Navigating Facebook Marketplace
It's week 5 of the One Room Challenge, Halloween is upon us, and something frightening is happening over here! I’m getting ready to actually paint this room. Eek! And I’m talking today about something that can be even more frightening – Facebook Marketplace!
Facebook Marketplace is a strange place. It can be mundane, exciting, disappointing, exhilarating, exhausting, even unsafe. I've seen many sides of this, from losing out on items I'd arranged to purchase because someone else could get there 2 hours earlier, to passing on the perfect chifforobe because the profile of the seller left me feeling like attempting a pickup would be a huge mistake. If the idea of utilizing Facebook Marketplace has you screaming, just know that it doesn’t have to be this way! I’m sharing my my tips and tricks that I’ve picked up over my experience with the platform, leading to wonderful finds at even better prices.
Know What You Want. Having an idea of what you need will help keep you focused. There's a lot to sort through, and it can be tempting to get swept up in what's available. Keep your actual needs in mind. I’ll admit, this is easier advice for me to give than to follow. I have found a number of amazing project pieces that I’m so excited to reupholster and give new life. And then I found more amazing project pieces. And then I had to stop bringing home pieces. Vintage FOMO is a powerful thing, especially when items are interesting and unique. It’s not like you can go pick one up at a major retailer down the line. Fortunately the long, slow work I’ve been doing decluttering my home and letting go of so many things has helped me break away from a scarcity mindset in so many aspects of how I view my home and my life. I’m reminding myself that finding so many when I don’t have room for them means that there will be more opportunities to find great pieces when my studio space has the room to accept more again. I need to make my way through what I have first. Know how much space you have to devote to new acquisitions, and respect the boundaries of your space, your vehicles, and your travel time.
Search Smarter. People often use Facebook Marketplace as a way to offload items quickly, which means that they do not want to spend extra time researching the pieces they are letting go of to see how to list it or how to price it. You may find exactly what you're looking for right away with a highly specific search, though if you’re looking for a deal that may not be your best avenue. The person selling that designer MCM teak rocking chair for $50 has it listed simply as "rocking chair," or maybe even “antique chair.” People are pretty cavalier with the words “vintage” and “antique,” so you’ll find Mid-Century items listed as antiques, despite them not being old enough to fit into that category. When I’m looking for something specific, I search for it specifically. Then I search for it generally. Then I look at the broad category of items. This not only helps me find the right items, it also broadens my creative approach to the solutions I’m seeking. If you’re crushing on a vintage lotus lamp for example, you may want to search for “flower lamp,” “floral lamp,” “glass lamp,” and even just “lamp.” I like to filter by “Used” items, partly because I’m here for giving new life to items but also because it filters out a LOT of the junky spam content.
Another approach is to try searching for a material rather than an object. This can be a fun, open-ended way of layering materials and textures in a space regardless of decorating style, though some styles lend themselves to this approach especially well if there are prevalent materials in that design language. Searching brass, stone, glass, velvet, bamboo, leather, and more can help you see where these finishes can fit into the design of your space.
Be Patient, and Don't Settle. New items are listed every day. Multiple times a day. That doesn't mean that you should spend every waking hour scouring the search bar, but it does mean that if you don't find what you want today, you may find it tomorrow. Or next week, or next month. Despite the quick schedule of the ORC, I'm of the philosophy that it's worth waiting for the right items. Because Facebook Marketplace is local, you may find things quicker if you live in metropolitan areas. I’m in northern Delaware, and it can seem like slim pickins compared to a city like New York, but it just means that I need to be a little more patient with my searches. As for what time of day I search, I find that I'm generally most successful with a late morning and a nighttime search, though I have had great scores when looking very early on weekend mornings.
This shelf is a project piece (the wood is in bad shape - I plan to paint it one of these days), but at $10 it was worth the drive
Factor Your Time Into the Price. If there's a special item that you're willing to travel for, or willing to travel for at the right price, try increasing your search radius and lowering your maximum price. I start my searches within 20 miles, but if I'm not seeing anything, I will often increase the search to 40 miles. I traveled about 50 minutes to pick up one of my shelves for the Spring ORC. Would I have traveled that far for it at $100? No. But at $10, I was happy to do it. If there is an item that's on the edge of how far you’re willing to travel and you're on the fence, try putting in a 5 or 10 mile radius around that item to search for other things you may be looking for. Being able to pick up 3 items in one trip vs 1 item at a time may make the drive worthwhile.
Cast metal outlet cover from the 1960s
More Than Furniture. When it comes to Facebook Marketplace, no item is too small or too big, so long as you have the means to transport and store it. For this ORC bedroom space, I've purchased a desk, a mirror, two camel stools for the foot of the bed, and I still have plans for a chifforobe - all from Facebook Marketplace. But there’s more to furnishing a room than furniture. You can find curtains, lighting, rugs, drawer pulls, you name it. I even found light switch and outlet covers for my space on Facebook Marketplace. These guys outshine anything I've seen from a hardware store and at a better price than I could find from quality hardware suppliers, Etsy, or other second-hand sites. So at $9, they aren’t “cheap,” when you compare it to a $1 plastic wall plate. But finding interesting, high-quality, cast metal covers at hardware store “specialty” plate prices is a win in my book.
