Consumers miss out on hundreds of pounds in gadget sales

People could make over £300 by selling their unwanted gadgets according to research from The Gadget Show.

The survey of 1,300 households found that the average amount spent on new technology each year is £994. And although 41 per cent of those surveyed had traded in old mobile phones, less than a quarter had sold on other gadgets.

The report from the technology programme makers said people could add to their Christmas shopping budget by selling old technology on online auction sites. A further money-spinning option could be provided by services sites that buy old mobile phones, laptops, games consoles and cameras for refurbishment.

People in London, Northern Ireland and Wales have the highest value in unused tech stashed away (worth £370, £311 and £308 respectively). Households in the north -west of England have the least, with £218 worth of unused gadgets on average per household.

Londoners buy the most new gadgets, spending on average £1,168 per person per year, closely followed by the Welsh (£1,140). The survey found that people in Canterbury have a particular passion for tech, with an average annual spend of £1,916.67.

The Gadget Show Live 2012 takes place in Birmingham in April. To get a taster you can catch up with Computeractive's reports from the Gadget Show 2011.