[AMA] Importing & wholesaling for resale on eBay.

[Deleted17784]

Great thread Ecom man. Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you really got this down to a science.

I experimented with this business as well. Had some wins and some losses.

I agree with looking at things you use in your every day life. Something that appeals to your interests.

I am into firearms and gear so in that niche I had some good sellers. When I got into crap I didn't know about I got burnt.

I don't want to highjack the thread but... if anyone would like to break into this Ebay business I can offer you a hot selling gun holster for $15 each SHIPPED. These sell on Ebay all day for $39.99

This is a slam dunk.

I have sold hundreds of these and I have 100% feedback.

I'm not in the USA anymore so I quit the Ebay game but I will wholesale them to someone who is interested.

Let me know. Thanks.

 

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[Harley]

Hi Ecom man,
Been researching for the last few days for items to sell. My question is, you state look around for everyday objects people use/desire. Well the issue with that is, most everyday items have a saturated market. And I believe your premise is to try and pick something that isn''t selling already, or that doesn't have much competition - I know you said it wasn't easy and I guess experience is the only guidance you have as to what will sell?
Cheers

 

[Deleted17784]

Hi Ecom man,
Been researching for the last few days for items to sell. My question is, you state look around for everyday objects people use/desire. Well the issue with that is, most everyday items have a saturated market. And I believe your premise is to try and pick something that isn''t selling already, or that doesn't have much competition - I know you said it wasn't easy and I guess experience is the only guidance you have as to what will sell?
Cheers

Everybody is already selling everything. We are talking about reselling here..

What used to drive me crazy is the Chinese wholesalers are willing to sell a single item damn near the wholesale price with free shipping... It's unbelievable how cheap they are willing to sell some items.

However, most buyers don't want to wait that long for an item. They would rather pay a bit more to purchase something from the states that will arrive in a few days.

Many times I wasn't the cheapest, but I ship fast and have perfect feedback. These things matter more then price.

Just my experience anyways.

Go to Alibaba and search for potential items. Then punch them into Ebay and see what they are selling for in completed listings. If you think there is a profit margin order a few samples and list them on EBay. You won't loose much here. If it sells order a bigger batch.

I started with very small MOQs starting out. Never had an issue. Just be sure to thoroughly check out your supplier. I only deal with long time gold members on Alibaba that have been verified.

Also, DON'T SELL CHEAP ITEMS!!! Really I wouldn't sell anything that retails less then $40. Just not worth the time and hassle.

 

[Harley]

Thanks Skins.
I have requested quotes for items already, with reduced MOG's for testing purposes. All would sell for over $30.
Appreciate the response.

 

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[Charis]

I have used terapeak before but the problem is there is no work involved for anyone to access that information. Most of the "hot" items are way too competitive to make any reliable profit. I have found searching for an item that is currently not selling in the US or maybe with only one other seller of the item works far better than terapeak.

An item I found today that I thought about using but don't have the time is on Alibaba. It is a mosquito repellant patch. There is not one US seller of the item on eBay. It is all natural patch and supposedly lasts up to 72 hrs. Some even come in packaging for resale. They are pennies a patch and you could easily resell them on eBay, your own website, or start a business selling it to all the local gas stations in your area.

See how easy and fun it is to find items?

Do you look at search volume at all?

 

[Ecom man]

Great thread Ecom man. Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you really got this down to a science.

I experimented with this business as well. Had some wins and some losses.

I agree with looking at things you use in your every day life. Something that appeals to your interests.

I am into firearms and gear so in that niche I had some good sellers. When I got into crap I didn't know about I got burnt.

I don't want to highjack the thread but... if anyone would like to break into this Ebay business I can offer you a hot selling gun holster for $15 each SHIPPED. These sell on Ebay all day for $39.99

This is a slam dunk.

I have sold hundreds of these and I have 100% feedback.

I'm not in the USA anymore so I quit the Ebay game but I will wholesale them to someone who is interested.

Let me know. Thanks.

