When Kenneth (<everken> on Carousell) received a low offer for a brand new soccer ball he had listed on Carousell, he thought he’d come across another low-baller (no pun intended). Little that he know that this chat would lead to his soccer ball traveling all the way to Nepal, support and advice for an unrelated hobby, and a spark that reignited an old dream.
What do you do with an extra soccer ball?
A while back, Kenneth found himself in possession of two brand new soccer balls. Since he didn’t really need two, he put one of them up on Carousell for around $20. Soon after, he received an offer for the ball – albeit a really low offer. Kenneth gave him the benefit of the doubt though and learned that this Carouseller was preparing for a charity expedition to Nepal and wanted to pick up some toys and gifts for a children’s home that he was going to visit there.
“Actually, being a total Singaporean, I thought it was a scam,” he explained. “But after chatting more with him, I sensed that he was genuine.”
Kenneth has loved soccer since he was a kid and continues to support the local scene. At football events, he notes that people of all backgrounds are united, happy and smiling. He firmly believes it unites communities.
“In the end, I decided to just give the ball to him for free. What is $20 going to do for me that is worth what the ball can do for a community of kids in Nepal?” he said.
Three months later, Kenneth received a photo from Nepal of the soccer ball and its new owners (the cover image above). He wasn’t expecting such a magic moment when he listed his soccer ball, but he felt great that he was able to give something so meaningful.
Kenneth had once dreamed of doing more social work, but life and work got hectic and he wasn’t able to commit to it. This experience reminded him of that dream and he is really happy that he could contribute in a small way.
“In soccer, it’s amazing that rural players can develop into big sports stars,” he said. “Hopefully there’s a future Pelé in the group I gave my ball to.”
Making a coffee friend
There was another serendipitous result of Kenneth’s deal. For the past three years, Kenneth has been pursuing a hobby in coffee making, buying and selling coffee makers and related things (100% through Carousell, he proudly exclaims).
In going through Kenneth’s Carousell profile, the buyer noticed all the coffee products there, especially coffee makers that he has sold or is selling.
The buyer deduced that Kenneth was a coffee enthusiast, and probably upgrading his coffee maker. He confirmed this with Kenneth, and then proceeded to give him a lot of advice about coffee makers, including a much better model that was in the same price-range as the model Kenneth was thinking of. Kenneth was upgrading from capsules to proper coffee roasting at the time, and the buyer shared lots of tips for that too.
On the day of the deal, the buyer brought along his own roasted beans as a token of appreciation.
From his humble beginnings with a Nespresso capsule machine and a Delonghi Icona, Kenneth now rocks a pro-grade Rancilio Silvia espresso maker and coffee grinder at home. The photo below is what he makes every morning now:
Coffee gems in Carousell
As he mentioned before, Kenneth’s coffee journey began and continues in Carousell. He insists that this is where gems can be found, as many people discount their coffee machines because they upgraded to a better machine, or just didn’t enjoy making coffee as much.
His current machine wasn’t in the best condition when he collected it, but with some care and servicing, it’s amazing.
He himself didn’t know if the whole coffee thing was a passing phase (his mum had doubts), but as he could easily sell and buy coffee equipment through Carousell, he has gotten to where he is today and can confidently say he is passionate about it.
Do you have any special Carousell stories of your own to share? Just drop us a comment below and we’d love to get in touch!
