It’s that time of year again.
Kevin the Carrot has gone on sale in Aldi stores across the UK, and scores of people have been left disappointed that the shelves were empty before they could get their hands on the soft toy version of the TV advert star.
If you’re not familiar with his background, then this is how it goes…
Kevin first hit our TV screens in the Christmas of 2016, when he embarked on an adventure across the dinner table to meet Santa.
He was back in 2017, and this time he was quite the romantic hero. He locked eyes with Katie the Carrot on a festive train ride, and after he battled his way across a festive feast to get to her, the pair fell in love. Ahhh!
Last year, Kevin and Katie had started a family, and we were introduced to offspring Chantenay, Baby Carrot, and Jasper. Kevin had his work cut out from him again as he had to battle against veggie villain Pascal the Parsnip, who’d locked Katie and the kids in a cage. Naturally, Kevin was victorious yet again.
That brings us into 2019. This year’s advert sees Kevin fighting an angry group of brussel sprouts, before putting on a Greatest Showman-style circus performance on a table packed with Christmas treats.
He’s a busy lad, and his Aldi adverts have earned him scores of fans who can’t wait to get their hands on the merchandise.
The offerings this year are more extensive than ever before, and include soft toys priced at £3.99, Christmas tree decorations priced at £2.99, and even giant Kevins and Katies for £19.99.
Proceeds from sales go to Teenage Cancer Trust, a long-term partner of the supermarket.
Now that consumers are struggling to get their hands on Kevin and Katie products directly from Aldi, many people are tapping into the opportunity to make a bit of extra cash by selling them via marketplace sites such as eBay.
And naturally, this is creating quire the ruckus in some corners of the internet.
Is it morally reprehensible for individuals to profit from sold-out toys?
Are these people stealing joy from children, taking money away from charity, and causing unnecessary headaches for parents at what is already often a difficult time of the year?
Or is it a simple case of a supply and demand opportunity that a few savvy folks have tapped into to make Christmas a little easier for themselves, when they might be struggling to make ends meet?
These are the questions that I’ve been debating…
How much is Kevin the Carrot actually selling for?
Before we get into a debate about whether it’s right or wrong to sell Kevin and Katie for inflated prices, let’s first consider whether it’s actually true.
See, the media love sensationalising a story.
If the headlines are to be believed, then Kevin and his mates are ‘selling for over £1,000 on eBay’.
Spoiler: they’re not.
Yes, there are some sellers who are asking for that price – and you can see an example below – but that certainly doesn’t necessarily mean that people are paying it. (It’s also worth noting in this example that the seller is claiming that 50% of the sale will go to charity).
This doesn’t particularly mean anything.
You can ask any price for anything on eBay, but whether people would be willing to fork out that much money is a different issue entirely.
What’s more useful here is to look at the items that have actually sold.
When we do this, it’s a different story.
One seller recently sold a giant Kevin toy for £20, plus £5 postage.
When you consider the RRP is £19.99, and there are eBay fees, postage, and packaging to contend with, this seller isn’t exactly raking it in. In fact, they’re running at a loss.
Let’s look at another example…
An eBay seller created a bundle, including Kevin, Katie, and the kids. The total RRP for these is £11.97, and the auction ended at just £8 with 4 bids.
Clearly, no profit has been made here.
So is anyone really making any money here?
Well, sure.
When I checked the sold listings for ‘Kevin the Carrot’, there were 9,000 results, and to be honest, I didn’t have the time or the inclination to go through every single one with a fine toothed comb.
But spending a little time browsing, there were examples of people who had made a modest sum.
Take this next example…
Again, it’s giant Kevin, with the RRP of £19.99.
He’s sold for £40 plus £8 postage and packaging, and with all fees considered, this seller has probably made about £15, at a fairly generous estimate.
So, yes.
People are indeed attempting to sell the items at much higher prices, though the headlines that you’re reading are pretty misleading.
It’s less of a case of ‘PEOPLE ARE SELLING KEVIN FOR THOUSANDS OF POUNDS’, and more of a case of ‘a few folks are making a few quid’.
But of course, the latter just isn’t quite as click-worthy.
Is it wrong to make money from Kevin the Carrot?
If you’ve read this blog before, then you’ll probably know that I’ve been reselling on eBay for a couple of years.
I don’t have any qualms with buying an item cheap, and selling it on for a profit.
It’s basic economics, it’s the oldest business model in the book, and it’s how millions of retailers – big and small, right across the globe – operate.
Selling Kevin the Carrot is a bit more of a contentious issue though, and it’s easy to see why.
