Unwanted Christmas Gifts: A Guide for Holiday Shoppers and Sellers

The Unwanted Christmas Gift Dilemma

The festive season is nearly upon us - and with it, so is the dreaded unwanted Christmas present dilemma

Our loved ones no doubt have the best of intentions when selecting gifts. Sometimes, though, their choices just don’t hit the mark. This leaves us feeling awkward (no one wants to tell Grandma they don’t like her taste in home décor!) and unsure what to do with our new belongings.

Have you received a present that doesn’t spark joy? You’re not alone.

Last Christmas, Trade Me reported that nearly 5,000 unwanted gifts had been listed on their platform by 10am on Boxing Day.

News Headlines from Christmas 2022 and 2023 covering the flurry of unwanted gifts listed on Trade Me.

A survey conducted by the online auction website also revealed that around 19 percent of Kiwis were planning to list unwanted Christmas gifts for sale. The most common unwanted gifts listed online include clothing, home décor, cosmetics, watches, and jewellery.

If you find yourself saddled with something you don’t need or just really don’t like this Christmas, we’re here to help!     

Don’t toss your gifts in the trash or let them sit around gathering dust. Read on for our guide to dealing with unwanted gifts and do something kinder for the planet while you’re at it.

As the adage goes – “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” so for those of you on the hunt for a bargain, we’ve got some hot tips for you too!

What to Do with Unwanted Christmas Presents

Option One: Sell Your Unwanted Gifts Online

Rather than shoving that crockery set that just isn’t your style to the back of your cupboard and praying Aunt Sarah never asks you about it again – why not sell it to a loving home?

Chances are there will be someone out there who genuinely likes it and has been looking for a crockery set just like yours.

The payoff is that you’ll not only be decluttering, but you’ll also end up with some extra cash in your back pocket.

There are few different options for selling unwanted items online, such as Trade Me, Facebook Marketplace and Facebook groups.

Before you rush to list your item, however, you should consider whether it’s worth selling online in the first place. There is always going to be a degree of admin involved when selling online – such as organising shipping or arranging pick-up. You might struggle to sell more niche gifts and homemade items, and for incredibly cheap items, you might end up paying more in delivery or platform fees than the item is worth!

List Your Items on Trade Me

As the news headlines over the past few years indicate, Trade Me is a common place people flock to offload their unwanted Christmas presents.

It’s so popular in fact that the team at Trade Me have even put together their own unwanted gift guide.​

Selling off unwanted Christmas gifts is so common that Trade Me has created their own gift guide and purpose-built section of their website

Here are a few tips for creating a successful listing:

1. Write a compelling description. As Trade Me recommends, you can get creative here. Sharing an interesting backstory or injecting humor can be a great way to grab attention
   
2. Ensure you tick the ‘unwanted gift’ box. Lots of Kiwis head to Trade Me after Christmas specifically to check out the gifted items people don’t want. Ticking this ensures you’ll show up in their search results
   
3. List your item quickly! There will be a flurry of items being listed and lots of potential buyers online as soon as Christmas day itself. Make sure you list early so you don’t miss your window of opportunity
   
4. Take good quality photos. Make sure the photos show the item in its best light (even if you don’t like it!). Poor quality photos are a good way to turn off potential buyers
   
5. Set a fair price. Holiday buyers are going to be after a good bargain. Remember you’ll be competing with the Boxing Day sales
   
6. Make sure you stick around to answer buyer questions. Don’t ghost your potential buyers! This is a great way to ensure they move on elsewhere. Answering queries politely and promptly goes a long way 
   
7. Promote your item. If you’re desperate to offload your unwanted gift ASAP, promoting the item using Trade Me’s inbuilt options can help your listing reach more eyeballs. You might also like to promote your listing on your social media pages (just make sure the person who gifted it to you doesn’t follow you online!)
   

​List Your Items on Facebook Marketplace

If you have a Facebook profile, you’ll have access to Facebook Marketplace. This is an online selling platform that is part of the Facebook app.

Like Trade Me, you can create a listing which potential buyers can browse through. However, unlike Trade Me, there are no success fees on Facebook Marketplace, making this an increasingly popular option.

Creating a listing is easy. Simply tap the marketplace icon at the bottom of the screen in the Facebook app (pictured below) and input the relevant details. Just like Trade Me, good photos, a fair price and a compelling description help a great deal.

Facebook Marketplace can be accessed easily straight from the Facebook app. Simply tap the Marketplace icon circled in the image above.

Facebook Marketplace even has an option to “Hide from friends,” which is perfect when you don’t want the person who gifted you the item catching on that you’re selling it! 