Be Safe. Take a look at people's profiles before you decide to buy. You can click on a seller’s name and see the option to view their full profile. This isn’t always an accurate picture, and you can’t always see much depending on that person’s privacy settings, but it can help paint a picture of who you’re buying from. The biggest red flag for me is account newness. If the seller has been on Facebook for 3 months, that’s an automatic NO for me. A seller is far less likely to be representing their real self if a profile is that green. Literally anything that gives me creepy vibes (I know this one is a bit tougher to describe), is a NO for me. That perfect chifforobe I mentioned was only $40. But the profile picture of the seller was ultra sleazy, complete with an odd cigar positioning / weird look combo. Hard pass. I’m not trying to put myself in a compromising position over a $40 dresser. There were a few times that I decided not to buy an item because a seller’s profile had very aggressive language in topical posts about current events and social issues. It took the idea of a transaction with that person to an uncomfortable place, and I want to feel good about what I bring into my home. Opt for non-contact pickup when possible. PayPal and Venmo make this easy. When it’s not possible for non-contact, try to pick up from public places rather than private residences. Bring a friend. In general if you don’t feel good about it, either find a solution that makes you feel comfortable or recognize that your personal safety comes first and some things aren’t meant to be.
Turns out it has a solid wood frame. She’s brilliant!
Kindness Counts. Once you've found your item and reach out to the seller, be kind. Treat the interaction like a conversation rather than strictly a transaction. When stating times for coordinating pickup or inquiring about methods of payment, include language like, "If your schedule allows," and, "Depending on your preference." I found this gorgeous mirror early on a Saturday morning, and picked it up a few hours later. Within that time, the seller received multiple other offers, some of whom were willing to pay more and pick up faster. The seller told me that she decided to sell to me because of how I wrote my message. She said that it made her feel comfortable with the fact that I was receiving her address, and that she felt better letting go of an item she loved but didn't have room for knowing that it was going to a good person. I was able to buy this stunner simply because I wrote a kind message when no one else did.
Ask Questions. When messaging about your item, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Find out the dimensions of an item if they’re not listed. Ask for more pictures. Ask if there’s any damage. NEVER use the “is this still available,” starter message. Many sellers will completely ignore messages that begin that way because they become like spam in their inboxes. I typically start my messages with “Hello (Name), I am interested in purchasing this (Item) and have a few questions for you.” When asking for dimensions, I’ll add a statement like “I want to be sure I have the correct vehicle to transport it.” In addition to this information helping you decide if an item is right for your space, showing that you’re thinking about the coordination can show the seller that you’re a serious buyer. That said, sometimes you need to jump on an item. Don’t ask questions for the sake of asking questions if you know you want to buy it and you know you want to buy it at that price.
Pricing. I’ve noted in the past that I’m a nervous haggler. If there’s an item that I love and the price looks fair and reasonable to me, I’ll often offer the asking price. My energy is valuable. That said, I do sometimes negotiate with sellers, and even at $5 or $10 off, those saving will add up when furnishing a space with multiple items. Some things I consider when negotiating prices are:
- How long an item has been listed
- If the seller has other items for sale
- If the seller has noted that they are moving/have a specific timeline
- If the language of the listing is inherently open or closed to conversations on price
If an item has been up for a few hours, you may have less luck negotiating than if an item has been listed for a few weeks. This is a platform where people are looking to sell items quickly, but they may give things a few days to a week before being willing to budge on price. If you’re interested in more than one item from the same seller, people are often open to bundling for a reduced price. People who are moving or downsizing on a specific timeline are typically open to negotiations and become increasingly more so the closer they are to their deadlines. Sometimes this appears in listings very clearly with language like, “Moving, must be gone by (Date).” Other times it’s more subtle like, “I love this (Item), but don’t have room for it in my new place.” If you see language like “OBO,” the seller is expecting offers lower than their listed price. If you see language like “Firm,” sellers will not entertain offers, and may be less likely to sell to you even at full price if they feel as though you are wasting their time.
The Tiger Oak desk for my ORC bedroom had a combination of factors in the listing that led me to negotiate, even though I would have paid full price at $75 if I had to. There was a mention of “no room at my new place,” and the item had been up for three weeks. I was able to pick up that same day, which I knew would be helpful in negotiating as well. Here’s a sample message: “Hello (Name), I am interested in purchasing this desk. Will you accept $60? I can pick up as early as this afternoon after 4pm if your schedule allows. I can pay via PayPal or Venmo depending on your preference. Please let me know if this works for you, or if you would like to propose an alternate time. Thank you, Carly.” In this case, my offer was accepted. Sometimes a seller will come back with another price. While I prompt for alternate times, I do not prompt for receiving additional price offers. If they want to propose a new offer, they will. When you do decide to make an offer, remember to keep kindness in mind here too. Offering half of the listed price for an item is insulting to the seller. Depending on the listed price, I’m usually looking at a discount of 20-25% when I pose a new price, though this isn’t a hard-fast rule for me. I don’t ever try to negotiate for less than a $5 difference. Did I mention that my energy is valuable? You’ll hear me talk about this quite a lot. In case no one has told you recently, your energy is worth protecting.
This was my very first Facebook Marketplace purchase. It has a few small issues that my more seasoned buyer self would negotiate over, but it remains one of my absolute favorite Marketplace finds. It’s in my Living Room, AKA the Blue Room and works so well with more modern lines from my existing furniture.
Do you use Facebook Marketplace? I’d love to hear about your favorite scores (or fails! or questions!) in the comments!
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