Your travels will take you to many new places, some will be wondrous and some you will not visit a second time. For me, I found Mexico wondrous -- a land of good food, wonderful people, adventures, ruins, beaches, unique crafts and customs, and a heavenly climate. That is where I began my business and that's where this book will begin as well.

Paying for your trip to Mexico by importing crafts is a snap once you know how to do it; but, it can cost you plenty to find out how to do it in lost time, lost shipments, and lost heart. That's why I wrote this booklet. In simple form, I'll explain all the ins and outs of importing crafts from Mexico and elsewhere that I learned in my years in the business. It's all pretty straightforward once you know how to do it. I made all the mistakes it's possible to make and I know how to take the "pain" out of profits from Mexico.

I started my business very casually while I was living in Washington, DC. I had a wonderful job in a small museum and enjoyed a lot of vacation time. It should have been perfect -- a great job and lots of time off. I had always loved traveling, but there was a catch. Traveling can get very expensive and I simply didn't have the money to go wherever and whenever I wanted. I was very lucky, though; I had a friend in the import business. With his encouragement, I carefully planned my first shopping vacation. I turned my savings into traveler's checks and was on my way.

Although it was not my intention at the time, my future full-time import business began on my first shopping trip to Ecuador. The trip was going to be very expensive because of the travel involved; I wanted to see not only Ecuador's mainland, but the Galapagos Islands as well. I planned the trip so I would spend the first part exploring markets. What could I buy that I could profitably sell? I spent hours in the library looking through books on South American crafts and I read all the travel guides I could find.

The Weekend Market in Pisac, Peru

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