Facebook Marketplace offers an option to hide your listing from friends. As pictured in the image above, simply toggle the ‘hide from friends’ option to activate this.

Trade with caution, though – there are numerous reports of dodgy characters using Facebook Marketplace to scam unsuspecting sellers and buyers, with one New Zealand Herald article referring to it as “a playground for scammers.” 

It should be noted that this is not everyone’s experience, and many Kiwis sell items via Facebook Marketplace without issue every single day.

Read more about protecting yourself from online scams on Facebook Marketplace here.

Trade Me’s record isn’t entirely squeaky clean either, with recent reports including a pensioner who was scammed out of $600 when he purchased a camera via Trade Me.

You can browse Trade Me’s range of articles on avoiding scams here.​

List Your Items in Your Local Facebook Buy/Sell Group 

There are specific Facebook groups which have been set up for buying and selling items in various local areas – and it’s highly likely there’s one covering your area!

If you’re not already a member of your local buy/sell group, you’ll need to request to join. Once your request has been approved, you can then post pictures of your unwanted Christmas gift alongside an engaging description

There are also groups which have been set up with the specific purpose of selling unwanted Christmas presents. Like Facebook Marketplace, there are no success fees when selling items via a Facebook group – although you will need to take care of all the admin yourself when opting to sell your items this way and selling can be a little slower. 

As well as local buy/sell groups on Facebook, there have been groups set up with the specific purpose of selling unwanted Christmas gifts.

Option Two: Donate Your Unwanted Gifts to Charity

We understand that there will be many of you who would never consider selling a Christmas gift that a friend or family member has given you.

Luckily, there are lots of other options if this thought makes you cringe! One great option is donating the items you don’t want to charity.

Habitat for Humanity is one of many charities across New Zealand that accepts donated goods for sale in their op shops

The holiday season can be a stressful time for lots of low-income families across New Zealand, adding extra financial strain. Donating your gift offers someone in need the opportunity to pick up a brand-new item at a fraction of the price.

Many charities across New Zealand operate op shops where they sell donated items and invest the proceeds back into their cause. This is an excellent, guilt-free way to pass your gift on to someone who will appreciate it.

Before you drop your items off, however, please get in touch with your local charity op shop to check they are able to receive your goods. Christmas can be a busy time, and it’s possible that your chosen charity shop’s shelves may already be full up!

Charities in New Zealand that operate op shops:

Click on each charity name in the list below for further information

• ​Auckland City Mission – shops at Karangahape Road, Symonds St, and Glen Innes
  
• ​Christchurch City Mission – shops in the city centre, Sydenham, Rangiora, and Brydwr
  
• ​Habitat for Humanity – shops located across the North and South Islands
  
• ​Hato Hone St John – more than 50 shop across the country
  
• ​Hospice New Zealand – over 125 shops spanning the length of the country
  
• ​New Zealand Red Cross – more than 50 shops across New Zealand
  
• SPCA – more than 85 op shops throughout the country
  
• ​The Salvation Army – shops located nationwide
  

​Option Three: Return or Exchange Your Gift

If you have a good relationship with the person who selected the present, you may be able to have a polite conversation with them about returning or exchanging it at the shop where it was originally purchased. It’s common to hang on to receipts, so chances are they’ll still have this and will be happy to give it to you. They may even have an exchange card for this very purpose! It’s commonplace for a lot of stores like Whitcoulls to offer an exchange card with purchase.

Sometimes having an upfront, slightly awkward conversation can be the easiest option – and it means you don’t have to bat away questions about your gift down the track when your friend or family member asks why they haven’t seen you using that doorstopper they got you! This can also be an opportunity to chat with your loved one about the sorts of gifts you would like to receive.

Many stores across New Zealand, like Whitcoulls, offer gift exchange cards with purchase

​Option Four: Re-Gift Your Christmas Present

Re-gifting is a popular option when it comes to unwanted presents. It’s a far better option than throwing your present away and having it end up in landfill. You might also know the perfect person to pass it on to.

When it comes to re-gifting, there are a few cardinal rules to keep in mind:

• Don’t re-gift within the same circle. This can come back to bite you if the original person who gave it to you finds out and their feelings are hurt. And don’t make the mistake of re-gifting your present back to the person who gave it to you years down the line – yes, this has happened!
  
