Originally Posted by eyefloater
... do you need a credit card to set up a PayPal account?
Yes, but you don't need one to set up an eBay account. He could just set up an eBay account and whenever there is an auction that he is interested in, he can email the seller and see if they would be willing to take a money order or whatever. I've done this many times and nearly every seller said they would, many preferred it as there are fewer fees to pay. It takes longer to get the product, but you can save a lot of money.
As well, many sellers who list their product as being unavailable to Canada actually will ship to you as long as you cover the shipping/customs. All you have to do is ask.