Not a fruitcake lover?

The folks who sell all year long online at eBay or Yahoo have found a creative way to salvage a well-meant but under-appreciated gift.

You can regift or even sell the gift online, according to shopping expert Marsha Collier, the author of "Santa Shops on eBay" and "eBay for Dummies."

And, yes, it's true that fruitcake makes up a 15 percent slice of the food-and-drink items that people would regift. Love it or loathe it, fruitcake stirs strong feelings during the holiday season and there already are some available for sale.

A regifting survey conducted by Harris Interactive for eBay found that 83 percent of U.S. adults receive unwanted gifts during the holiday season — and that nearly half of those (47 percent) typically regift or resell such items.

Even those ill-matched gifts — the stockings that would look more at home in a bordello or the hula girl soap dispenser — may be someone else's treasured find. You may not appreciate a Disney ornament but lots of folks collect them.

ANONYMOUS IS BEST

Collier suggests you do some homework: "To determine whether an unwanted gift is reasonable to sell on eBay, check out the site and see how and if similar items are selling. Track these items to see if they are selling and, if so, for how much."

She said that helps you price the item right. If you know your gift-giver won't mind, Collier said you can say that you appreciate the gift but feel it would be more appropriate for someone else. More likely, you can post it anonymously and risk fewer hurt feelings.

Collier also offers some regifting tips. Don't rush to give it away right away, but wait until you find the match for it. "Keep the unwanted gift in a dust-free closet with a Post-it note, indicating who originally had given you the gift."

And be careful to avoid leaving gift card evidence. She said, "Nancy doesn't need to know that George wished you happy holidays in 2002 with matching his and her reindeer aprons."

And it turned out in the survey that even those who didn't like what they got appreciated the gesture. The survey said that nearly one-third of all adults (32 percent) would rather get a present that they could regift or resell than not get a present at all.

So what do these people admit to regifting? Food and drink tops the list (35 percent), followed by beauty and bath products (23 percent) and trinkets or collectibles (18 percent).

Most likely to be resold? Electronics and appliances (18 percent); DVDs, CDs and books (11 percent); and event tickets (11 percent).

Want to simplify your holidays? There are lots of ideas for that, including a whole list from the eco-friendly folks at tree hugger.com.

They range from giving such services as a massage or yardwork, or donating to charities or other worthy causes in a gift recipient's name.

And on to practical suggestions such as using the Sunday newspaper comics for wrapping paper, and giving edible gifts that won't get shoved into some closet.

The Environmental Defense Web site has some good ideas, from donating time or money to a charity in honor of the gift recipient. Or the gift of a membership to a botanical garden, aquarium or other eco-friendly organization.

SOMEONE WANTS IT

Collier said reselling gifts on eBay actually complements the green movement because it is the ultimate way to recycle.

"By reselling your misfit gift, you ensure that someone who really wants it/needs it/has to have it gets it in the end," she said.

And even Collier has some other "green" tips:

Use creative wrapping materials. Buy a blank roll of newsprint to use for all your gift wrapping. Then get kids or friends and relatives into decorating it with markers, glitter or stamps to create festive drawings such as snowflakes, candy canes and snowmen.

Save gift packaging. Bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts and boxes can come back year after year.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.