Sorry but I call BS on that!!!!! If you were making $20 profit and they were selling like crazy like you claim why wouldn't you send them to a fulfillment center and make $15 on each one selling them "all day long"? Sure sounds like you need to unload some stock onto an unsuspecting person.

 

[Ecom man]

Everybody is already selling everything. We are talking about reselling here..

What used to drive me crazy is the Chinese wholesalers are willing to sell a single item damn near the wholesale price with free shipping... It's unbelievable how cheap they are willing to sell some items.

However, most buyers don't want to wait that long for an item. They would rather pay a bit more to purchase something from the states that will arrive in a few days.

Many times I wasn't the cheapest, but I ship fast and have perfect feedback. These things matter more then price.

Just my experience anyways.

Go to Alibaba and search for potential items. Then punch them into Ebay and see what they are selling for in completed listings. If you think there is a profit margin order a few samples and list them on EBay. You won't loose much here. If it sells order a bigger batch.

I started with very small MOQs starting out. Never had an issue. Just be sure to thoroughly check out your supplier. I only deal with long time gold members on Alibaba that have been verified.

Also, DON'T SELL CHEAP ITEMS!!! Really I wouldn't sell anything that retails less then $40. Just not worth the time and hassle.

Awesome advice! Don't worry about Chinese suppliers on eBay. I have sold products at double a Chinese supplier's price and sold 10 times more than they have.

 

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[Deleted17784]

Sorry but I call BS on that!!!!! If you were making $20 profit and they were selling like crazy like you claim why wouldn't you send them to a fulfillment center and make $15 on each one selling them "all day long"? Sure sounds like you need to unload some stock onto an unsuspecting person.

Ecom man seems like a smart guy. He is teaching the readers here a valuable lesson... You MUST be suspicious when dealing with suppliers! If something seems too good to be true it probably is. However, my offer is not "BS."

I looked into fulfillment centers last year before leaving the USA. In fact, I started this thread...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/how-do-i-outsource-my-shipping.48212/

After doing my research I decided that it wasn't worth paying a fulfillment center to handle my low volume of sales at the time. I was averaging 5-10 sales a week. I wholesaled my remaining inventory and focused on other things. I am still in contact with my supplier and sometimes I sell products in bulk.

You call it "unloading stock on an unsuspecting person." I call it the Wholesale business.

You can see my product offer and feedback below. Also notice I recently sold a 50 pack of these holsters to a satisfied customer.

Link Removed.

 

[YMCMB]

Can you talk more about customs charges and taxes? How does that work when shipping via air? Do you get a bill in the mail? What is the costs for all that? I am considering ordering a bunch of items shipped Via air to the US, a little worried about what the customs and taxes might be? Thanks.

 

[Ecom man]

Can you talk more about customs charges and taxes? How does that work when shipping via air? Do you get a bill in the mail? What is the costs for all that? I am considering ordering a bunch of items shipped Via air to the US, a little worried about what the customs and taxes might be? Thanks.

I normally have the seller deal with al of that. He pays for whatever it takes to get it to my door. I just ask what would be the total cost including express shipping to get it to my address.

 

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[Ecom man]

Ecom man seems like a smart guy. He is teaching the readers here a valuable lesson... You MUST be suspicious when dealing with suppliers! If something seems too good to be true it probably is. However, my offer is not "BS."

I looked into fulfillment centers last year before leaving the USA. In fact, I started this thread...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/how-do-i-outsource-my-shipping.48212/

After doing my research I decided that it wasn't worth paying a fulfillment center to handle my low volume of sales at the time. I was averaging 5-10 sales a week. I wholesaled my remaining inventory and focused on other things. I am still in contact with my supplier and sometimes I sell products in bulk.

You call it "unloading stock on an unsuspecting person." I call it the Wholesale business.

