Christopher Matthew Spencer, a former celebrity broker and long-time entrepreneur, started selling on the eBay site in 1998 and quickly grew his online business into a major presence, selling as many as 1,300 items in a single week. Christopher, is the president of his own Burbank-based enterprise, The Spencer Company, a corporation he formed in 1988 as a direct marketing firm that he eventually used as an umbrella to run many enterprises since its inception. In 1995 Christopher joined The Sterling/Winters Company, the celebrity management firm that represents Elizabeth Taylor, Kathy Ireland, Magic Johnson and dozens of other major name talents. His hobby of selling on eBay took off in 1999 landed him in the December 27th, 1999 edition of Time.

He committed himself full-time to the eBay business in 2000 and was asked by the management at eBay to moderate seminars, classes and special events for eBay users throughout the country. Christopher is a Trading Assistant, which means that he doesn’t own or buy any of the merchandise he sells; rather, he takes items of any shape, size, value or genre and lists it on the site for a fee. This no-investment, no-risk model has made Christopher a highly successful businessman on the eBay site and he has listed over 180,000 items since he started. He is now a Shooting Star on eBay and is an official eBay University Instructor and eBay Educational Specialist.

The most valuable item he has ever sold successfully on eBay was a rare Lenci porcelain figurine which fetched $17,100. The most notable item he ever sold on the site was a solid gold letter from William Randolph Hearst that was given to Louella Parsons in the 1940’s. Christopher ultimately sold it to the Hearst Corporation in New York for $5,000.

When asked why a successful e-tailer would want to share his secrets for e-success, Christopher remarks simply, “There is enough business for everyone and the satisfaction of knowing you have made a profound, positive impact in a person’s life is priceless.” Many of Christopher’s pupils have followed him from city to city to see him over and over again, querying him about any new tips or tricks which may help their online endeavors. Quite a few of his pupils have gone on to become PowerSellers, the high-volume elite sellers on the largest e-commerce marketplace.

Christopher’s view on the future of eBay is rather optimistic, “We have vaguely touched the tip of the iceberg in the arena of moving goods and services online. eBay has an astonishing number of users, over 200 million in all, but the world has billions of individuals who will eventually all become personal computer users. The potential for future growth is certain, as eBay’s registered user base increases by over 90,000 new users each and every day. I know that moving items in this trading venue will become popular culture, just as everyone has enjoyed a can of Coke or Pepsi, so will their lives be effected by eBay. eBay is merely a computer system run by the caretakers who are the employees of eBay, however, in essence, eBay is the spirit of the loyal users who make it the greatest marketplace in history. Clearly, online trading is here to stay and eBay is no longer an auction venue, users can purchase items at a fixed price and sellers can create their own portals, called eBay Stores, to build their brand-loyal customer base along side of other large and small sellers. The costs and tools provided are the same for everyone, which creates a leveling effect, making eBay easy for even a struggling student, housewife or unemployed individual to compete along side of the large corporations who use the eBay market to move their products and services. The basic listing costs only 30 cents and there are no monthly fees, plus eBay is completely free to buyers. I think anyone can clearly see why it has become a profound cultural genesis of everyone’s future trading habits.”

Christopher’s former affiliations have included vice president of The Wilshire Community Police Council and president of Dreams to Reality Foundation. He is currently a Petty Officer in the United States Naval Reserve force, where he provides computer support for the Navy’s operations.

Christopher has authored dozens of online training manuals for eBay and he has acted as a special consultant to eBay Motors, helping to construct course materials for sellers of autos, a multibillion dollar segment of eBay’s business metrics. He is also the author of “The eBay Entrepreneur: The Definitive Guide for Starting Your Own eBay Trading Assistant Business”.

Christopher was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Falls Church, Virginia. He moved to California in 1985 and has been there ever since. He has lived in the Magnolia Park community of Burbank for the past 13 years, where he tinkers with computers and experiments with new recipes in his kitchen. He is an accomplished baker and gourmet and enjoys entertaining dinner guests from time-to-time when he is not busy at his offices or lecturing for eBay. Christopher owns an eBay Trading Assistant drop-off store as well as an antique shop in the same community where he lives and he is a member in good standing of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce. Christopher also owns motels and rental properties throughout the country.