Shoes, rhinos and Jaffas: Trade Me's top viewed auctions of 2025 revealed

22 Dec 2025, 22:28 by Nik Dirga · RNZ

Tauranga teen Sam Ruthe broke records for the four minute-mile this year, and his shoes earned thousands on Trade Me.Photo: Phil Walter / Getty Images

Well-worn shoes, some vintage soft drink cans and a date with a rhinoceros - or a Shortland Street star - these are some of the top purchases Kiwis were considering on Trade Me this year.

"We've seen everything from one-of-a-kind sporting memorabilia to opportunities like meeting a rhino calf," Trade Me spokesperson Tiana Barns said.

The top-viewed marketplace listing of the year was - well, a pair of old shoes, but not just any old shoes.

They were the spikes worn by Tauranga 15-year-old Sam Ruthe when he became the youngest runner to break four minutes for the mile in March, with a 3m 58.35s performance at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium.

"One young owner," declared the advertisement. "Can vouch for the faint whiff of achievement."

The size 10.5 US spikes attracted 151 bids and 41,457 views, Trade Me said.

"This listing from the Bay of Plenty captured the attention of sports fans across the motu, celebrating the rising star in athletics," Barns said.

The sale raised more than $11,000 for coach Craig Kirkwood and his Tauranga training group.

Second place went to a charity listing for a Queenstown escape, which raised money for St John, viewed 16,558 times, selling for $7550.05.

These vintage limited edition Coke cans sold for more than $200.Photo: Supplied / Trade Me

But for proof that almost anything can be flogged off for a little coin, the third-place auction was a couple of humble unopened 30-year-old Coca Cola cans. The limited edition 'Salute to Customers' Coca-Cola cans from 1992 and 1993 ended up selling for $230 with 108 bids and had 15,356 views.

"These are perfect for the ultimate Coke collector," the seller advertised. However, there were a few catches - "When I lift the cans I hear no fizz sound, suggesting that the cans have gone flat during this time," they added.

Just in case you were thinking about it, the seller noted, they do not recommend drinking them.

In other clearing out the pantry auction news, an enterprising seller also tried to unload a bag of the iconic Kiwi chocolate treat Jaffas, which were discontinued this year due to declining sales.

A sale of the discontinued Jaffas didn't meet expectations despite plenty of views.Photo:

Despite putting down marketing copy like "this is your only chance to relive the great time in NZ history where you rolled them down the movie theatre when you got them in your 50c mix and when you ate to many and spewed in granddad's caravan," the auction sadly didn't sell in its original listing, but it did rack up almost 15,000 views.

"We constantly see Kiwis trying to make a quick buck when their favourite food gets discontinued. While the seller was hoping to fetch $100 for the 150g bag, it unfortunately didn't get any bites," Barns said.

Sports memorabilia, besides Sam Ruthe's shoes, were also in the mix - a Houston Rockets jersey worn by Kiwi superstar Steven Adams and cricket bats signed by the White Ferns and Black Caps also rated in the marketplace top 10.

A Houston Rockets jersey worn by Kiwi superstar Steven Adams sold for more than $6100.Photo: Supplied / Trade Me

Other charity auctions also ranked, with an opportunity to meet a rhino calf at Auckland Zoo selling for $1730, and an exclusive dinner with Shortland Street actors Ben Barrington & Will Hall raising $2510.

If you had a little more cash to spend, a car that might just take you back to the future also grabbed eyeballs - a 1981 Delorean DMC-12, like Marty McFly famously drove into the timestream, drew 104,371 views in the motoring listings, with a final bid of $100,000.

"The DeLorean, famous for its role in Back to the Future, brings a huge amount of movie magic to the table," Head of Trade Me Motors Brendan Hall said.

"The massive viewing numbers prove that the dream of owning a piece of pop culture history is very much alive, and at a six-figure price, it's a relatively accessible classic compared to the supercars on this list."

Other big viewers in the motoring category were a Subaru Forester that once belonged to F1 driver Liam Lawson, and a couple fancy Lamborghinis.

"Whether it's a piece of history, an act of charity, or something that just makes you laugh, these most-viewed listings are a great snapshot of what we have been talking about this year," Barns said.

15 yr old track athlete Sam Ruthe becomes the youngest person ever to break the magic 4 minute mile barrier.Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz