How to Sell Imports for a Profit without Leaving Home

Has this ever happened to you?…

Last weekend, I walked into a store and immediately spotted a bag that I’d seen in a market in Thailand two months ago. Only in the store, the bag was marked up to $35. In the market in Thailand, it was going for $5 to $8, depending on your bargaining skills.

If you travel a lot, you probably see this all the time.

Bonnie here, again, filling in for Lori as she spends time with her new baby.

Every time I leave on one of our Photo Expeditions, I tuck an empty duffel bag into my suitcase, so I can stock up on inexpensive goodies from craft markets. Places like Ecuador, Bali, and Thailand are great for that.

Some of the things I’ve bought abroad sell for a whole lot more back home. For example, I bought this wool poncho in Cotacachi, Ecuador. It’s soft, thick, and very warm.

The price for a very similar poncho on Nordstrom.com – $495! The price I paid – $17.

And the same goes for electronics, toys, party supplies, baby clothes… even lingerie! (I’ll tell you an interesting story about that tomorrow.)

At some point, I had this idea that I’d bring home enough stuff to start my own little import/export business. After all, things are often cheap abroad — and there’s a lot of room for profit.

But with all of the activities you do when you travel, sometimes there’s barely enough time to think about what to buy for yourself, let alone bring home and sell.

Luckily, you don’t have to leave home to do it.

We’ll talk more about how it’s done tomorrow — along with a little lingerie story.

Meantime, what have you spotted in local stores that you saw in another country for much cheaper? And knowing that, what would you like to find online at the same cheap price, that you could sell for a profit back home?

Leave a comment below.

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]