Striking Gold In Online Auctions November 11, 2009
Posted by Michael Carney in : auctions, eBay , add a comment
It’s a favourite fantasy of those who buy stuff through garage sales, school fairs and on Trade Me: that we’ll one day stumble upon a hidden treasure that will make us rich (or at least famous).
“Madam, that is indeed a Picasso long thought lost. It is difficult to assign an exact value until the assessors have examined it closely — but the most recent Picasso sale was of his 1969 “Buste D’Homme”, sold at Sotheby’s last week for $10.4 million. So perhaps we should move this painting out of your spare bedroom and give it a slightly more secure home.”
Oh yes, we can dream. And TV series such as Antiques Roadshow encourage our imagination in such directions. But does it ever happen, especially on online auction sites?
Yes, it does. Film collectors are buzzing about the recent discovery on eBay of a lost Charlie Chaplin film, purchased as part of a collection of nitrate film bought for US$5.
Morale Park from Henham, Essex, purchased the can of film simply because he liked the look of it. He was amazed to discover its fragile contents: a previously unknown seven-minute film Chaplin film called Zepped.
The film features footage of Zeppelin airships flying over England during the First World War, and out-takes from three pictures that Chaplin shot with the film company Essanay, with whom the entertainer had a contract in 1914, before falling out.
An animated scene shows Chaplin wishing he could leave America to join his British countrymen in the war, before being taken on a cloud and deposited on an English church spire.
It also shows him sending up the Zeppelin, and an animated sequence of Kaiser Wilhelm popping out of a German sausage. There is a certification from Egypt, dating the film to December 1916.
Mr Park got his neighbour John Dyer, former head of education at the British Board of Film Classification, to look at it, and they concluded the film had been put together as a piece of war propaganda.
It is not known whether Chaplin was involved in the project or whether various out-takes were spliced together without his knowledge or consent.
David Robinson, author of Chaplin: His Life and Art, believed the film could be worth anything from £3,000 to £40,000.
Mr Park and Mr Dyer are currently in California making a documentary about the find.
Could this sort of thing happen on Trade Me?
Absolutely. Probably already does, in fact. However not every lucky buyer will recognise the importance of their new purchase. So all those potential goldmines will end up in someone else’s attic, to be stumbled upon by future treasure hunters.
Well, anyway, that’s our dream.
The Gift That Keeps On Being Given January 2, 2008
Posted by Michael Carney in : Christmas, auctions, eBay, regifting, trade me, trademe, unwanted gift , add a commentWe’ve already waxed semi-lyrical about the regifting of Christmas unwanteds on Trade Me, but we just came across some fascinating new stats and couldn’t resist doing some regifting of our own.
Firstly, some fast factoids courtesy Trade Me’s head of commercial, Mike O’Donnell:
“Last year we saw regifting start to take off around 28 December, this year it was evident by Boxing Day evening.
“Over two thousand items put up in the two days immediately after Christmas have been identified as being unwanted Christmas presents, however the real number is likely to be more than twice that as the social stigma of selling a present prevents many from ‘fessing up’.
“We estimate that about half of our recent growth in listings has been driven by people liquidating unwanted gifts,” said Mr O’Donnell.
“The five most popular items for regifting so far this Christmas are gift vouchers, cosmetics, jewellery, music CDs and kitchen appliances. Previously popular regifting items included ties, boxer shorts and chocolates.”
That’s the view from Trade Me. Global giant eBay, on the other hand, announced at the end of the official holiday season that “more than a million gifts have been offered for sale and as an opportunity to be re-gifted.”
“We see a noticeable rise in listings after Christmas as people look to rehome their unwanted presents and raise some extra cash for the New Year.
“Patterned ties, bubble bath, socks and the obligatory foot spa are firm favourites guaranteed to pop up on Boxing Day.”
According to eBay’s annual re-gifting survey (conducted by Harris Interactive and reported by ABC News) 83% of American adults receive unwanted gifts during the holiday season. This can’t be just the casual-acquaintance category of gifts–it has to include gifts from loved ones too. This means that most people are potential re-gifters or resellers. Do you think the gift you gave could end up being re-gifted? The survey said that nearly half of those adults (47%) typically re-gift or resell items.
Better than re-gifting, and becoming more and more acceptable, is reselling. Businesspeople and housewives, college students and professionals are all finding their way to an Internet-driven marketplace to sell their gifts and fatten their wallets. eBay to the rescue. The same survey found that unwanted does not mean unappreciated: Nearly one-third of all adults surveyed (32%) would rather get a present they could re-gift or resell than not get a present at all.
eBay Canada, getting into the ’spirit’ of the anti-season, offers up its own (somewhat materialistic) point of view:
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with re-gifting, as long as it’s done the right way. Just because a gift isn’t your style or taste doesn’t mean it isn’t perfect for someone else. Storing an unwanted gift at the back of your closet is just a waste – why not re-gift it and let someone else enjoy it?”
Not only that, but eBay Canada even provides some re-gifting etiquette to help you re-purpose those unwanted holiday gifts:
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Don’t re-gift the re-gifter – Lots of people have horror stories of proudly presenting a gift they pulled from the back of the closet to a friend or family member, only to have them say “Didn’t I give this to you?” Avoid embarrassment by writing the name of the giver on a sticky note and placing it on the gift itself.
