Declutter with FB Marketplace
I use Facebook Marketplace to sell and dispose of the items I’m purging and I help my clients do the same. The advantages of Facebook Marketplace are it’s FREE to use (no commissions) and safer than some of the more anonymous avenues. It can also help with the emotions of decluttering to know that someone out there wants the stuff you don’t.
When our family downsized during the beginning of the pandemic, all of my consignment and estate sale resources were closed. I quickly learned that FB Marketplace was an easy way to connect with people in my community who were looking for the very stuff we were trying to get rid of. We made about $6000 in sales AND we didn't have to move furniture and items we no longer needed, saving money!
The ability to view a buyer’s FB profiles and have an electronic record of interactions was also reassuring. Of course, nothing is risk-free and there is an investment in time and effort to sell things on Marketplace. However, I’ve found that following the steps below help make the process of purging and selling on Marketplace more effective, efficient, and safer.
Concentrate your Efforts
It takes some time to post, respond to inquiries, schedule, and meet potential buyers. Don’t spend 3 hours working to sell something that will only bring in $5. Do a little research online to get a comparative idea of what has value and focus your efforts on the items that are likely to bring in more money. Researching other similar items for sale will help to give us a realistic range to price items. Know what your goals are and price accordingly - do you need to clear the garage fast or what to make as much as possible?
Make a Standout Post
A great post achieves two objectives - it entices and informs buyers while saving you time answering questions. The post should include 3 or more photos and the cover photo should be the best. Well-lit photos of a clean object and surroundings help reassure the buyer. Be honest about damage and include manuals or original purchase prices, if you have them. Don’t forget to include measurements. It even helps to add the measurements to the photo as well as the description. A very complete description will save a ton of time answering questions.
Group items and Sell by Lots
I learned this trick from auction companies - instead of spending a lot of effort to sell small value things individually, group like with like and price as a ‘lot’. I did this with a client - we grouped about 7 camping-related items together and posted the lot for $75 while we were working together. She had a buyer by the end of the session and was super excited to have someone pay her to take away a bin of stuff that hadn’t been used in years.
Expand your Reach
Join Facebook Garage Sale groups near your location. When you post an item for sale on Marketplace, you will have the option to cross-post the items to Garage Sale groups. This massively boosts the reach of your post. I belong to 6 garage sale groups with over 150,000 members. Those groups, plus Facebook Marketplace’s local reach means my posts are SEEN by a lot of eyes. If something doesn’t sell within a week, edit your listing and drop the price, which will boost your post again.
Be Safe
I like Facebook Marketplace because I can check out potential buyers' profiles before responding to them. It’s always great to meet someone who you share friends with! I’ve even made friends through my sales and purchases on FB Marketplace. However, it’s always a good idea to take some basic precautions:
Have someone at home with you during the meetup or let them know that you are meeting a buyer. I’ve taken a screen print of a potential buyer’s facebook profile and sent to a family member when I know I’ll be alone.
If possible, move the ‘for sale’ item out to the porch or garage so the exchange will be out in a more open location.
For smaller items, you can meet the buyer at another location, rather than your home. Most police departments in my area have specific parking spots marked for Craigslist and Facebook exchanges. I’ve also meet people at Walgreens as they are well-light and crowded.
Cash only - there are several payment scams that involve Venmo and Zelle.
Listen to your gut - protect yourself if you get a bad vibe from someone. Also, be aware there are a number of payment scams - I only accept cash.
When to Mark as FREE
Sometimes the greatest value we get from Marketplace is NOT having to pay to remove something. Don’t be afraid to offer stuff to the Facebook universe for FREE. Your trash may literally be someone’s treasure.
We had a Rainbow Systems swing set that needed to be gone before real estate photos were taken. It had a lot of life left in it but my kids had aged out of swing sets and I didn’t have the time to clean and restore it. We posted it for FREE and offered to help disassemble it. A young family and their friends showed up that weekend, took the whole set down, and had it loaded within 2 hours. They were thrilled to have a quality system for their young children and we saved a ton of time and $$ by posting it for FREE.
If you have items that may need some work or don’t have a high market value, post them for $0 on Facebook Marketplace or search for and join a local ‘Buy Nothing’ Group. It’s a great feeling to see that unwanted project leave with a new, happy owner.