I'm going to try to bring this thread back on topic again (as the size of US debt and who owns it etc. etc. are just simply not on topic) so I'm going to quote from CEO Jeff's email we sent everyone:
Auctiva remains focused on expanding and improving its suite of seller tools, including helping you identify and source great products to resell on eBay, other online marketplaces, your Auctiva Commerce Store and other channels. Auctiva and Alibaba.com share a common belief that the Internet and well-crafted software can—and should—be used to enable people to easily do business. Both companies also have a particular focus on small to mid-sized merchants and making online commerce accessible to, and more profitable for, everyone. With the synergies that exist between the two companies, I'm confident that we'll be able to greatly improve the value we deliver to users like you in the months and years ahead.
Alibaba.com has thousands of suppliers eager to break into other global markets. We've been piloting a sourcing integration with the company's AliExpress and a small subset of Auctiva users over the past couple of months.
Very soon, this opportunity will be made available to all users in the form of a new Sourcing tab within your Auctiva account. Adding to the already tremendous value of this opportunity is a number of exclusive deals, coupons, discounts, services and more that will be offered only to Auctiva users . These will be accessible through the new Sourcing tab, so be sure to check that page of your account often to ensure you don't miss out.
The opportunity that Jeff is describing is an opportunity to make a profit by buying merchandise thru AliExpress/Alibaba (with additional exclusive discounts and 'deals' for Auctiva users to lower your costs) and then markup and then resell that merchandise on eBay or Auctiva Commerce or some other venue for a profit...a profit that you keep...it doesn't go back to anybody other than yourself. That profit that you make goes in your pocket.
No, Americana prints, antiques, collectibles, and many other one-of-a-kind items probably won't sourceable from AliExpress or Alibaba.com. But the fact that not all categories will have sourcing opportunities doesn't make the underlying business concept of sourcing untrue or unworkable. Not at all.
Take this example from real life: a couple of American kids graduated from college but couldn't find jobs, so they thought they would try starting a small business. They wanted to make bicycles, but you can't make a bicycle in this country that you can resell for prices college students (their target market) could afford.
Alibaba.com hooked them up with a small manufacturer in China who made them bicycles to their specification at prices low enough that these two young guys could markup the bikes--good quality bikes too--enough to make a profit while selling at prices low enough to appeal to college kids who are on a tight budget. It was a win/win; these two young guys with no jobs make money selling a product they are proud of, and their college kid customers get a good product.
That's what Auctiva as part of Alibaba.com is going to do; we are going provide great selling tools just like we always have, AND we are going to provide sourcing opportunities to buy products which can then be resold at a profit.
Unless you are just cleaning out your attic or garage, profit is the reason to be doing e-commerce selling isn't it?