The Postal Service Is Losing Millions a Year to Help You Buy Cheap Stuff from China

You can get anything you want at Harry “Skip” McGrath’s 21st century digital storefront.

Steak rub. Crochet needles. Paella pans. Concealed-carry pistol holsters. Moisturizer.

McGrath was an executive for a Fortune 500 company before his son showed him eBay. The first thing he sold there was a set of 19th century brass candlesticks, the kind his wife would list for $100 at her antiques store. Someone on the Internet bought them for $169.

Eventually the couple ran out of antiques and McGrath started looking into other things to sell. He began buying all kinds of bric-a-brac from wholesalers.