Trade Me reveals the most unwanted unwanted Christmas gifts of all-time

A packet of broken, half-eaten Sampler biscuits, a $100 note and a lump of coal have been named New Zealand’s ‘best’ unwanted Christmas gifts of all-time by Trade Me.

Trade Me spokesperson Millie Silvester said Boxing Day is a massive date on the marketplace’s calendar with hundreds of thousands of Kiwis searching for a potential bargain and listing gifts that didn’t quite hit the mark.

“Boxing Day has become one of the best days to hit the shops both online and on foot, and over the years we’ve seen some epic fails listed as unwanted gifts onsite too.

“In the lead-up to Christmas we wanted to turn back the clock and remember the unwanted gifts that have made New Zealand smile. While thousands of Kiwis will list a gift that missed the mark, only a select few grab the nation’s attention.

“They do this with a mix of creativity, an excellent description, a memorable back story and an enthusiasm for getting into the spirit of the question and answer section.”

A packet of broken, half-eaten and expired Sampler biscuits titled ‘The Worst Christmas Present Ever?’ took out the top spot, fetching 180,000 views in 2014 before selling for $554.

In 2015, an engineer called Robbie from Ashburton listed a $100 note he didn’t want, making it the most viewed listing of the year with 268,000 views and the second ‘best’ unwanted gift of all-time.

“Spare a thought for a woman in Darfield who received a lump of coal from her husband in 2017,” Miss Silvester said. “According to the listing, the money she raised from the auction went towards paying a divorce lawyer.

“A Nelson member decided to surprise his wife in 2011 with a red Toyota convertible on Christmas morning, but his better-half rejected the gift, saying it was too fast and too low to the ground so it got listed too.”

Miss Silvester said other memorable listings included an Auckland man who sold a 4.5kg Christmas ham because he didn’t like ham, a Cantabrian who auctioned off someone else’s Christmas card, and the unwanted beetroot from Taranaki which received almost 30,000 views and raised $122 for the local foodbank last Christmas.

“Most Kiwis unwrap between one and three unwanted gifts each Christmas.

“If you unwrap a clanger on Christmas morning and decide it needs a new home, make sure it has a good back story and is not easily identifiable to minimise awkwardness between bargain-hunters.”

The top ten unwanted gifts of all time
1. A packet of broken, half-eaten and expired Sampler biscuits
2. The $100 note
3. A lump of coal
4. 4.5kg Christmas ham
5. Someone else’s Christmas card
6. The unwanted beetroot
7. Red Toyota convertible
8. Unwanted Xmas dinner
9. Ugly cheese knives from a mother-in-law
10. A half assembled garden-greenhouse

Our top picks for popular unwanted gifts this year
• Fitbits
• Michelle Obama’s book Becoming
• Food (possibly expired)
• Bum bags
• Crappy portable speakers
• PopSockets for your phone

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