To ask of your unexpected high value items on eBay

[ChristmasCrumpet]

So, DH and I are looking to raise several thousand in the next few months for an upcoming purchase.

I sell regularly on eBay, more as a hobby, and can make around £1k p/mth if I really try. Mainly clothes. Mine. Kids. Sometimes the odd toy. Everything sells for between £5 and £20 really. It all adds up, but it's high volume of low value items.

Something that recently surprised me, is that I listed a 7/8yr old BT router thing, and it sold for like £70. I was about to chuck it, and I don't know what made me think to see what they went for on eBay, but I couldn't believe it. Proper old plastic junk to me.

So, on the basis I'm trying to raise a chunk, fast... What items have you sold and been astonished they have reached that price.

Thank you x

A tiny paperback book about Kate Moss. Turns out it was a rare first edition and sold for £75. Wish I’d hung onto it now!

A cello - I had an idea of what it would go for from looking at what was selling but this was a 7/8th size which is less common and sold in 4 figures.

An mot failure jag xjr. £1,240.

Alas none of these things are kicking around the house

Old metal signs, Welsh blankets, retro computer games and consoles

A bottle of perfume that had a couple squirts out of and decided I didn’t like. It was a jo Malone one I’d been gifted. Think lime and basil or similar. Was surprised used cosmetic would sell- but it did and was worth selling!

I sold a set of Mr Tumble PECS-style cards that came free with a Cbeebies magazine for £25.

Old games consoles go for a decent amount. Retro toys. Out of print books.

Oh - empty ipad and phone boxes to people who are gifting those items 2nd hand.

Random chargers. We had a spare charger for an electric toothbrush as DH and I had both had the same one and it sold for £23!

We have no end of unused chargers in a drawer! Thanks so much

A random wooden farm style gate left of the garage of the house we purchased. Measured it and it didn't fit our drive. Sold for £130.
An old battered pair of tamagotchis that didn't even turn on. Sold as seen £35 & £60
a sealed box set of most haunted that had gone out of stock everywhere about 20 years ago (or whenever it was) £50.

Fil gave us an old Matchbox toy garage from 1960’s. Sold for £80. It went into dds accounts, he had no use for it but as it was an old toy he knew it was worth something to someone. It ended up in Germany.

We Moved house. And someone had left what I thought was a dog gate kennel type of thing. No idea really what it was. Turns out to be expensive and got over £1000 for it. Paid for my holiday that year. Was stunned.

Old children's clothes. I sold some of DD's mini boden clothes from years ago and was almost embarrassed by how much they sold for. Two people got into a bidding war over one dress and I very nearly emailed them to stop it as it was just an old dress! And I was half expecting a complaint when I sent it to the eventual winner as it really wasn't worth what she paid, but she left positive feedback.

We had a proof set of coins in a display box - proper Royal Mint one - and because there was a rare edition of the 50p coin in the set it ended up selling for something like £350. We listed it for a tenner, from memory

Not me but DB, neon sign of old nightclub, went for something like £300.

Me, limited edition clothes (Zara and Top shop collabs) and discontinued perfumes, again depending on what it was, sold for a couple or few hundred pounds each time.

A niche designer 70s chair, £100 or so. And some Ikea rare fish design plates, I’d bought 6 but didn’t need all 6 so sold 2 can’t remember how much for but way more than I paid.

Oh, the sign and perfumes I sort of knew as researched them but the others I had no idea as no one seemed to be buying the other ones. I thought the ikea plates wouldn’t be worth much at all!

Sometimes it’s niche items like cups or mugs which are “rare” or unusual design.

Right I'm of to ebay for a nosey

Watch your tax if you are making that much per month

I put up a lot of about 100 old cassette tapes. It was a close call as to whether I was going to bin them. Thought they might go for a few quid as car boot fodder. Made nearly £400.

Broken Dyson hoover.

YES! Don't assume it won't sell just because it's broken. People buy electrical stuff that's not working.

if you are genuinely selling your own stuff you don't pay tax on it as it is not trade, but if you make a lot of money from what you paid for it you might be liable for capital gains but the yearly allowance is quite high around £12,000
if you are buying to sell you have a small trading allowance of £1000
from governement website"Everyone in the UK has a tax-free trading allowance of £1000 in additional income, outside of their regular employment. This means, if you're employed full-time by a company and earning less than £1000 from your side hustle, you don't have any additional tax obligations."

A job lot of cabbage patch kids!

capital gains tax is not paid on what OP sells for but the difference between what she paid for it and what it sells for, so if she bought a boden dress for £25 and sells after 2 years wear at £20 from a capital gains point of view she made a loss, however if it sells for more than she paid for it ie £30 it is £5 of her annual £12,000
if she bought the boden dress at oxfam for £5 and managed to sell for £25 then £20 profit is part of her £1000 trading allowance