More than 4500 unwanted Christmas gifts had already been listed for sale online by 8.30am on Boxing Day, according to Trade Me.

Interesting listings include De Walt power tools listed by someone who prefers Ryobi, a large Kathmandu jacket gifted to a “tall skinny young man who never wears a large” and a bag of Licorice Allsorts gifted to someone who does not eat sweets.

The company’s spokesperson Millie Silvester said bargain hunters were also out in force.

“Boxing Day is a prime time for Kiwi to head to Trade Me to scope out the presents that didn’t make the cut,” she says.

“Last year, we saw almost 60,000 searches for ‘unwanted gifts’ on the 26th itself, and this year is already looking similar with over 10,000 searches yesterday - most before Christmas dinner had even been served.”

A recent Trade Me survey showed the trend of receiving lacklustre gifts continues.

“The data shows a significant number of New Zealanders, 42 per cent to be exact, typically unwrap at least one present they didn’t want,” Silvester said.

“It’s become a bit of a tradition for Kiwis to list their unwanted Christmas pressies on Trade Me.

“This year, our survey found that one in four Kiwis (25%) are planning to list any duds they get. We’re expecting to see thousands more of these items pop up over the next few days.”

She also said that sellers shouldn’t feel guilty, as most people are not offended if a gift is on-sold.

A Trade Me survey also showed that over half of New Zealanders (51%) were fine if a gift they gave was sold on, with only 5% saying they’d be upset.

“We think this shows that people just want their loved ones to be happy with their gift, even if that means swapping it for something they’ll get more use out of.”

The company also said a massive 70% of Kiwis will pretend to like a gift they were not happy with.

Silvester said including the words “unwanted gift” in the tile will help attract bargain hunters and clear, well-lit photos would also make a difference.

“A good backstory can help your item sell, but if you’d rather keep the sale on the quiet, it’s best to avoid any details that might identify you to the person who gave you the present,” she said.

“It’s also best to avoid listing handmade or highly personalised items, as they can be tricky to sell.”

The company’s survey found that popular choices of dealing with unwanted presents also include donating them to charity, regifting, or stashing them in a cupboard to be forgotten.

RNZ