Beetroot and light sabre among hundreds of gifts listed on Trademe

An unwanted beetroot has been listed on TradeMe. Photo / TradeMe

Hundreds of unwanted Christmas presents have already popped up on Trademe as Kiwis try to get rid of gifts that didn't quite hit the mark.

So far more than 700 listings have been made under the heading "Unwanted Christmas Gifts" on the auction website, and the number is expected to grow.

Some of the gifts are more high-end, such as a hoverboard and a GoPro, but others include an unwanted beetroot, a faulty dancing and singing baby, a Noel Leeming gift card, a duelling light sabre, and wooden Maori salt and pepper shakers.

"Last year we had over 550,000 unwanted gifts searches as Kiwis hunted out a bargain, we expect to see just as many shoppers this year too," Trademe spokesman Logan Mudge said.

According to a survey of more than 550 New Zealanders, 60 per cent said they'd unwrapped between one and three unwanted gifts each Christmas, Mudge said.

"When it comes to gift giving, sometimes we nail the perfect present and other times we cause some very awkward silence."

But many Kiwis have wasted little time listing the presents they don't want online.

"It's become a Kiwi tradition to check out the unwanted Christmas gifts on Trademe. Every year we see a treasure trove of presents that didn't make the cut end up onsite and we expect to see the same rush again this year," Mudge said.

When asked how they typically respond to unwrapping an unfortunate present, 85 per cent of Kiwis admitted they would pretend to like it and only two per cent would be blunt about their disappointment.

"Many Kiwis will have prepared their best Oscar-winning performance when they unwrapped a clanger yesterday.

"In 2014, a Trademe member from Rotorua listed a packet of expired, broken and half-eaten Sampler biscuits which had been a present from a family member. Someone else's
Christmas card, signed and all, went up for auction in 2015.

"Last year it was Robbie Shefford from Ashburton stealing the show and taking the mickey with his unwanted $100 note."

Lingerie, soap and self-help books were serial offenders on Christmas Day.

"This year we're expecting to see a few fidget spinners, along with double-ups of console
games, a plethora of CDs and who knows what else."

"We expected there to be a stigma around regifting but 53 per cent of Kiwis are all for
regifting or selling unwanted presents. When we asked survey respondents how they would feel if they found out that an item they had gifted had been onsold, we were surprised that 37 per cent of us are okay with the practice," Mudge said.

"If you're thinking about listing an unwanted Christmas gift on Trademe, be sure to give the item a great back story and avoid items that are personalised or easily identifiable - you never know, the giver could be hunting for a bargain on Trademe too."

What did Kiwis say?

• 43 per cent of Kiwis find gift buying stressful.
• 44 per cent say getting an unwanted gift is a hassle.
• 53 per cent of Kiwis agree or strongly agree that it's ok to regift/sell an unwanted gift.
• 37 per cent said they'd be upset or disappointed if they found out a gift they'd given had been shipped off.