For those back living in their childhood home, students with university fees to pay, people stepping on to the property ladder or parents about to expand their brood, here are just some of the items that they might have lying around, which could help to ease their financial woes.
New research has revealed that many of us are sitting on unwanted items bought during the last lockdown including tech, such as games consoles, as well as jigsaws, board games and at-home beauty products.
eBay also witnessed an uptick in listings on 30th December, as Brits looked to make a bit of quick cash from unwanted Christmas presents.
eBay’s Head of Pre-loved, Emma Grant said: “With much of the UK plunged into another lockdown, we anticipate more people looking to declutter for a fresh start and as an opportunity to make some extra cash.
“There is a big appetite for pre-loved items. As Brits looked to bag a bargain, three secondhand purchases were made every second in 2020, with over 7 million used items sold on eBay UK during the month of January alone.”
To help people sell safely from home, eBay has reintroduced its discount on Packlink’s delivery service which enables the collection and delivery of parcels directly from your doorstep via Hermes and UPS for as little as £2.89 and all from the comfort of your own home.
MOVING OUT
For young people moving out of their family home after spending 2020 locked down with parents, quick cash can be made from the childhood items they won’t be taking to their new digs. With nostalgic childhood favourites like beanie babies and pokemon cards hidden away at the back of cupboards, parting ways with old toys can help young movers fund their first taste of freedom. Average selling price for items include:
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Hot Wheels - £10.50
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Beanie baby - £6.43
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Pokemon Cards- £9.55
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Cassette player - £36.59
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Computer - £129
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Furbies- £16.46
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Sylvanian Families- £14.82
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Roller Skates- £10.30
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DVD Player - £30.92
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Scooter- £65.39
Young people flying the nest could make an average of: £329.96
STUDENT
Students who are looking to line their pockets before heading back to uni can make some quick cash from old clothes, gadgets and unwanted Christmas presents, with the average selling price for these items noted at:
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Old trainers - £27.60
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XBox - £8.56
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Heels - £18.30
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CD’s - £5.53
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Books- £7.18
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Sports kit - £36.64
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Backpack - £20.69
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Bike- £68.46
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Old smartphone - £157.42
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Old computer- £129
Students could make an average of: £479.38
BUYING FIRST HOME
After saving for deposits to secure their first pad, first time buyers who can’t wait to have their own space can make an average of £59.63 from those long ago used items that won’t make it into the moving vans. Partners can make some quick cash on compromising items to make shelf space for their significant other and get listing the gadgets and appliances that they may be doubling up such as TV sets, kitchen gadgets and furniture.
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Sofa- £51.57
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Coffee table - £62.48
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Food Processor - £36.35
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Nespresso Coffee machine-78.68
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Photo frames- £8.58
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Vintage lamp shade - £19.05
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Mirror - £33.13
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Cocktail shaker - £12.89
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Vinyl records - £12.92
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TV - £222.22
Home movers could make an average of: £537.80
BABY ON THE WAY
With many welcoming new-borns into the world this year, nesters who once spent free time on hobbies can sell on old equipment, such as tennis rackets or musical instruments, to make some quick cash to fund the perfect nursery.
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Musical instruments- £28.91
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Games consoles- £107.56
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Rugs - £29.23
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Handbags- £10.70
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Tennis rackets- £25.13
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Coat/Jackets - £21.85
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Wedding dress- £80.51
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Sewing machine- £52.47
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High heels- £18.30
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Jewellery- £27.99
Growing families could make an average of: £402.60
With over 27 million people in the UK shopping on eBay every month, the online marketplace can help you have a savvy start to 2021 and top up your bank balance. You can also easily donate to charity when selling, simply select the proportion of your sale that you’d like to donate and pick from over 8,000 charities enrolled on eBay.
To ensure a savvy start this January, you can also sell safely from home with the new eBay Post Office service which allows you to easily arrange home collections. Simply buy postage with click and drop, select the items you wish to send and input the recipient and sender details before choosing your collection date. You can then print your label at home and have your parcel collected safely from your doorstep. For further information visit send.royalmail.com.
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Notes to Editor
**Average Selling Price of C2C (secondhand) items in the top 10 categories on eBay
Eight tips for selling from eBay’s Head of Pre-loved, Emma Grant:
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Key words are key - Take the time to get your keywords right and bidders will come. When buyers search, eBay.co.uk automatically filters the listing titles, so it's crucial to write your listing in your fellow users’ language and use the terminology they search for - especially brand and product names.
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Choose the right category for your product - It might sound obvious but it’s very important to always choose the most specific category to sell in. Make sure if you are selling old children’s clothes, to sell in the children’s fashion category, rather than just fashion in general.
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Pictures are important - Most users will not bid on items they cannot see. For best results, take photos in natural light against a neutral background and be honest about any scratches or aesthetic damage to the item.
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Be as detailed as possible- Be honest about the condition of the product and be sure to note any wear and tear. By including details that can’t be seen in the image, for example if you are selling clothes noting the feel or fit of the product, you’ll help buyers decide if this is the item for them.
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Look at past sold items- eBay.co.uk has a function that allows you to search for the item you want to sell and then filter the results by sold items. Here, you can view the price the item has sold for and get insight into how others have listed it.
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Be realistic with pricing- consider your pricing strategy carefully following the eBay pricing recommendations. Try searching for similar items on eBay, to make sure you’re going for the right price and always ask yourself ‘would I pay this price for this item?
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Selling Sundays - eBay’s busiest time for buyers is Sunday evenings so schedule your listings to end around that time and choose 10-day auctions to ensure the maximum number of bids. The longer your item is listed, the more chance of people seeing it, so unless it's time-sensitive, pick 10 days.
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Donate to charity - when listing your item, consider donating a percentage of the sale to a cause of your choice – from 10% to 100% - you can donate the funds raised from your item straight from the platform. Tens of thousands of eBay sellers do this every year, making money and feeling good at the same time! Look out for items that have a blue and yellow ribbon next to them on site, showing that they are being sold for charity next time you’re shopping too!
Don’t forget, if you’re looking to rehome unused tech items this spring, make sure you get your tech ready for resale with this handy checklist:
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Backup data stored on your device with a free online storage service, such as iCloud for Apple products, Google Drive for Android devices and Chrome books, and One Drive for Windows phones, tablets and laptops.
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Use ‘factory reset’ (in settings menu) to remove personal data and access to social media accounts. This will also delete photos, music, documents and any contacts stored.
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Remove the SIM card and memory card, if there is a removable one. The ‘hard reset’ button will restart your device to ensure any software changes will take effect.
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Package up the charger, power cable, instructions and accessories.
For press enquiries including spokesperson opportunities, please contact:
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ebay@webershandwick.com