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Make a list – If you received a number of gifts that just aren’t your taste, make a note of a friend or family member who you know will love it. Or think about a special event that might be on the horizon, like a wedding or anniversary. If you’re confident the gift is on someone else’s wish list, you’ll be able to hand it over to someone who will really appreciate it.
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Don’t keep it in the family – If you received an unwanted gift from your cousin, don’t re-gift it to her sister! Be discreet and only re-gift to someone who doesn’t come into regular contact with the original sender. Selling your item on eBay is a great way to avoid having to explain why your gift is suddenly hanging on someone else’s wall.
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Accept graciously – Sometimes you get a gift that you really dislike but it’s from someone you see very often and don’t want to offend. If that’s the case, accept it graciously. If it’s something wearable, like jewelry or a scarf, wear it once or twice in their presence so they can feel good about it. If it’s something for the house, like a vase, keep it in the closet until you know the person will be visiting; then whip it out and give it pride of place. It’s always best to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
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Donate it – Charities are often looking for special items. Instead of hiding unwanted gifts of clothing in the bottom drawer, donate them to a shelter. Or donate a quirky item to an organization’s charity auction. Your re-gifting will make a difference to someone who really needs it.
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Sell it – Selling an unwanted gift is a win/win situation. You’ve passed it on to someone who really wants it, and you’ve experienced some joy from the gift itself (albeit in the form of cash!) This especially comes in handy in January when you’re reeling from your holiday credit card bill. Selling it online virtually guarantees finding someone who will love your item and pay top dollar for it!
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Enjoy the spirit of the season! – This time of the year is about family, togetherness and sharing, so appreciate the thought behind your gift, no matter how much or how little it appeals to you – and remember to send a note of thanks!
Thanks eBay! Those sweet sentiments make us feel so special …
Christmas Misery or Marketing Ploy? December 27, 2007
Posted by Michael Carney in : Christmas, auctions, eBay, regifting, trade me, trademe, unwanted gift , add a commentThe reindeer were barely back in their stables, enjoying a well-deserved munch of frosted hay, when the first listings for “unwanted gift” began appearing on Trade Me. Two days after Christmas, the count – at least of those items actually labelled as unwanted gifts — currently stands at 766. Tip of the iceberg?
Probably. But, at the risk of being branded post-Christmas humbugs and unseasonal Scrooges, may we respectfully submit our observation that at least some of the so-called ”unwanted gifts” currently being peddled on Trade Me are actually nothing of the kind.
What are we to make, for example, of the poor unfortunate trader who apparently received not one, not two but three necklaces made from shell, each being sold as unwanted bling in the new age & spirituality section? Or the Tupperware Large Cake Container, billed as “an unwanted gift which I have used only a couple of times”? Really? Since Christmas?
We’re not sure whether to feel sorry for — or denounce as a marketer — the poor unfortunate person selling four different XBox360 games as gifts supposedly bought for but rejected by an ungrateful son. And we really should point out to the person selling money tins that describing a couple of listings as “unwanted gifts” strains credibility when simultaneously listing other money tins as part of an ongoing product range.
We have a little more belief in (and sympathy for) the regifter of the Ab King Pro fitness equipment, “still has plastic wrapping, includes dvd and diet plan” — the gift that keeps on nagging. We can’t help but feel sorry for the generous gift-giver whose $653 Pascoes gift voucher is now being offered at a discount on Trade Me by a recipient who says she “doesn’t wear very much jewellery, so has no real use for it”. And we worry about the person selling the wedding keepsake, expressing good wishes for an upcoming wedding — but now unwanted.
When it comes to unwanted Christmas gifts, frankly, we would expect to find many more listings such as the “elf on a sunflower” ornament or the Moon & Star Phone Charm. And what ever happened to those hideous knitted cardigans and flamboyant ties and scarves beloved of well-meaning but hopelessly out-of-date maiden aunts?
Today’s listings on Trade Me are far too pedestrian. Of course, they’ll probably sell.
If you’re contemplating regifting some of your own Christmas knicknacks, some suggestions as noted on Regiftable.com:
Is the gift regiftable? Never regift handmade or one-of-a-kind items. Signed books and monogrammed items are off-limits. Do you have to be told not to regift free promotional items? Some gifts that are good candidates for regifting include good (unopened!) bottles of wine, new household items and inexpensive jewellery.
How is the condition? Only new, unopened gifts in good condition should be considered for regifting. Never give partially used gift cards. Don’t give items that you have owned for a long time. A general rule of thumb: if you have to dust it off, it is not regiftable.
Is this going to work? Successful regifters use common sense. If you are going to regift, be sure you know who gave you the item, so you don’t return something to the original giver. Only regift items to people who are not likely to see the original giver.
Do you have good intentions? Don’t just give a gift to give a gift. Be sure that the recipient will appreciate the item. Remember, if you feel that an item is undesirable, the recipient probably will too. If you are regifting simply because you ran out of time, gift cards are simple to obtain and always well received.
How does it look? When it comes to gift-giving, go for show! While gift bags in good condition can be reused, wrapping paper is a one-time thing. Always spring for a new card or gift tag.
Can you handle it? If you don’t plan to announce the gift as a regift, ask yourself if you can keep the secret. Never feel guilty about regifting once you’ve done it.
Have you considered your options? An unwanted gift could be a welcome donation to a charitable organization. It is also an option to suck it up and keep an unwanted gift—after all, it was a gift.
All good advice for regifting on Trade Me (or eBay) as well!
