1168 days ago

Thousands of unwanted Christmas gifts turn up on Trade Me including sterling silver bracelet, 3D llama mug

Brian from New Lynn

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:

=========================================
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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More messages from your neighbours
6 days ago

Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?

What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?

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If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
  • 36.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
    36.5% Complete
  • 63.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
    63.5% Complete
983 votes
4 days ago

🎉 Riddle me this, legends! 🎉

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

He/She who makes it, sells it.
He/She who buys it, doesn't use it.
The user doesn't know they are using it.
What is it?

(Shezz from Ngāruawāhia kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Shezz!)

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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7 hours ago

The Bible Declares That God is Bringing Jews Back To Their Ancient Land of Israel

Steve Bostin from Christadelphians New Lynn

The Bible reveals that God has chosen and cherished one specific people and one specific land to serve as the stage for revealing His plan and purpose to all nations. As we read in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse six, speaking of the Jews: “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”

God’s ultimate purpose is to transform the world by establishing His Divine Rule in His new Kingdom based in Jerusalem. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns as King during a time of great trouble. At that moment, God will intervene to save first the Jewish people from destruction and gather them from all parts of the earth. Upon Christ’s return, God will put out a Call to be universally honoured, and a lasting peace will finally be established throughout the World. This has been his design from Creation which was told to the Fathers of Isreal first and then to the rest of the World by the teaching of Jesus and then his disciples in the New Testament.

**Exile and the Promise of Return**

Today, the Jewish people have often been cursed and despised among the nations. However, the prophets foretold that when Jesus returns, God will settle them in the land of Israel in security and safety. The historical rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah resulted in their greatest exile from the land, a dispersion that has lasted for approximately two thousand years.

Yet, in direct fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, God is now regathering the Jews to their ancestral homeland. As the prophet Isaiah declares, “For the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land” (Isaiah 14:1). While Israel was scattered by God due to their failure to live obediently as His chosen nation, God promised He would never utterly forsake them. The prophet Ezekiel confirms this, stating,

“Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land” (Ezekiel 37:21).

**Fulfilment: The Modern State of Israel**

The promise of God to bring His people back to the land is proven and demonstrated by the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948. The Word of God declared,

“I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord, and I will cause them to return to the land” (Jeremiah 30:3).

Since 1948, we have witnessed Jews returning from all over the world to occupy the ancient land that was promised to the fathers of the nation: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This movement fulfils the words of Ezekiel:

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).

The undeniable return of the Jews to the land of Israel demonstrates that God is sovereignly guiding their destiny. Because we see these specific prophecies fulfilled, we can be assured that those prophecies yet to be fulfilled will also come to pass.

**God’s Unseen Hand in the Regathering**

The regathering of the Jews to the land of Israel is fundamentally the work of Almighty God in our time. It is not simply a political movement driven by the desire of the Jewish people to establish a nation and homeland. Rather, God’s unseen hand is behind the events that have led to the revival of the nation of Israel.

The Bible emphasises God’s personal involvement in this return through numerous passages:

- “Behold, I will save my people... and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:7-8).

- “I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return” (Jeremiah 30:10).

- “I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities” (Amos 9:14).

- “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel” (Micah 2:12).

**Conclusion: A Sign of Christ’s Return**

God is regathering Israel today. The very existence of the modern State of Israel is a clear and powerful sign that Almighty God is working amongst the nations. The Bible states that He “shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). This prophetic work is underway.
Israel sees their return as prophetical, but few understand that God will create events where first they will eventually be humbled by her neighbours before Christ returns as their Saviour. Read Ezekiel 38 & 39 to gain an incite as to what God's destiny fot Israel is.

We have seen for the last 125 years, the call for their return to their Homeland and its subsequent founding. This is God's reassurance to the World that He'll bring the World under His Blessing. Because of this, we can be confident that Jesus Christ will soon return to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God, a time of peace and plenty for every nation.