Filipinos Turn Heartbreak Into Profit by Selling Exes’ Gifts

(SPOT.ph) Breakups can be messy, but at least they can be profitable. In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, more Filipinos have been reselling gifts from exes on Carousell—and they’re not being coy about the reason, either.

Carousell data shows that beauty products (including perfumes), luxury goods, women's fashion (especially dresses), computers and tech, and sneakers are among the most commonly resold “ex” items. Interestingly, January saw the highest number of these listings—because what better time to let go than the start of a new year? Other peak months for selling exes’ gifts include August (because ghost month?), November, and July. 

So we’ve got the data, but the real fun is in the actual listings. Let's take a look at some of Carousell's best finds.

Also read: Filipinos Want Money, Not Flowers, This Valentine’s Day: SWS

Listings with an ex written all over it

Of course, luxury gifts are a common sight—after all, they’re the kind of things that often come from a significant other. One seller listed a Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandoulière 35 for a discounted P70,000 with the description, “very legit, legit pa sa ex ko.”

Another seller put up a Uratex mattress after discovering that their ex had cheated—while they were attending The Eras Tour in another country.

“One month lang nagamit. Left the apartment where we used to live together with all of the things I bought when I learned my ex cheated… Posting it here so I can dispose na,” the listing read.

For some, it’s not even about making a profit but about letting go of bad memories. A pair of hiking shoes from Decathlon was posted at an insane fraction of its retail price—from P2,300 to P150—because the seller couldn’t stand to be reminded of the “differences” they had with their ex.

Meanwhile, a Christmas gift that never got unwrapped ended up on Carousell after the recipient was caught cheating before the holidays. We learn from the description that he is now an ex.

Even items left behind in a breakup aren’t spared. One seller decided to part with the Adidas Hydro Boost their ex forgot (or chose not) to take back, pricing them at just one-fifth of the original value. 

Yes, these are all actual listings on Carousell right now—you can even look them up yourself.

Also read: To My Former Friends + Ex-Somethings: I Let Your Stuff Go So I Could Move On