You can see my product offer and feedback below. Also notice I recently sold a 50 pack of these holsters to a satisfied customer.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Glock-Fobus...1560336200?pt=US_Holsters&hash=item3a922a1b48

Sorry but as I said my BS meter was going off like crazy. First you say it is a super hot selling product that is a slam dunk. Now you say you were selling 5-10 a week. Selling 5 a week isn't a hot selling item or a slam dunk. Which is why I called BS. I don't doubt that someone bought a 50 pack and was satisfied or that you sold 5 a week. I do think calling it a "slam dunk" and "hot selling" is deceptive at the least and possibly lying as well. Let's run the math on your "hot selling" item.(Assuming you can actually sell it for $40) $40 minus $10 eBay fees and shipping brings it to $30. Subtract the purchase price of $15 and you get approx $15 profit. (Assuming that you can actually sell 5 a week)you are making $75 a week. Sorry, but $75 a week isn't "hot selling" a "slam dunk" or anything close. I made more money mowing a couple lawns yesterday than that and I didn't have to invest $750.

 

[johnp]

Thanks for creating this thread and taking the time to educate all of us. I have learned so much from you already. Over the last year I have been drop shipping a product to myself, which I then sell at local flea markets or direct to retailers whenever I need some extra money. But the margins are extremely low and the niche is very competitive, especially on Ebay. So I have been looking to replace that revenue stream with something that fits into the model that you're using.

I have found and tested a product to see if I can sell it. I sold out within 15 minutes of making the ebay posting. Now I just need to find a supplier and get a test product direct from the supplier to test for quality. The part that I'm stuck on is shipping.

The suppliers are quoting me between 800-1K for shipping from China to the US, for the product (which is no larger than a 20oz bottle). Is this normal? Do you usually pay crazy shipping fees? I have talked to a ton of suppliers but the shipping prices are always extremely high. I feel like I'm missing something here with the shipping. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Joe Cassandra]

@MJ DeMarco This has to be gold!

@Ecomman Any tips on negotiating with the suppliers especially with the language barrier?

Thanks for all your tips, Im looking at doing a store on the side but stuck because many of the manufacturers although 5+ year gold star on alibaba want payment only by Western Union or T/T which ive heard horror stories about

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[Ecom man]

Thanks for creating this thread and taking the time to educate all of us. I have learned so much from you already. Over the last year I have been drop shipping a product to myself, which I then sell at local flea markets or direct to retailers whenever I need some extra money. But the margins are extremely low and the niche is very competitive, especially on Ebay. So I have been looking to replace that revenue stream with something that fits into the model that you're using.

I have found and tested a product to see if I can sell it. I sold out within 15 minutes of making the ebay posting. Now I just need to find a supplier and get a test product direct from the supplier to test for quality. The part that I'm stuck on is shipping.

The suppliers are quoting me between 800-1K for shipping from China to the US, for the product (which is no larger than a 20oz bottle). Is this normal? Do you usually pay crazy shipping fees? I have talked to a ton of suppliers but the shipping prices are always extremely high. I feel like I'm missing something here with the shipping. Any suggestions?

Thanks

It would depend on how many you are ordering. I would take a guess and say the shipping is wayyyyy too expensive. I normally order products a couple thousand dollars at a time and spend a couple hundred in shipping costs via DHL. Have you tried to find the product on dhgate or aliexpress? Those sites have a lot of sellers with free shipping (of course you pay more for the items) or I have also started using alibaba wholesale. It has the shipping costs clearly stated and makes it easier to know what your total costs are.

It sounds like your supplier is trying to make a lot of extra money on shipping. Either that or the item is super fragile and packaging has to be super large for each item.

 

[Ecom man]

@MJ DeMarco This has to be gold!

@Ecomman Any tips on negotiating with the suppliers especially with the language barrier?

Thanks for all your tips, Im looking at doing a store on the side but stuck because many of the manufacturers although 5+ year gold star on alibaba want payment only by Western Union or T/T which ive heard horror stories about

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

I've been burned using western union as well. I like using Alibaba's escrow service as it seems to be safer. Dhgate.com only allows payments through their escrow. Same thing for Aliexpress.com as you pay directly to Aliexpress using your CC.

In regards to the language barrier it's an issue that just has to be dealt with on a regular basis. If you cant seem to get the supplier to understand you then move on to someone that can understand. A lot of suppliers will speak good enough English to get the deal done but not much more. You just have to work through the issues and if you don't understand what they mean ask them to clarify until you understand.

