Let's pretend Marco Polo makes a great leap forward into the future and has to earn a living. What better way than to put his China travel to work by selling imported items on eBay?

Okay, it's a stretch of imagination and probably isn't high on anybody's Hollywood movie wish list, but in real life, JadeCaravan.com http://www.jadecaravan.com has done just that. Owned by Canadian resident Connie Maguire and Jia Hua Song of China, JadeCaravan provides original Chinese paintings for sale on eBay auctions, an eBay store and through its own Web site.

Connie's fondness for China is manifest in her background. Her minor in college was Chinese history, a love bolstered by several business trips made with her husband, a university professor who visited as a foreign expert in computer science. This experience led to more classes (this time studying Mandarin) and some travel on her own. Armed with a basic ability with the language, Connie soon made friends and found Jia Hua Song, who was willing to help her scout works of art.

"About three years ago, I started buying old photos, postcards, etc., on eBay and before long, the idea of selling things took hold as well," she explained. Her first foray into sales was in jade carvings acquired during her initial travels. When the online jade market became saturated, Connie hunted for more individual items.

So Connie Maguire set out to find unknown and talented artists. "We do not buy from dealers, but from the artists themselves," she says. Her aim was to find and buy a range of works that demonstrate differing styles from talented painters. What she tried to avoid was the easy and the obvious, explaining, "There are "artist villages" in China, where art is churned out like an assembly line, with one person doing skies, another water, another trees, another people, etc."

Once Connie or Jia acquire the original artwork, Connie has the paintings shipped to Canada by sea, keeping each shipment below the $1,600 level so a broker isn't necessary. That takes about four weeks, with customs clearance taking another two. Every two to three months a fresh shipment arrives, and Connie makes a trip at least once a year to meet new artists and find fresh work.

The next step is taking digital photographs, being careful to have the photograph capture the true colors of the paintings. After that, a commentary is added and then posted to eBay.

As for fees associated with importing goods, Connie's experience in Canada proves the process is simple. "We are far too small to have any tariff advantages...we pay the federal GST when importing and then apply to get it back. If we sell an item in Canada, we have to collect GST (and provincial tax, when applicable) and send it to the appropriate government departments."

A visit to JadeCaravan.com demonstrates the variety Connie strives to achieve, from traditional, to representational, to post impressionistic. Connie says they sometimes sell calligraphy and water colors, but the site predominantly features oils.

David Steel from Zoovy.com also successfully imports items for sale on eBay. "I sell Mexican art, and the less expensive pieces always sell and typically at a much higher margin." As for pitfalls, Steel says the biggest factor is that "you really have to forecast ahead as you can't always get new products on a moment's notice."

For Steel, the process of finding the right items that sell well is through preliminary research on the larger auction sites. "Then I will typically just try different types of items until I get the right products online."

Since he only sells handcrafted items in his store, Steel is diligent about the research. As CEO and founder of Zoovy.com, an auction management service, David knows the importance of knowing the market. For a look at his inventory, check out http://www.value.zoovy.com.

Research is valuable. Look into business incentives sponsored in your area. Some local and state governments offer enticements by way of loans, grants, and tax breaks to people importing items for sale. New London, CT, for example, offers state-led enterprise incentives in order to make full use of its new pier and revitalize its downtown. So checking out what your government has to offer is worth an afternoon or two on the Internet.

Since eBay users are spread far and wide, it's hard to predict whether importing items for sale over the Internet is on an upward curve. But if my own experience is any measure, it's certainly possible. At a recent wedding, I overheard a couple from Little Rock, Arkansas, discussing ways to earn a living. The husband serves in the USAF. His wife, a native of the Philippines, believes selling on eBay is a good, flexible way to augment their income while taking care of three toddlers. When a reassignment comes along, she can simply pick up her computer and move along without having the burden of finding new employment.

Her first investment in a new venture? A fact-finding trip to China.