Thousands of Kiwis are already trying to make a quick buck off unwanted Christmas gifts, with more than 4000 presents already relegated to Trade Me as of Boxing Day morning.
That number is expected to climb throughout the day as Kiwis continue to list presents that missed the mark on the online marketplace.
As of 8am, more than 4000 presents that failed to spark joy had been put up for sale, including a watch from a thoughtless ex, a washing line cord and a medium-sized shirt gifted to a relative who is now a "lockdown large".
"As the saying goes, one person's trash is another person's treasure and every year we see hordes of Kiwis jump onsite to browse unwanted gifts on Boxing Day," Trade Me spokesperson Ruby Topzand said on Sunday.
"Last year, we saw 46,000 searches for unwanted gifts in the first 24 hours following Christmas Day."
According to a recent survey of nearly 1500 New Zealanders, it looks like this is just the beginning of the Christmas cast-offs.
"Half of Kiwis (49 percent) said they receive at least one present that misses the mark each year and 8 percent admitted to selling them. As we see each and every year, we expect to see thousands of these unwanted gifts listed onsite over the coming weeks," Topzand said.
On the whole, the majority of Kiwis aren't too fussed about the prospect of reselling presents. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they wouldn't mind if they found out a person was on-selling a gift they had given them.
"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," Topzand explained.
However, when it comes to telling mum how they truly feel about that questionable ornament, most New Zealanders say they are too polite.
"When we asked Kiwis how they react when unwrapping a bad present, 70 percent said they take a grin-and-bare-it approach."
The survey also showed that Kiwis have a number of tricks up their sleeve when Santa doesn't quite get it right.
"Kiwis said their most common solution for unwanted gifts is to get creative and find another use for them. Other popular solutions were regifting (14 percent) and donating (13 percent)."
How to get a pretty penny for your unwanted presents
"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 on-site," Topzand advised.
"A fun backstory always goes down well, but if you're trying to keep your reselling quiet, it's a good idea to avoid making your listing identifiable - in case the giver is hunting for a bargain on Trade Me too!"