 

[Joe Cassandra]

I've been burned using western union as well. I like using Alibaba's escrow service as it seems to be safer. Dhgate.com only allows payments through their escrow. Same thing for Aliexpress.com as you pay directly to Aliexpress using your CC.

In regards to the language barrier it's an issue that just has to be dealt with on a regular basis. If you cant seem to get the supplier to understand you then move on to someone that can understand. A lot of suppliers will speak good enough English to get the deal done but not much more. You just have to work through the issues and if you don't understand what they mean ask them to clarify until you understand.

Thanks a bunch..its a bit tricky but everyone has been super friendly.

Have you ever had a product that a large brand started making as well that you had to compete with?

I know someone asked earlier about brand vs. no brand as there are pros and cons of each. I am for branding just curious if a big brand noticed and swooped in. I assume that is why people want stuff patented, have you had any patent wars or is everythi g pretty generic?



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[Joe Cassandra]

I've been burned using western union as well. I like using Alibaba's escrow service as it seems to be safer. Dhgate.com only allows payments through their escrow. Same thing for Aliexpress.com as you pay directly to Aliexpress using your CC.

In regards to the language barrier it's an issue that just has to be dealt with on a regular basis. If you cant seem to get the supplier to understand you then move on to someone that can understand. A lot of suppliers will speak good enough English to get the deal done but not much more. You just have to work through the issues and if you don't understand what they mean ask them to clarify until you understand.

Thanks a bunch..its a bit tricky but everyone has been super friendly.

Have you ever had a product that a large brand started making as well that you had to compete with?

I know someone asked earlier about brand vs. no brand as there are pros and cons of each. I am for branding just curious if a big brand noticed and swooped in. I assume that is why people want stuff patented, have you had any patent wars or is everythi g pretty generic?



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[Deleted17784]

Sorry but as I said my BS meter was going off like crazy. First you say it is a super hot selling product that is a slam dunk. Now you say you were selling 5-10 a week. Selling 5 a week isn't a hot selling item or a slam dunk. Which is why I called BS. I don't doubt that someone bought a 50 pack and was satisfied or that you sold 5 a week. I do think calling it a "slam dunk" and "hot selling" is deceptive at the least and possibly lying as well. Let's run the math on your "hot selling" item.(Assuming you can actually sell it for $40) $40 minus $10 eBay fees and shipping brings it to $30. Subtract the purchase price of $15 and you get approx $15 profit. (Assuming that you can actually sell 5 a week)you are making $75 a week. Sorry, but $75 a week isn't "hot selling" a "slam dunk" or anything close. I made more money mowing a couple lawns yesterday than that and I didn't have to invest $750.

You are out of line calling me a liar. My Ebay link is there for anyone who wanted to verify my sales history and feedback. You can see what the product sells for and how often they sell. Just thought I would try to help someone who wants to get their feet wet in this business by offering them a proven product with a steady sales history. It's a good safe way to gain some experience, make some cash and build up your positive feedback. Then they can start networking with suppliers, ordering samples and testing them on Ebay. It can be a tedious process to find a reputable supplier with a hot product that you can consistently make money with. I already did the homework on this one.

I guess we all have different ideas about what is considered a hot item. If it's small, durable, light weight, affordable and sells consistently making me 100% profit after fees and shipping I consider it a hot item. How much of a mark up do you look for in a product? Sure, $300-$600 per month is not fastlane but it's semi passive income with minimal investment. Certainly more passive then "mowing a couple lawns."

 

[Ecom man]

Thanks a bunch..its a bit tricky but everyone has been super friendly.

Have you ever had a product that a large brand started making as well that you had to compete with?

I know someone asked earlier about brand vs. no brand as there are pros and cons of each. I am for branding just curious if a big brand noticed and swooped in. I assume that is why people want stuff patented, have you had any patent wars or is everythi g pretty generic?



Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

I've pretty much stayed with generic. Many suppliers have patents on the items that you are purchasing so you obviously couldn't so that. It is certainly possible to put your name on the products and brand them as your own just make sure that it is ok to do so before going that route, or just stay selling the generics.

