Make Money from Stuff Companies Give You for Free (2024)

Everyone likes getting something for free! Instead of keeping your freebies why not make money from them and avoid clutter building up in your home.

There’s a reason why companies give things away for free. It’s not because they’re just trying to be nice, it’s to persuade you to buy their product. Now if you happen to buy that particular product anyway then you’re getting something extra for free. And to be fair who doesn’t like free stuff?

And guess what? There’s a market out there for people that collect these free items and are willing to pay for them. Here are some examples of products and brands that are giving away items for free that you can sell on eBay for cash:

Free stuff from breakfast cereals

From discounted theme park vouchers to collectable toys, bowls and spoons. There is a sturdy market for promotional items and Kelloggs leads the way.

Let’s look at cereal bowls for example. From the ceramic bowls of yesteryear up to the recent plastic Tip n’ Sip bowls, Kelloggs have always given awaycollectables. To obtain the plastic bowls you had to collect three promotional codes from inside the promotional packs and apply via their website. These bowls are currently selling on eBay for an average of £6 each or £15 for a set of 3.

Some people simply sell on the promotional codes from the cereal boxes directly on eBay as this avoids the hassle of postage costs and trips to the post office.

Even the plastic toys from the 80s and 90s that you used to get free with the cereal are still doing the rounds. Have a dig around to see if there are any lying around the house!

Muller yoghurts freebies

You know the rapping bear from the adverts? Well he’s called Tasty B and you could get your hands on the talking toy for free by obtaining the codes from promotional multi-packs of the yoghurts. An unopened toy still in the packaging sells for over £20 on eBay.

Muller aren’t currently running the promotion but they have ran it twice now in the past. Keep your eyes open if the chance appears again to grab one.

PG Tips freebies

There’s always been a market for tea freebies and collectables. Mugs, teapots and tea towels are just some of the items given away over the years. More recently the monkey soft toys given away with packs of the teabags have been quite successful.

The monkey toys themselves sell for varying amounts on eBay but interestingly, what sells more, are outfits that he can wear.

PG Tips previously ran the Cuppa Club but sadly this ceased in 2015. You could collect codes from promotional packs and trade them in via their website for official hoodies and clothing items for monkey.

These still sell well on eBay but there are also a number of outfits for monkey that people have either knitted themselves or compiled. If you’re feeling creative, these can sell for an average of £5 a pop.

Happy Meal toys

McDonalds have been selling Happy Meals for years and they’re still selling strong. There is a quite a market for the toys you get free inside depending on the theme.

More recently, a full set of 10 Yoohoo & Friends toys (still sealed) will net you £20. Jumping back to 2009 and a full set of eight Lego Racers are currently fetching £50!

Now you may be thinking ‘well I chucked all that out years ago’ but the point of this idea is to get you to collect them now and store them as you never know what they may be worth in years to come. That is providing you can get to them before your kids do!

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Meerkats & Robots

Comparison websites have become big business these days. Not only will they find you the best deal on a variety of products we all need in our daily lives but they are also giving away free toys as an added incentive.

A full set of nine Alexander Meerkat soft toys (him and his various pals) from Comparethemarketare currently selling for between £80 and £100 on eBay.

Maybe more sought after though are the robots from Confused.com. Their current models Miss Herbert and Stunt Herbert are going for anything from £70 to £100 per toy! Definitely worth it if you’re simply purchasing a product anyway.

The various details listed above are merely examples to give you an idea of what is currently selling and for how much. There are loads of other free promotional items out there so always keep your eyes peeled.

Top tip: If possible, keep items in their original packaging as this boosts their value. Sell items as a complete set as this can enhance your chances of selling.

All prices are accurate at time of publication.

Andy Luke lives in the North East of England and has recently become a father. Andy has a full time job and in his spare time enjoys writing, running andthe great outdoors.