11 March, 2009
Cash in your clutter to beat the credit crunch
The average Australian could be more than $3,000 better off, according to a
recent survey¹ conducted by eBay.
Sitting on a potential fortune of unused and unwanted goods, 37% of Aussies
stash their clutter and potential dollars under the bed and in drawers,
cupboards, and garages, while 11% of people put their unwanted items out on
the curb for council collection.
Of those surveyed, 71% of people could immediately name at least one
unwanted item of value that they could sell. Electronics, fashion, furniture, and
toys are just some of the best selling items on eBay, yet 30% of people admit
to throwing these items away when de-cluttering their homes, believing the
items to be worthless.
“Now more than ever, people need to be resourceful to meet their growing
financial demands. The message is simple: don’t throw good money away or
keep it in the closet or garage gathering dust. Instead, you could sell your
unwanted goods on eBay and reap the rewards,” said eBay spokesperson,
Sian Gipslis.
eBay’s survey found that the value and number of unused household items
have significantly increased over the past three years – a potential lucrative
cash boost for every household in tough economic times.
“You can sell practically anything on eBay and use the extra cash to help pay
the bills or mortgage, save for that special treat, or trade up to buy something
that you really want or need,” said Gipslis.
Top money makers sitting unwanted in Australian homes include:
Electronics: 29% of Australians said they have unwanted electronic
items such as stereos, videos, televisions, desktop computers, and
monitors. In the portable electronics category, respondents have
superfluous mobile phones (15%), portable CD players (9%), MP3
players (6%), and PDAs (3%).
Clothing and accessories: 20% of Australians have jeans they no
longer wear, 21% of people have a jumper they don’t need, 19% have
boots or shoes they don’t wear, 20% of women own handbags they no
longer want, and 23% have at least one watch lying in a drawer.
Household: 24% of respondents have unwanted furniture, 22% have
unwanted kitchen or home décor items, and 18% have unwanted
collectables cluttering valuable cupboard space.
Toys and baby items: 23% of Australians said they have children’s
toys that are unwanted; with 14% of respondents having baby items
they no longer use.
…/more
State by state comparison from eBay’s research shows that:
46% of Victorian respondents have electrical goods they no longer
use
42% of West Australian residents have toys their children no longer
play with
46% of ACT residents have unwanted kitchen and home décor items
Almost 30% of Queenslanders have unused sporting goods they
could turn into extra cash
Tasmania is the collectibles capital with 44% of respondents claiming
to have unwanted items in their collection
44% of respondents from South Australia have electrical goods they
no longer use
38% of respondents from New South Wales have furniture collecting
dust
Northern Territorians are clothes and accessories hoarders with 58%
of respondents admitting to keeping unwanted items in their cupboards
People interested in finding out how much their unwanted items could be
different rooms online, discover the range of items that are available on
eBay.com.au and see how much items that you may have around your home
are selling for.
-ENDS-
Radio news grabs available for download:
Spokesperson: Sian Gipslis, eBay
Telephone Hotline: 1300 732 445, Menu 2, Option 3.
Note to editors:
The same survey was conducted in July 2005 by Kinergy, showing an
average of $1,820 worth of unwanted or unused items per person.
1
Decipher eBay Consumer Survey of eBay.com.au members, August 2008. The value of
unwanted and unused items around the home has been determined by the average price
of comparable items found on eBay.com.au.
For further information, images, or interview requests, please contact:
Kelly Drew
Sian Gipslis
Haystac
eBay
P:
02 9513 8561
P:
02 8288 0057
M:
0418 486 959
M:
0401 227 385
E:
k.drew@haystac.com.au
E:
sian.gipslis@ebay.com
Or email: mediaaustralia@eBay.com.au
About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every
day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay Inc. does
this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and
communications. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the
strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com, and
others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.
eBay.com.au is Australia’s Online Marketplace
®
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