I sell a lot of stuff on eBay (mainly Lionel trains), and my foreign sales have jumped from about 10% to 30% in the past year. The weaker dollar has made it more affordable for Canadians and Europeans to buy American. Of course, the downside is that a lot of foreign sales are out of my reach now.

I watched CBC news' coverage of the dollar at par last night, and officials were downright giddy about it - but the report also showed that the car that costs $27,000 in Canada only costs $23,000 on the American side of the border. As frequent visitors tot he two countries know, CDs in Canada often retail for $19, but sell for $14 here. Toys are generally 30% higher in Canada. Even crossing the border costs $4 Canadian but only $3.50 US here in Detroit.

Detroiters have already slowed to a trickle when it comes to Casino Windsor. The rising Canadian dollar will hurt Canadian tourism, unless Canadian retailers and service providers bring their prices down to match the new reality.