• Choose your giftee well. Don’t just offload your present to the first person who has a birthday. Ensure that the gift is a good fit for them, lest they be in the same position of having to deal with a gift they don’t want! It can also be wise to consider whether your giftee is okay with receiving a re-gifted item. Some people may be offended by receiving a gift that was originally intended for someone else
  
• Ensure the gift is in good condition. Keep the original tags and packaging and make sure it is in the same condition as when you received it. Similarly, wrap it and present it as you would any other gift
  

Holiday Deals for Bargain Hunters

With the rush of unwanted gifts filling up online marketplaces at Christmas time, opportunities abound for bargain hunters to snag a good deal.

If you’re in the market for a specific item, or are simply interested in perusing what’s on offer, keep reading for our top tips for post-Christmas bargain hunting.     

You’ll not only be grabbing yourself a great deal, you’ll also be helping someone offload an item they’d rather not have cluttering up their home.

• It’s a win-win!

Christmas is typically an extremely busy time of year for bargain hunters in New Zealand

Top Tips for Finding Unwanted Christmas Gifts

Amazing deals are just a quick search away with the most popular platforms for unwanted gifts being Trade Me and Facebook Marketplace.

Items will begin being listed online as soon as Christmas Day itself - and by the time Boxing Day has arrived, there will likely be thousands of unwanted items up for grabs.

Whether you have a particular item in mind, or you’re happy to just browse through the listings online,

Below is some general guidance to get you on your way:

• Regardless of the platform you use to trawl for your next treasures, keep in mind that although the volume of listings will be high immediately after Christmas, items will continue to be listed for weeks and even months. If you can hold off, it’s worth doing so to see if you can get a cheaper price 
  
• Prices are likely to be at their highest closest to Christmas Day and will gradually begin to drop as sellers lower them in an attempt to sell off their unwanted presents. Again, if you can hold off – you could save some cash! 
  
• If you find an item you like, it can be a good idea to see whether the same or similar items are also being sold online so you can compare prices and check whether you’re getting a good deal 
  
• Similarly, we would recommend checking what the item retails for to ensure you’re not paying the same, or more, than you would if you were purchasing it in store 
  
• Set online filters to focus on wealthier neighbourhoods. You might find high-end goods at cheaper prices!
  

​Searching for Unwanted Gifts on Trade Me

Trade Me has it’s very own ‘Unwanted Gifts’ section that you can access here. This is an excellent place to start your holiday bargain search.

Here’s some tips to get you started:

• Trade Me searches can be refined using filters which include location, whether the item is new or used, and the item type (e.g. furniture or clothing). You can also sort by price to see the cheapest items available first
  
• Sort by ‘closing soon’ which enables you to see all listings wrapping up first. This can be a good time to throw your hat in the ring as you’ll get a good feel for what others are willing to pay and how much competition there is for a particular item
  
• Search for items which have a $1 reserve to see a list of all of the uber cheap items available 
  
• Make an offer directly to the seller if this option is available. This allows you to set a price you think is fair and avoids the back and forth of the online auction environment
  
• Save your search, so that next time you’re online, you can quickly use the same terms and filters to see any new items that have been added that match what you’re interested in 
  
• Add items to your watchlist so you can keep track of the activity on a particular item
  
• Lastly, auto-bids can be a great option if you’d rather not have to constantly check your emails or refresh your browser. Decide on the max price you’re willing to spend and let the auto-bid do the work for you

​Searching for Unwanted Gifts on Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace can be another great place to search for unwanted gifts.

• While Facebook doesn’t have a specific section set aside for unwanted gifts like Trade Me, a simple keyword search for ‘unwanted gifts’ will bring up relevant listings
  
• Similar to Trade Me, there are a number of filters available including location, price, and condition. Listings can also be saved, helping you to create an easy-to-access wishlist
  
• Buyer and seller protection can be a concern with Facebook Marketplace. Facebook has put together this guide to help you navigate the platform safely 
  
• Top tips to ensure you don’t get duped include reviewing the seller’s profile to view their previous track record, and ensuring you communicate within the Facebook app itself so you have a paper trail should anything arise
  
• Using Google’s reverse image search function is also a great way to see whether the listing’s images have already been shared elsewhere
• Lastly, don’t be afraid to haggle – especially if the item was listed several weeks ago 
  

Facebook Marketplace is another online platform flooded with unwanted gifts after Christmas

Conclusion

Christmas is all about giving, but sometimes gift givers don’t get it quite right. If you end up as the recipient of a present that just hasn’t hit the mark, don’t fret! There are lots of options for selling, regifting, donating and upcycling an unwanted gift that don’t end with the item being sent to landfill.

Want to avoid the unwanted gift dilemma next Christmas? A wish list can be a great way to communicate to your family and friends what you would actually like to receive. And if you’re hunting for a gift for someone yourself, simply asking them what they’d like, or asking their closest friends and family, can help avoid an awkward situation.