Selling unwanted gifts and holiday decor in January
A calm, after-the-holidays plan for passing on duplicate gifts, things that didn't fit and decor you won't use again.
Once the wrapping paper is gone, most homes have a small pile: the second copy of a game, a sweater in the wrong size, a gadget nobody asked for, and decor that didn't make it out of the box. January is a good time to sort it out while the tags are still on and the season is fresh in everyone's mind.
Start with returns and exchanges
- Gather gift receipts and order emails in one place before anything else.
- Check each store's return window. Some holiday windows are longer than usual, but they still end.
- If a gift came from someone close, a quiet exchange for a size or color that works is often the easiest path.
Sort into three piles
- Sell: new or like-new items in original packaging, name-brand gadgets, games with every piece.
- Donate: good items that aren't worth the time to list.
- Keep for later: a small regift box, labeled and stored with your wrapping supplies.
Make each listing easy to say yes to
- Photograph items in daylight, on a plain background, with the box and tags in the shot.
- Say clearly that it's new, unopened or used once.
- Check what similar items are actually selling for, and price a little below the crowd if you want it gone this month.
- Bundle small things: three candles, a set of ornaments, a stack of puzzles.
Holiday decor: sell it now or store it right
Some shoppers buy decor right after the holidays, and some buy it in the fall. If you're keeping it, pack it well: wrap fragile pieces, test lights before they go in the bin, and label each box by room. If it's going, a clean photo of the full set beats a pile on the floor.
Meet up safely
- Choose a busy public spot for handoffs, in daylight when you can.
- Agree on how you'll be paid before you meet.
- For larger items picked up at home, keep someone else around and the item near the door.
Plan a finish line
Pick a date, such as the end of the month. Anything not sold by then goes to donation. It keeps the pile from becoming a permanent corner.
The Holiday Online Seller Kit has listing and tracking pages for this, and the Sell It Local Kit covers one-at-a-time local selling.