i think it'd be tough to get someone to front the money and have it shipped directly to you. not saying you're not legit, but for someone who doesn't know you be this trusting when they could potentially get scammed (skis arrive at your door, they never end up getting paid)... seems like it'd be a stretch.
i'd say one of the following would work better:
-if you can be willing to shell out extra shipping... have the person get it shipped to their own house. then you paypal them the price + shipping to you. then, they can ship.
-if not.... since the person would be doing you a favor, it'd make sense for you to paypal them first so that they don't have to shell out their own money. if anything went wrong, you could always file a claim.