24/12/12
By Michael Allen
Households looking to make some extra money could do a lot worse than de-cluttering their homes and turning their unwanted items into cash, according to eBay.
Research by the online auction site found that the average UK household has £1,045 worth of unwanted items tucked away in cupboards, hidden under beds and stuffed in the loft.
It discovered that the average British home contains 28 unwanted items and is suggesting that people could help themselves out in these difficult economic times by selling the cast-offs to generate cash.
Laura Wilkinson, spokesperson for eBay, said, "As the saying goes, one man's cast-off is another man's treasure. Turning unwanted items into cash means you de-clutter your home and really get the most out of your purchases, even when you've had enough of them!"
According to the study the most-hoarded items in the UK are comics, which generate an average of £7.28 when resold on eBay.
The other collectables that helped make up the top-10 most hoarded items were porcelain collectibles and football memorabilia, which sold for an average of £12.45 and £15.04, respectively.
The most valuable items in the list were games consoles, with an average resell value of £112.07.
The rest of the top-10 was made up of jewellery (average selling price £6.53), handbags (£13.44), coats (£9.99), mobile phones (£43.44), kids toys (£8.20) and sports equipment (£12.72).
A fifth of Britons (18 per cent) have already sold unwanted items to help pay for holidays abroad, while 5 per cent admitted that they had never thrown anything away, even items no longer of use.
With the average UK family holiday costing £896, the first group are clearly on to something and many more of us could clear out our cupboards to generate money for a trip overseas.
Ebay's top five selling tips for those looking to de-clutter and make some cash are:
- Get the timing right. Think about when to list your item and what time the listing will end - those that finish at 3am will be seen by less people.
- Start with a low price to attract more interest. Items with a start price of 99p are free to list and tend to attract more buyers.
- The title is vital. It is only 55 characters long, but it is the first chance you get to grab the buyers attention and should include details such as size and colour.
- Retail with detail. Include all the available information in the description of your item and make sure you provide great customer service after the sale so that the buyer has a good experience and leaves you positive feedback.
- Use your mobile. The free eBay app can be used to list an item in just sixty seconds.
