How to use free ads to make money after Christmas

Most people would probably think that selling unwanted presents is in bad taste. There is something almost sacred to a present, and some kind of unwritten rule says that the recipient of a present should always be grateful and, of course, keep the present.

However, it looks like more than 6 our of 10 people receive, every Christmas, at least five unwanted gifts. According to a research made by the charity The Brooke on a sample of the British population, almost one brit out of three this Christmas will give away as a gift an unwanted present from last Christmas. So, it turns out, presents are not so sacred.

Seeing things with a pragmatic approach, it could be said that there’s no point in keeping around unwanted, unused gifts, so if they can be recycled, they might as well be sold. Reading about what are considered to be the most unwanted gifts, moreover, makes it easier to understand why some people would want to resell them. The top three most unwanted gifts are bubble baths, bath salts and socks: pretty generic stuff, indeed.

The solution to boring presents is the old saying: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. From an economic point of view, that concept is what make markets work in general. The fact that someone would like something that you would happily get rid of is the very basis of second hand commerce. This means that it’s definitely possible to make some money out of unwanted presents. The easiest way is to use some classifieds site. Free ads can actually be a big help in getting rid of unwanted stuff and, of course, you can always hope that the baths salts that you got are a rare, sought-after item for some collector.

Those of you who are more financially bold can try using an auction site. However, the problem with those sites, compared to free ads sites, is that it can be hard to get bidders to offer high - or even just half-decent - prices, and often the seller ends up selling the item at the minimum price. So it could be a good idea to use a classified ads site where you can just come up with a price and stick to it.

With some patience is possible to get a surprising amount of money even from relatively common items: sooner or later you will find someone who will want your present more than you do. Publishing an ad is something that doesn’t require a lot of effort, and most classifieds sites keep ads published for long times. In the end, it’s waiting game. And if no buyer shows up, you can always wait until next Christmas to give you unwelcome gift to someone else.