Average UK student has £6k of stuff they could sell on eBay

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eBay says that the average UK university student has over £6,045 worth of sellable possessions including 36 pieces of tech, 61 items of clothing and 35 household items. None of this will come as any surprise to parents who ferry their kids to and from uni multiple times a year.

With university tuition fees on the political agenda with a looming election, it seems that across the UK students have £8.46 billion worth of sellable goods. Or in a student currency that I understand 3,000 pints for every undergraduate. (Are pints really still that cheap in the union bar? – Ed.)

Only two fifths (39%) of those surveyed plan to raise some income by selling their unwanted items online. The majority will store the items (71%), however 39% admit to simply binning the stuff they no longer want.

Students’ tech inventory is particularly valuable with those surveyed owning an average of 36 different items of technology with a total resale value of £1,928. This includes, on average, two laptops, two smartphones, three pairs of headphones, a radio and multiple DVDs.

Clothes also add significantly to the inventory with students owning an average of over 61 items of clothing and footwear at a value of £1,160. Men fall behind the women with an average of 44 items compared to women’s 70 items.

So, if you have an undergraduate in your life asking for a bung: telling them to pull their finger out and start selling their unwanted tat online, seems like good advice.

Will Weightman, director of consumer to consumer at eBay comments says: “Students are under more financial pressure than ever before, so it’s surprising that more are not realising the value of their unwanted possessions. Selling on eBay is a great way make the most of unwanted items and with 18 million Brits shopping on the site every month, students could really take advantage of this untapped source of income. 58% of those surveyed are even giving away unwanted items, instead why not sell them with eBay, make some money and fund a great summer holiday?” Or indeed give something back to their parents.

4 Responses

  1. what? sell ALL your clothes? your coursework, your only means of communication home?

    and for not enough to cover the debt you accrued going to uni, just to live like a naked hobo?

    and who thinks you’re getting full RRP for used student’s clothes? hands up anyone who wants to bid on a 18-year old student’s used boxer shorts?
    (male in this hypothetical, before we end up with ‘those’ bidders)

  2. I have college students I work for that I have taught to drop ship, instead of selling their own stuff. They have made quite a bit of money selling inventory that they never even had to touch.

  3. Sell on eBay i.e. open yourself to unfair returns,defects, partial refund, full refunds?
    No thanks.
    That’s like paying to lose an item. Oftentimes it’s better to give to charity or throw in the bin

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