Unwanted gifts headed for eBay

LONDON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Britain's unwanted holiday gifts have appeared by the thousands on Internet auction sites.

Popular site eBay has been hosting the sales of unwanted Sony Playstation 3 gaming consoles for as much as $3,000 -- many times the $600 retail price, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's Wii console, which was difficult to find in the run-up to the holidays due to its short supply and high popularity, has been selling for as much as $1,000, way above its $360 retail price in Britain.

Officials with eBay said sales of unwanted gifts this year are expected to reach $2.4 billion. The company is offering discounted listing prices for auctions posted Dec. 29 to encourage people to get rid of the gifts they don't want. The site said it is expecting double its usual number of postings in the coming week.