“American households have approximately $2,200 worth of unused items”
AC Nielsen Survey of Unused Household Items, October 2004
What’s Laying Around the House?
When asked to empty out their attics, basements and closets, American households recently reported to having approximately 16 items that are not being currently used (based on a list of 31 items.) On average, the following unused items are underfoot:
What’s it Worth?
Households claimed that the total price paid for these items was around $2,222, but estimated their current value to be less than a third of the original price, or approximately $562. According to third-party valuation software, ItsDeductible*, the actual value is closer to $1,000.
According to the survey, the most unused items in American households (Chart 2) included handbags (48%), film cameras (36%) and cell phones (33%). ItsDeductible found that unused handbags could net approximately $42.25 per bag, cameras averaged at $76.03 and even used cell phones could be sold for around $40.58. This means that the average household with four handbags is sitting on close to $170, money that could be reinvested in piano lessons, an MP3 player or another, new purse!
Is it Really Junk?
The survey indicated that on average, households throw away three items a year. The average price originally paid for these items was reported to be $718, but people estimated their current value at a meager $161.
The most commonly discarded items minclude handbags (16%), cell phones (15%) and televisions (13%); the fair market values are $42.25, $40.58 and $276.73 respectively, representing more than double the perceived value!
The most commonly donated items include cell phones (43%), handbags (37%), computer peripherals (30%) and desktop computers (28%).
