Hi guys,

I am considering opening a website to showcase my magic; and possibly selling some original magic effects, inventions and supplies.

Can anyone offer me advice on a system like paypal? From browsing the Café it seems to be quite popular.

I am in South Africa which is why I am keen on the internet idea to make my products available internationally. I hope my ideas will be a valuable addition to the magic community.

Many thanks,
ric

Pay Pal is probably your best bet for international orders. Shipping will be expensive.

Hmmmmm... I just looked into paypal.
It isn't available for South Africa yet.
Oh well, I'll do some research into international money transfers.

You might want to check out a company called CDsteet.com. They specialize in band merchandise. But what they really do is process credit card orders. They're really nice, and I bet they would work with you.

You can self-ship, and they send you a monthly check (I've never missed one). They handle all of the internet programming. You can cut & paste html for a shopping cart right onto your site. And they take a really small percentage compared to other internet sites (ie Amazon).

Speaking of which, Amazon.com has a program where you can sell things with their help. Check them out.

Let us know what you find.

Troy Roark

A friend and colleague of mine works in South Africa building web sites. Not that anyone is asking, but just so you know he doesn't discount his work. He's good and is fair in what he charges. PM me if you want his email address.

Of late, I swing by here every couple of weeks, so it may take me a bit of time to respond to you.

You might also try a "third party" processor. That is a company which charges you a fee to process your paper.


Peter

Good luck on the shop! I helped our theatre develop a complex net-based ticket sales system...kind of a friendly ticketmaster critter. You may want to go ahead and bite the bullet and get set up with your bank to take the credit cards over secure server. Frankly many are frustrated and turned off by PayPal and other similar set-ups. Remember, anything that is an obstacle between you and selling your product to a customer is to be avoided at all costs.