Pinson is a case study in Internet entrepreneurship: A regular guy has a regular job until he discovers he can make an income selling online. But he’s not unique in the way he does business.
Internet users have been turning themselves into Internet merchants since eBay began in 1995. Ten years later, according to a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 17 percent of Internet users — 25 million people — sell goods and services online. Online auction giant eBay’s numbers are even more startling: In 2002, the company reported 24.5 million active users of its Web site; in the third quarter of 2005 that number rose to 68 million.
Although the exact number of Internet salesmen and women is debatable, the variety of goods sold is not. People sell land, houses, cars, electronics, jewelry, collectables and all manner of stuff. Even non-objects, like virtual weapons, armor and monetary units associated with online games like World of Warcraft, can earn a seller some cash.
via David Garfinkel and Dane Carlson.
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