Courtesy The Telluride Watch
By Martinique Davis

With 150 million registered buyers and a name that is known among Internet users worldwide, the online auction company eBay is arguably one of the most significant companies to break into the online shopping market. In all its big industry glory, this behemoth of an Internet business has not, however, left out the little guys.

Meet locals Dennis Lankes and Bill Banks, owners of the Telluride-based eBay consignment firm DB Trading Company. With the February launch of their new business, Banks and Lankes joined the close to 500,000 other Americans who have successfully made a business out of eBay’s business. DB Trading follows in the footsteps of other eBay consignment providers, like QuikDrop and AuctionDrop, who provide customers with an outlet to sell their merchandise on eBay without the hassle of having to list items themselves. But unlike its larger competitors, DB Trading charges between 12 percent and 18 percent commission of winning bids – compared to other companies’ 30 percent to 38 percent commission rates. Also, DB Trading has the unique advantage of being based out of Telluride, where owner Banks says, “We have bigger and better toys.”

In fact, the origin of the business came out of Lankes and Banks’s belief that Telluride merchants should have a shot at taking a bigger piece of the international retail pie.

“The hope was that our business would benefit other businesses in town, in that we could help take Telluride companies worldwide,” says Lankes.

As he explains, DB Trading was initially launched to help Telluride-based business sell their merchandise online, without being forced to pay the overhead of creating an online store themselves. So far, local companies like the Sweet Life, SlopeStyle and Jagged Edge have taken Banks and Lankes up on the offer, handing over their seasonal and overstock goods to DB Trading to liquidate on eBay.

DB Trading’s owners have since seen a need for this type of service among Telluride’s private sector.

“So maybe you want to get a new pair of skis or a computer, or want to clean out the gear in your garage. We can take those old items and make them stand out on eBay, and also save you the time and effort it takes to post those listings,” says Lankes. “When it comes down to it, what is your time worth to you?”

How it works is that clients drop off their items at DB Trading’s office at 220 E. Colorado Ave., Suite 206 (above the Telluride Panhandler). Lankes and Banks take a photo, research the item’s price point, then list it on eBay. For items that can’t be brought into the office, like cars or antique furniture, Lankes and Banks can arrange to come take photos of it in its location. After the item is sold, DB Trading ships the item to the buyer, and then quickly writes the seller a check.

The advantage of selling goods through a registered eBay store like DB Trading is not only the convenience to the seller, but also the fact that eBay registered stores maintain a level of legitimacy and trustworthiness that would be difficult for a private party seller to attain. DB Trading has a 100 percent seller feedback rating; items sold as DB Trading goods may also appear more desirable because they are professionally listed. DB Trading can also typically process orders much faster than individual sellers could – meaning sellers get their money sooner.

Both Lankes and Banks entered into their new business venture toting experience in the web world. Banks graduated from the Miami Ohio University and went straight into a profession working at web-based start-up companies doing web design and development. Lankes is a self-proclaimed “I.T. mutt,” having worked in various Internet-related professions in the past five years, including a stint with FOX in their online fantasy gaming branch. Lankes also launched an online webstore for arts and crafts giant Michael’s, and worked for one of the world’s largest firewall service companies in the world.

After moving to Telluride nearly five years ago, both Lankes and Banks underwent a lifestyle-induced career change, dipping into different jobs around town. After meeting and becoming friends while working at Alpine Lodging, the duo decided to get back to their I.T. roots while maintaining their beloved resort town lifestyles.

“I wanted to find our niche here, and do something that would allow me to spend time with my family,” says Lankes, who is expecting his first child this fall with his wife Nicole.

So far, reception for DB Trading has been positive, Lankes and Banks report. The duo see opportunity for the business to expand further into southwest Colorado, with the potential of opening sister DB Trading Company offices in Durango and Montrose. They also report that DB Trading could become a new outlet for local charity fundraisers, as eBay offers “live” private auctions that could help expose auction items (like the Ah Haa School’s Art Car, for example) to a greater audience that would not otherwise be able to attend the actual auction event.

“We want to expand every avenue we can to not only boost our business, but also to help out the community that has helped us,” Lankes says.

More information on DB Trading Company can be found on the company’s website, www.dbtradingcompany.com or call 708-0521.