 

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[ddzc]

You are out of line calling me a liar. My Ebay link is there for anyone who wanted to verify my sales history and feedback. You can see what the product sells for and how often they sell. Just thought I would try to help someone who wants to get their feet wet in this business by offering them a proven product with a steady sales history. It's a good safe way to gain some experience, make some cash and build up your positive feedback. Then they can start networking with suppliers, ordering samples and testing them on Ebay. It can be a tedious process to find a reputable supplier with a hot product that you can consistently make money with. I already did the homework on this one.

I guess we all have different ideas about what is considered a hot item. If it's small, durable, light weight, affordable and sells consistently making me 100% profit after fees and shipping I consider it a hot item. How much of a mark up do you look for in a product? Sure, $300-$600 per month is not fastlane but it's semi passive income with minimal investment. Certainly more passive then "mowing a couple lawns."

ecomm man might be right here. No offence, but you've had 16 items listed on ebay in the past 60 days with 0 sales. Might want to look on improving those numbers. How about breaking up the packs, selling them in 5s instead of 30s...or sell them individually. It looks like wholesaling these holsters aren't working...either there's no demand or your pricing is off.

 

[Mike.B]

You are out of line calling me a liar. My Ebay link is there for anyone who wanted to verify my sales history and feedback. You can see what the product sells for and how often they sell. Just thought I would try to help someone who wants to get their feet wet in this business by offering them a proven product with a steady sales history. It's a good safe way to gain some experience, make some cash and build up your positive feedback. Then they can start networking with suppliers, ordering samples and testing them on Ebay. It can be a tedious process to find a reputable supplier with a hot product that you can consistently make money with. I already did the homework on this one.

I guess we all have different ideas about what is considered a hot item. If it's small, durable, light weight, affordable and sells consistently making me 100% profit after fees and shipping I consider it a hot item. How much of a mark up do you look for in a product? Sure, $300-$600 per month is not fastlane but it's semi passive income with minimal investment. Certainly more passive then "mowing a couple lawns."

Not sure why you are calling this such a hot item. In the last 90 days you've had 17 listings and sold 1 for $750. Not exactly crushing it.

Now that's not to say the item doesn't have potential, I just think you might of oversold it a bit.

 

[Mike.B]

ecomm man might be right here. No offence, but you've had 16 items listed on ebay in the past 60 days with 0 sales. Might want to look on improving those numbers. How about breaking up the packs, selling them in 5s instead of 30s...or sell them individually. It looks like wholesaling these holsters aren't working...either there's no demand or your pricing is off.

quicker than me ...

 

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[Ecom man]

You are out of line calling me a liar. My Ebay link is there for anyone who wanted to verify my sales history and feedback. You can see what the product sells for and how often they sell. Just thought I would try to help someone who wants to get their feet wet in this business by offering them a proven product with a steady sales history. It's a good safe way to gain some experience, make some cash and build up your positive feedback. Then they can start networking with suppliers, ordering samples and testing them on Ebay. It can be a tedious process to find a reputable supplier with a hot product that you can consistently make money with. I already did the homework on this one.

I guess we all have different ideas about what is considered a hot item. If it's small, durable, light weight, affordable and sells consistently making me 100% profit after fees and shipping I consider it a hot item. How much of a mark up do you look for in a product? Sure, $300-$600 per month is not fastlane but it's semi passive income with minimal investment. Certainly more passive then "mowing a couple lawns."

I stand by my statements. Calling it a "hot selling slam dunk" is deceptive marketing of your "wholesale selling" I would call out anyone who tried to deceive people especially on a thread that was started to HELP people not to sell them something.

Honesty is always the best policy.

 

[Deleted17784]

Not sure why you are calling this such a hot item. In the last 90 days you've had 17 listings and sold 1 for $750. Not exactly crushing it.

Now that's not to say the item doesn't have potential, I just think you might of oversold it a bit.

It's not my intention to clutter this thread with irrelevant posts but I feel the need to defend myself when being accused of "lying" to "unload stock on an unsuspecting person."

