Thousands of unwanted Christmas gifts turn up on Trade Me including sterling silver bracelet, 3D llama mug
Trade Me said at 9am on Boxing Day, 4300 presents that didn't do the trick had been listed on the online marketplace including an empty Roses chocolate wrapper of 'disappointment', a sterling silver bracelet given to someone who is allergic to sterling silver and a 3D llama mug.
Trade Me spokesperson Millie Silvester said the number of unwanted presents has skyrocketed following New Zealand's biggest gift-giving day of the year.
"It's become a bit of a Kiwi tradition to jump on Trade Me on Boxing Day and check out, or list, the gifts that didn't make the cut," Silvester said.
"In 2021 we saw 70,000 searches for unwanted gifts on Boxing Day, and it's no surprise that this year isn't any different."
Since the start of Christmas Day, Trade Me had already been flooded with over 8000 searches for unwanted presents.
According to a recent Trade Me Christmas survey with 2500 participants, most Kiwis said they unwrap a dud every Christmas.
The survey found just over half (51 percent) of Kiwis typically receive at least one unwanted gift at Christmas, with five percent of these receiving four or more presents they're not keen on.
Some people might think re-selling a present someone has got you could be considered rude, but the survey found almost half of the respondents feel pretty good about offloading unwanted gifts for cash.
The results showed 40 percent of Aotearoa said they would feel okay if they found out an item they gifted to someone was onsold, and seven percent would actually be happy about it.
"We reckon this comes down to our loved ones wanting us to get the most use out of the gifts they give us, even if that means trading it in for something that might be a better fit," Silvester said.
One result that might not surprise too many people is most Kiwis won't tell gift-givers how they really feel.
The survey found 69 percent of respondents said they would turn their frown upside down and pretend to like a gift they aren't too stoked about.
On top of that, 16 percent of New Zealanders would put on a brave face and find a use for an unwanted gift, while 15 percent would donate them to charity and another 15 percent would re-gift it.
"If you're thinking about listing an unwanted Christmas gift on Trade Me, make sure to tick the 'unwanted gift' box when you're listing your item onsite," Silvester said.
"A good backstory always goes down well, but if you're trying to keep your reselling on the down-low, avoid making your listing identifiable in case the giver is hunting for a bargain on Trade Me too!"
Five odd unwanted gifts on Trade Me so far today:
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One empty Roses chocolate wrapper of ‘disappointment’
Sterling silver bracelet given to someone who is allergic to sterling silver
A diamond ring from an ex
3D Llama mug
Bright yellow Dolce and Gabbana sneakers
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Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???
“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.
On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.
[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.
Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.
Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”
Full article: www.theguardian.com...
If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.2% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.7% I want to be able to choose.
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47.1% Against. I want to deal with people.
Rock'in with Elvis by Mike Cole
The Memories of Elvis Fan Club invite you to our 1st Elvis Social for 2026. We are excited to have our own Mike Cole back at the Te Atatu RSA on Saturday 28th February at 7.30pm. Cost only $20pp. Tickets are on sale at the RSA or reserve through Jackie 0274901126. So lets see you with your dancing shoes on and that great smile as we start off 2026 with a bang.
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