Christmas gifts for a year out of the box
It’s been a weird year. Not only did 2020 give us a global pandemic and a deep loathing of words such as ‘‘unprecedented’’, ‘‘cluster’’ and ‘‘pivot’’, it also sent demand for some unexpected items through the roof.
Every man and his dog wanted a breadmaker in April, we went into a frenzy over facemasks in May, and sought out sewing machines in August.
But when the nation started its Christmas shopping, we really broadened our horizons, according to Trade Me.
Here are some of the items that started trending out of nowhere:
■ Projectors: Although we’ve been free to go to the movies for months, it seems we’d still rather hunker down at home than get within sneezing distance of a stranger at the cinema.
And it’s not just Trade Me where projectors are proving popular – Kmart’s $109 two-in-one projector and DVD player is flying off the shelves.
■ Metal detectors: With any luck, these will be the gift that keeps on giving. Many of us are going to be a bit strapped for cash post-December so here’s hoping those who find a metal detector under the tree can make those trips to the beach as lucrative as they are relaxing.
■ Harry Potter box sets: The Boy Wizard’s surge in popularity might have caught the Trade Me team off-guard but it makes perfect sense to me. Who hasn’t wished this year that they could escape into another world?
■ Temporary tattoos: OK, this one does seem a bit odd. Whatever the reason, a temporary tattoo is a great way to test run a bit of ink with no commitment, no pain and, most importantly, no regrets.
■ Hoverboards: And what’s Christmas without a trip to A&E? A bloody nice day, that’s what.
I probably shouldn’t really make light of this one. In 2015, when they were the hottest gift in town (quite literally – there were multiple reports of the things catching fire), injuries caused by electric hoverboards cost the country almost $26,000 in ACC claims. Almost all of the 59 claims were made in the week between Christmas and New Year.
■ Christmas trees: No real surprises here – even the grinchiest Grinch needs a Christmas tree and Trade Me had a bristly option for everyone. If you’ve left your decorating to the last minute and can’t face the shops, there are still hundreds of listings for trees.