IF ALL ELSE FAILS, YOU CAN FLOG IT ONLINE

( and 6pm on Friday is the ideal time to do it)

WHAT are you doing between 6pm and 7pm on Friday? At eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, it will be the busiest time of year for buying and selling goods. So, if you want to make a little money by selling your unwanted gifts, this could be your window.

Between Boxing Day 2017 and January 19, more than 44 million items found new homes.

This year, eBay expects sales to peak between 6pm and 7pm on Friday, December 28.

And with 24 million active buyers and sellers using eBay in the UK every month, there is a good chance you will be able to get rid of your unloved presents.

The most popular items last year were home appliances, video game consoles, smartphones and shoes.

You’ll earn more if you keep them in their original packaging and with any labels on.

It’s easy to set up an eBay account. Register online at ebay.

co.uk with your name, email address and a password. You’ll receive a confirmation email.

Upload up to 12 pictures of what you want to sell free. You must include an honest and detailed description.

Next, you need to decide on a starting price. You can choose a fixed price, which is what 80 pc of users do, or go for the auction option, which gives buyers up to ten days to bid.

Search similar items to see what they sold for, or list your item at 99p to encourage a bidding war.

Make sure you work out your postage costs so you’re not left out of pocket. Alternatively, you can offer free postage to attract buyers and cover the cost in the selling price.

You can list 20 items a month without paying upfront fees. After this, each item costs 35p.

There is also a final transaction fee of 10 pc of the selling price, including postage. So if you sold a set of candles for £8.50 and postage was £3.50, you would be left with a profit of £7.30.

Sellers must offer PayPal, the secure payment platform, as an option for buyers. If someone chooses to pay this way, you will be charged an extra 3.4 pc plus 20p per sale.

Facebook freebie

ANOTHER option is to sell your unwanted gifts on sites such as Facebook ( facebook.com) and Shpock ( shpock.com).

There are no fees and buyers typically pay in cash when they pick up the item, so you keep 100 pc of the price — and won’t have to worry about packaging up parcels to post.

On Facebook, start by looking for groups in your area — there may be several, with varying numbers of members.

For example, Birmingham Buy and Sell has 48,000 users.

You must be approved by the person in charge of the group.

You can also post adverts on Facebook Marketplace, which is easier. Upload photographs, a description, the price, category and your location, then wait to hear from interested buyers. Shpock describes itself as ‘the local way to sell and buy’. It has a website and smartphone app. There are a number of categories, such as homeware, fashion, sports and electronics. Register by inputting your name, email address and a password. You must then enter your mobile phone number to receive a verification code in order to activate the account. Upload a photo and a description of the item, plus your address. Buyers can contact you directly and there is the opportunity to negotiate prices. Once both parties have agreed, the deal between you is legally binding. Shpock advises users to meet in person and pay in cash or use PayPal.

Sell in bulk

WEBSITES such as Zapper ( zapper. co. uk), Ziffit ( ziffit. com), Music Magpie ( music

magpie.co.uk) and WeBuyBooks ( webuybooks.co. uk) offer an easy way to get rid of gifts by the boxload.

You can get an instant quote for books, CDs and games simply by typing in the barcodes online or scanning them using your mobile phone.

You will then be supplied with a freepost label to attach to your box of goods. You may be required to drop the box at a nearby collection point.

Do not expect to make millions this way. When Money Mail checked, Nigella Lawson’s 2017 cookbook At My Table (RRP £26) was worth only £2.50 on Music Magpie and £1.85 on WeBuyBooks.

Certain books may not be accepted, particularly if they are very popular titles.

Rent out presents

IF YOU are worried about upsetting family members by reselling gifts, keep them and rent them out.

People will often pay by the day for items such as cameras, musical instruments, baby gear and electric tools.

Some of the most popular items searched for on the rental site Fat Llama include a Vonyx AP1200PA battery- powered speaker, worth £240, which rents for £30 a day, and a Mavic 2 Pro camera drone, which goes for £40 a day.

Leaf- blowers and cordless drills rent for around £5 or £6 a day.

But you could list anything — and for whatever price you like.

Money Mail spotted an eightperson bell tent on the website for £48 a day, a double buggy for £15 a day and a bass guitar for £50 a day.

When you lend an item, Fat Llama will charge 15 pc in commission.

All items on Fat Llama are protected by its Lender’s Guarantee, which covers you up to £25,000 if goods are not returned or are damaged.