Between the frost and the snow the ground is in a bad way these days.  We’re all watching our step as we hike to work or the shops to stock up on our Christmas bits and bobs.

It’s a times like these that it’s nice to spare a thought for the little birds that can’t scratch through the ice to get a bite to eat.  Here’s some helpful tips on feeding the birds in winter.

Before you throw away your household’s Christmas packaging, take a second to ensure you have no intention of ever selling the goods. If you do, close the lid of your recycling bin and slowly back away…

What does your recycling bin look like the week after Christmas?

If Santa has been to visit, it will probably be full of cardboard, plastic, polystyrene and other packaging in which toys or electronic goods are sold.

Having everything that arrived in the box can help with selling on goods

You’re doing your bit for the environment, you may think, as well as clearing the house of debris.

However, what if you decide to resell one of Santa’s gifts a few months or years down the line? You may think that you wouldn’t sell a gift, but Santa and well-meaning friends and relatives often give ‘unused’ and ‘unwanted’ gifts.

And where there’s an unwanted or rarely used gift, you’ll always find a potential buyer lurking nearby, happy to snap up a bargain.

Put yourself in their shoes. If you’re buying second hand, do you like to have the original packaging and instructions? Do you like to have all the leads and components? Do you like the feeling that what you’re buying is new? (Even if technically it’s just new to you). Would you pay more for something that looks new?

Chances are, you’ve said yes to all of those questions. So what exactly do you need to hold onto and why?

The box

It’s a well-known fact that children often get more fun out of the box a toy arrives in than the toy itself. However, if you’re serious about selling the toy once a child has grown out of it, consider keeping the box out of your children’s way or ensuring they don’t get too rough and tumble with it.

The packaging

No matter what the item, there will be excess packaging, ranging from polystyrene to plastic bags to bubble wrap to cardboard. This serves the purpose of protecting items from damage in transit. A handy way to ensure that you repack goods you are selling in the same way they were packed when you first opened the box is to take a photo. It is a good idea to hold on to everything from cable ties to bits of tape used to keep hinged parts of an item closed while they are in transit. However, please remember that plastic bags and small components can be a hazard for children, so stow the box with the packaging inside of it out of harm’s way as soon as you can.

The instructions

Whether it’s learning how to open the battery compartment or locating the ‘on’ switch, instruction manuals, sheets, CDs and booklets play an important part in the life of any electrical item or toy. If you lose them, remember they can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

The receipt

If you’re selling an item within the lifetime of its warranty, handing over the original receipt may be of help to your buyer in case anything goes wrong with the item.

Leads, chargers etc

Make sure you include the correct leads, chargers, plugs and AC adaptors when reselling an item. Apart from looking good, it’s important for safety reaons.

That’s it, the hunt is over! Over 500 of you DoneDealers successfully completed our treasure hunt and entered our Yule find it competition.  Thanks so much to all of you for DoneDealing and entering our competition.

And a drum roll please to announce our winners………

Congratulations to our 3 runners up who will receive a DoneDealer Christmas packs:

1. Sheila Kelly in Tuam, Co. Galway
2. Helen Thomas in Tallaght, Dublin
3. Thomas Heffernan in Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Congratulations to our 2nd prize winner of a Large Gourmet Christmas Hamper worth €200 courtesy of our friends in GiftsDirect.com:

• Pat Callaghan in Birr, Co. Offaly

And last but very much not least our TOP PRIZE WINNER of €250 CASH as well as a DoneDealer Christmas pack goes to:

• Louisa Carty in Loughrea, Co. Galway

Congratulations to all our winners and wishing all of you DoneDealers a very Merry Christmas and a DoneDealing New Year!

Meet buyers and sellers in public places (Photo: Alexander Baxevanis)

While the vast majority of buyers and sellers are honest, there is always a slight risk of a deal going bad. Take note of our simple safety advice and make sure your experience is a positive one

For centuries people have been buying goods from and selling goods to absolute strangers, but the advance of the internet means that people no longer need a physical shop or market to exchange cash for goods.

The way DoneDeal works is that users browse for goods and then contact the seller to arrange a time and place to view or buy the item for sale.

However, like any retailer or shopper, it’s important to think about safety. Just because the transaction doesn’t take place in a high-street shop doesn’t mean you have to forego CCTV, proof of purchase, personal security or protection against counterfeit notes or bouncing cheques.

Whether you’re a buyer or seller there are ways to ensure you’re not taken advantage of by an unscrupulous minority.

In our Safety Guide one of the foremost pieces of advice is to meet the buyer or seller in person and deal in cash or bank drafts only.

Here’s some advice for buyers and sellers:

If you are selling goods

• Arrange a time and place you feel comfortable with.
• Meet in a well-lit, busy, public place (covered by CCTV if you want to be extra cautious).
• Don’t meet the buyer alone if you are not meeting in a public place.
• Give somebody else the details of whom you’re meeting, and where and when you are meeting them.
• Keep your mobile phone with you.
• If you live alone, don’t let the buyer know – it is none of their business.
• If the buyer has to come into your house, keep valuable goods out of view.
• Remember that the buyer may have concerns about meeting a stranger alone, especially if they are bringing cash.
• Only accept cash or a bank draft. Make no exceptions.
• Ensure you receive the full payment before the buyer leaves with the goods.
• If you’re receiving a large amount of cash, ask someone you know in the retail or hospitality trade to check the notes.

If you are buying goods

• Arrange a time and place you feel comfortable with.
• Meet in a well-lit, busy, public place (covered by CCTV if you want to be extra cautious).
• Don’t meet the seller alone if you’re not meeting in a public place.
• Be careful about how you are carrying cash to pay for the goods; or else pay with a bank draft.
• Give somebody else the details of whom you’re meeting, and where and when you are meeting them.
• Keep your mobile phone with you.
• If you have to go to a seller’s house be respectful of their privacy.
• Ensure you have full access to your purchase before handing over all your money.
• Ask for proof of purchase.
• If you’re going to see an item for sale at a seller’s home, be aware that they may be afraid you are ‘casing the joint’.

The most important thing a buyer or seller can do in order to have a safe done deal is to trust their instincts and use their common sense. And remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If you read this, CONGRATULATIONS – you’re on the road to find our DoneDeal.ie Christmas treasure and win €250 CASH!

We are also giving away a 2nd prize of a Large Gourmet Christmas Hamper worth €200 courtesy of our friends in GiftsDirect.com.

Finally, as if that wasn’t enough,  we have 3 lucky runner up DoneDealer Christmas packs to give away !

All you need to do is answer 3 simple questions. The answer to each question leads you to another ad on DoneDeal.ie. On the third Christmas Treasure Ad you’ll find instructions on how to enter the Christmas Treasure Chest draw for one of these fantastic prizes!

LET THE HUNT BEGIN:

Question 1:  What would you expect to find under the tree on Christmas morning?

Put the answer to this question into the Search box on DoneDeal.ie and click on the Search button. In the list of ads you’ll find the first secret Christmas Treasure Ad containing the next question. Put the answer into the search box to find the next ad, and so on.

The draw will take place on 12^th December from the list of successful entrants. We will contact the winner soon after that date, and announce them on the blog.

• Please note only ONE entrant per person!

GiftsDirect.com have over 1000 gifts to choose from including hampers, wines, personalised gifts, flying lessons, cookery days and all the Irish brands like Newbridge and Belleck and can deliver to anywhere in the world.  Why not check out their website www.giftsdirect.com for some great gift ideas.