Cash-strapped Brits will be ‘rehoming’ unwanted Christmas gifts in their millions this January by selling them to raise some extra cash. The number of savvy sellers going online to list unwanted
items is expected to peak on Sunday 17th January, just before ‘Blue Monday’ – the day of the year when the nation’s purse strings are at their tightest, with the first post-Christmas pay day
still a week away.
This weekend, eBay, the UK's number one e-commerce site expects the highest number of new listings so far this year, with 2.3m* items being listed for sale by Brits on Sunday 17th January alone –
equivalent to 27 items hitting eBay’s virtual shelves every second.
Sunday will see 5m visitors flock to the ebay.co.uk site, with many of them opting to upgrade their unwanted Christmas gifts by selling them on, in order to raise funds to buy new items . Research
conducted by eBay has found that the items most likely to be listed will be clothing and accessories, followed by jewellery, watches, and books.
“With post-Christmas purse-strings at their tightest, many Brits are turning to eBay to sell unwanted items to make money before the January pay packet arrives” explains Julia Hutton-Potts,
spokesperson for eBay. “Rehoming unwanted gifts is a great way of making extra money after Christmas, whether to raise some extra cash or create funds to buy the present you really wanted.”
Selling on eBay has never been easier – it’s free to list items for auction from a starting price of 99p, so if your item doesn’t sell, you won’t pay a penny. Here are simple tips to ensure you
attract as many bidders as possible:
- Decide what to sell: We’ve all got something - the average British home has at least £450 worth of saleable items (source: YouGov, 2008), most typically CDs, books, DVDs, clothes & toys.
- Get selling: Register as a seller. Take a photo of your item, give your listing an eye-catching title and include a comprehensive and honest item description. Start your auction-style listing at 99p or less and it’s free to list – plus, the lower you start the more bidders you’ll attract and the more likely you are to sell your item.
- Pocket the profit: Communicate with potential buyers while your item’s up for sale and post out items promptly when they sell. Offer great service and buyers will leave you positive feedback – encouraging others to buy from you in the future. Use PayPal to get your money quickly and securely.
Forecasting method employed: applying 2009's busiest regifting day uplift to the weekly trend in 2010. (Uplift: actual data vs. weekly trend in 2010) Unwanted Christmas gifts that will sell well: ? A Sat nav sells for an average of £62 ? A DVD sells every for an average of £9 ? A painting sells for an average of £44.83 If you’ve got a new gadget for Christmas, why not sell on your old model to make a bit of extra cash? ? A mobile phone sells every 16 seconds on the site, for an average price of £39.56 ? An iPod goes for an average of £63.49, and one sells every minute on the site ? The average laptop sells for £116.38, and one sells every 60 seconds ? Printers sell every four minutes, for an average of £47.33 If you’re planning a spring-clean for January, then the things you’d usually throw away can make you money too: ? Saucepans sell for an average of £17.62 ? A kitchen appliance sells every 2 minutes, for an average of £53.14 ? An item of women’s clothing sells every 3 seconds, for an average of £9.39 ? The average price of a pair of shoes is £13.11 For more information and tips on how to sell on eBay, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcbDPr9Mh-o