You can see in post #391 where I stated "I'm not in the USA anymore so I quit the Ebay game but I will wholesale them to someone who is interested."

I do not conduct business on Ebay anymore. I will occasionally list something if I have time but I'm not out here trying to crush it on Ebay.

My intention was to HELP someone looking for a product to start out with. Perhaps trying to sell something here came off as spam and rubbed some people the wrong way. When I was in the Ebay business (last year) I was selling 5-10 of these holsters per week. Based on the profit margin, customer feedback and consistent sales I consider it a hot product. Perhaps you don't agree with my choice of words by calling it "hot" but I am not a liar. I posted my sales history. My cards are on the table.

I do think it's a slam dunk for anyone new to this business. All the hard work has been done already. If the offer is not attractive to you that's fine but I resent being called dishonest.

 

[CarrieW]

It's not my intention to clutter this thread with irrelevant posts but I feel the need to defend myself when being accused of "lying" to "unload stock on an unsuspecting person."

You can see in post #391 where I stated "I'm not in the USA anymore so I quit the Ebay game but I will wholesale them to someone who is interested."

I do not conduct business on Ebay anymore. I will occasionally list something if I have time but I'm not out here trying to crush it on Ebay.

My intention was to HELP someone looking for a product to start out with. Perhaps trying to sell something here came off as spam and rubbed some people the wrong way. When I was in the Ebay business (last year) I was selling 5-10 of these holsters per week. Based on the profit margin, customer feedback and consistent sales I consider it a hot product. Perhaps you don't agree with my choice of words by calling it "hot" but I am not a liar. I posted my sales history. My cards are on the table.

I do think it's a slam dunk for anyone new to this business. All the hard work has been done already. If the offer is not attractive to you that's fine but I resent being called dishonest.

I also hate being called dishonest. @Ecom man was just trying to keep everything on the up and up here. it is his thread. to let someone post something like that without questioning it would be stupid. and would never happen on this forum, people here question everything

that is the reasoning behind the rules of not soliciting here. keeps things civil

 

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[Deleted17784]

I also hate being called dishonest. @Ecom man was just trying to keep everything on the up and up here. it is his thread. to let someone post something like that without questioning it would be stupid. and would never happen on this forum, people here question everything

that is the reasoning behind the rules of not soliciting here. keeps things civil

I see that soliciting here was a mistake and I won't be doing that again. I was simply trying to add value to this informative discussion and offer a product I had success with. My intentions are good and I don't appreciate the insults. This is Ecom mans thread so I will bow out and let you all get back to business.

 

[CarrieW]

intentions aren't tangible nor can they be proven. lets just leave it at that.

 

[Mike.B]

It's not my intention to clutter this thread with irrelevant posts but I feel the need to defend myself when being accused of "lying" to "unload stock on an unsuspecting person."

You can see in post #391 where I stated "I'm not in the USA anymore so I quit the Ebay game but I will wholesale them to someone who is interested."

I do not conduct business on Ebay anymore. I will occasionally list something if I have time but I'm not out here trying to crush it on Ebay.

My intention was to HELP someone looking for a product to start out with. Perhaps trying to sell something here came off as spam and rubbed some people the wrong way. When I was in the Ebay business (last year) I was selling 5-10 of these holsters per week. Based on the profit margin, customer feedback and consistent sales I consider it a hot product. Perhaps you don't agree with my choice of words by calling it "hot" but I am not a liar. I posted my sales history. My cards are on the table.

I do think it's a slam dunk for anyone new to this business. All the hard work has been done already. If the offer is not attractive to you that's fine but I resent being called dishonest.

I wouldn't imply that you were dishonest, I am just trying to understand the numbers. Also I don't get why you're saying you don't sell on Ebay any longer, but you still have active listings. Lost me just a bit ...

 

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[Ecom man]

I was looking for a mower part on eBay and came across this gem of a seller. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Drive-Cable...288?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51b40d2cc8
What should you as a seller be doing differently if this were you, and how would you tell what the problems were?

 

[CarrieW]

Raises hand

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