts as an Ottawa bus driver, Eric Tripp noticed that people were leaving valuable items on the curb before garbage day. He recognized the opportunity to salvage the perfectly good parts inside discarded appliances and sell them online. After a few years of hard work, Eric was able to leave his job and support his family with the income from his eBay store.
Keeley Wamback - Keeksboutique
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Single mom Keeley Wamback needed a way to earn income that would allow her to stay home and care for her baby, who was born with a damaged artery in her arm. She always loved thrifting and noticed that people were having success with it on eBay. Starting with a few items from her own closet, Keeley launched her eBay store and now has over 1,000 pieces of sourced inventory, earning enough to fully support her family.
Julie Yoo - Imissyouvintage
Toronto, Ontario
Julie Yoo discovered e-commerce in 1998. An art history student interested in all things vintage, she got hooked on the rush of commanding a pretty penny online for her luxury vintage finds. She opened two storefronts in Toronto — one for women's luxury consignment and then a men's consignment shop next door. Her online selling chops helped her business survive when her stores had to close temporarily due to the pandemic.
About eBay
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world. We exist to enable economic opportunity for individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations of all sizes. Our portfolio of brands includes eBay Marketplace and eBay Classifieds Group, operating in 190 markets around the world.
SOURCE eBay Canada
Media Contact, Nicole Macharacek, Communications Manager, eBay Canada, [email protected], 416-305-8677; Tom Horn, Consultant, Proof Inc., [email protected], 416-969-2781
Share this article