eTopia Thrives on More Than Just eBay

At first glance, Rocky Point-based eTopia looks like just another eBay store, specializing in navigating the auction site for less-experienced sellers.

And though the electronics store does offer such service, it backs it up with a wide range of other computer-based offerings, like computer repair, website design and surveillance equipment installation.

"Generally our prices are lower than you will find elsewhere for similar services, whether you're transferring your VHS to digital here or getting your computer fixed," said store owner Jason Herbstman, a Microsoft-certified engineer who opened the business with his wife in 2005.

The store devotes an entire wall to items like night-vision cameras, covert cameras and outdoor surveillance equipment. Herbstman said he's often used the latter to help local businesses foil robberies.

But eBay service is still the local store's bread and butter and makes up about one-third of its business, according to Herbstman.

eTopia takes single items or groups worth $50 or more and collects a 32 percent fee on all sales under $500, 25 percent on sales under $1,000, and 20 percent after that.

The shop takes a customer's for-sale item and photographs it, creates the corresponding ad on eBay, then packages, ships and insures it when it sells.

"If the customer is unsure how much they should charge, we will research it for them, too," Herbstman added.

The owner said he's seen some odd products in his line of work, which clients have often resurrected from attic or basement storage.

The most unusual such item was a human skull brought by a woman who said she found it in a box in her attic. "But you can't sell body parts," Herbstman said.

eTopia doesn't feature that piece of anatomy on the walls of its store, but it does carry items such as a Michael Kors tote, Coach bags, a Santa Pepsi Cola Truck, Star Wars figures and professional teeth-whitening kits, all being sold on eBay for customers.

The shop also offers GPS devices, photo restoration and Internet identity protection devices.