It’s a product that’s aimed at children, it’s supposed to be the season of goodwill, and proceeds are going to charity.
But the accusations that are being flung about at these resellers in certain forums and Facebook groups, are, in my humble opinion, entirely over the top.
Are you really a heartless, money-grabbing terrible person for looking for entirely legal ways to make a bit of extra money at a time of year when things are often financially tight?
I don’t think so.
What about the mum who picked up a few bits of merchandise when she was doing her weekly shop, who’s been worrying about making ends meet over Christmas, and who’s sold Kevin & Katie on eBay to help fund gifts for her children?
Fair play to her, I say.
It might not be the most wholesome or rewarding or selfless way to boost your bank balance, but I’m fairly confident that no one will be going to hell because of it.
Ultimately, you have to do what you have to do.
This is what UK Money Bloggers thought…
I knew that lots of people would probably disagree with me on this one, so I asked my fellow UK Money Bloggers to share their thoughts.
This is what they had to say…
“I think there is nothing wrong with it.
People are free to sell what they want for they price they want (as long as they’re the owners).
However, people who don’t agree with selling for profit have the right not to buy it.”
– Jennifer from Monethalia
“I am slightly swung on this.
I have no issues in flipping items to make a profit; for instance, buy a PS4 game from a boot sale for £5 and sell it for £10. Someone could have sold it for more online but chose the boot sale route.
What annoys me with Kevin the Carrot (and his mates) is that sellers are buying them new and then overinflating the price. There is a limit of two sets per person, but I saw people purchase the two sets, dumping them in the car and doing the same thing over again. If people just bought what they needed, there would be plenty for everyone at a reasonable price.
I find it greedy, to be honest, that some people are intentionally profiting from families who want to please their kids. I know they don’t have to buy them at a higher price online, but they just want to make their kids happy.”
– Naomi from Skint Chef
“No no no!!!!
I absolutely hate that some unscrupulous people will buy out all the stock of items, simply to make a profit.
I know there are now limits to how many you can purchase, but they just cheat the system by taking people with them, or keep going back in to the store and using self-service tills and different cashiers etc to stock up.
It’s greedy, mean and the complete opposite of what Christmas should be about.”
– Claire from Daily Deals Blog
“Not in my opinion BUT that might only be because our stores have TONS and I mean TONS still left in so why not give the opportunity for someone else to grab one.
I do feel there is a difference between over inflating from the off or putting it on eBay and letting them do what they do.
If they go for more than you paid and people are willing to pay that then fair enough.”
– Kirsty from Money Making Mum
“Tough question!
I’ve sold my meerkat toys for profit before as back then people were collecting them.
However, I think people should be able to purchase them from the shop at the retail price.
People who are buying them all up and selling at an inflated price are making it unfair for those who can’t afford them and just wanted to pop into their local store and buy them!”
– Fiona from Miss Penny Money
“If people will buy them, why not? More surprised that people actually buy them for hundreds of pounds!”
Joseph from Thrifty Chap
“As a part-time eBay reseller myself, this is a tricky one!
There are always going to be people who take advantage, but I personally would never do it myself and find it unfair on families that are struggling but want to purchase them for their kids.
It would be good if there was a way to guarantee that those selling them on eBay could donate a portion of their profits to charity.”
– Collette from Cashback Collette
“I personally disagree with it. The intended users of the toys are kids, it’s a financially difficult time of year for many families and I know myself how kids can really pull on the heartstrings when they set their minds on a particular toy.”
– Nicola from Mum On A Budget
“I think it’s fine. After all, it’s a cuddly toy. Your life will be no better with or without it, so more fool you if you want to pay over the odds for it.”
– Pete from Household Money Saving
“As someone who teaches people how to make extra money, including selling products for profit, I have absolutely no problem with this. It’s simply buying and selling, it’s what all retailers do.”
– Michelle from Time and Pence
“This is a tough one to be honest as usually I don’t have a problem with flipping as it’s the way the economy works ultimately.
However, it does annoy me with items like this around Christmas time as they’re been bought up by traders to make a profit preventing genuine parents from buying them. I also feel the same when it happens with the “in toy” at Christmas and immediately after festival tickets sell out for example…”
– Simon from Pennies For The Piggy Bank
And then I asked my Instagram followers what they thought about the whole thing…
All things considered, it’s safe to say that folks are pretty divided on this one.
What’s for certain is that eBay sellers will continue to jump on trends like Kevin the Carrot, and others will continue to criticise that decision.
Where do you stand with this debate?
Would you be happy to sell Kevin to earn some extra money, or do you think it’s a step too far?
Leave a comment below and let me know!
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