Kiwis rushing to trade Christmas clangers

Kiwis rushing to trade Christmas clangers

Thousands of New Zealanders are recovering from their Christmas indulgence with a spot of unwanted gift trading on Trade Me today.

Trade Me spokesperson Logan Mudge said New Zealand’s most popular online marketplace saw a huge spike in searches and activity each Boxing Day as Kiwis got busy trading items that didn’t fit, were deemed uncool or unfortunate double-ups.

“It’s all part of the Boxing Day sale mentality – it’s shopping heaven on Earth for bargain hunters both online and offline and Trade Me is no exception. We’re expecting to see thousands of unwanted gifts change hands in the next few days, and bargain hunters and opportunistic sellers will be out in force.”

Mr Mudge said there are millions of dollars in unwanted gifts floating around homes in New Zealand in the back of cupboards, under beds, drawers and garages.

“Trade Me has an important part to play in extending the lives of those items, getting them out of Kiwis’ wardrobes and rubbish bins, and into the hands of people who will use them and appreciate them more.”

Boxing Day 2014 saw more than 166,000 searches for unwanted gifts on Trade Me, with popular categories including outdoor furniture, baby gear, DVDs and camping equipment. “If you unwrapped a sun lounger, bassinet, copy of Star Wars Episode IV or a tent that you don’t want, we think you’ve got a good chance of it being snapped up by a Boxing Day buyer onsite.”

Mr Mudge also said that many women around the country received unwanted clothing items last year too and he expects the trend will continue. “Our women’s clothing category had thousands of listings that started on Christmas Day and Boxing Day last year. Buying clothes for others is a high-risk business and our 2014 data shows some of the most spectacular present fails were in the dress, shoe and lingerie sections.”

Regifting risks
As Kiwis look to list their unwanted gifts on Boxing Day, some will be weighing up whether they should be passing it on to someone they know, and Mr Mudge said they should tread with care.

“As recently as this month, TV host and comedian John Oliver noted the pitfalls and issues with regifting, including the major faux pas of giving it back to the person who sent it to you. If you choose to sell it, tread with care on that front too – take special care not to identify the giver in your description and avoid sharing it on social media. You can never tell who will see your ad.”

Trade Me has a dedicated unwanted gift section to make it easy for members to find and buy unwanted treasures, trinkets or disasters: http://www.trademe.co.nz/unwanted-christmas-gifts.

Trade Me’s predictions for popular unwanted gifts this year
We reckon we’ll see a lot of:

1. Adele CDs

2. Selfie sticks

3. Socks

4. Lingerie

5. Some of the gems off lists like this

Five unusual unwanted gifts on Trade Me today:

1. Someone else’s Christmas card

2. Storm Trooper Cookie Jar

3. A batter dispenser

4. Star Wars thumb wrestling book

5. A Minecraft head

Tips for selling an unwanted gift:

1. If you’re selling, include the words ‘unwanted gift’ in your listing to make it easy for buyers to find.

2. Don’t sell handmade or highly personalised items, especially if they have your name etched or embroidered on them.

3. Selling brand new items is easiest, make sure to keep the packaging as intact as possible.

4. If it doesn’t sell, donate to a charity.

ENDS

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