I am the first one to admit that Facebook Marketplace can be a bit intimidating. I have sold quite a few things on there recently. It has been out with the old, in with the new recently in our home. I’ll admit I haven’t really purchased too much on Marketplace. If I ever do stumble across something I love, it is either too far away and I don’t feel like dealing with shipping OR the seller doesn’t respond to me, until a few months ago when I hit the jackpot!
MY MARKETPLACE FIND
When I came across the listing, I thought it was too good to be true! These gorgeous chairs are from the site Poly & Bark and retail for $250 a piece! The seller was selling all 6 chairs for $250, all in great condition! I couldn’t believe it! I had been searching high and low for new chairs for our breakfast room and these were absolutely perfect!
I immediately reached out to the seller asking if they were still available and that I was very interested. It was early in the morning, I was actually still in my car after dropping the kids off at school, and fortunately for me she had just listed them.
She got back to me fairly quickly and said she had lots of interest but they were mine if I wanted them! Thankfully we had a few mutual friends in common and she knew I was a legit buyer. We worked out at pick up time and I also sent her payment via Venmo to secure the sale. My mom and I took a road trip to pick them up and a few hours later, I gave them a nice cleaning in the driveway and they were in my dining room in time for dinner.
QUICK TIPS FOR SHOPPING FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
#1 – Know what you want. If you have something in mind, for example I was searching for new dining chairs, it is easier to search the site, shop locally and make a purchase. For this purchase, I typed in “dining chairs” and I always shop locally. As mentioned before, I don’t want to deal with getting things shipped to me, paying for shipping and then risking the items getting lost or damaged. Other things I often search for, “caned furniture” or “Studio McGee”. If you have a place and a purpose for something, it is easier to search and find what you are looking for. Also, Facebook Marketplace will then start recommended listings to you based on your previous search which is another great way to stumble across listings.
#2 – As I mentioned before, I always shop locally. It is always a great way to narrow down your search to find what your are looking for. Sometimes I browse this was too but again, I haven’t had much luck in securing a sale until recently with these chairs. You can narrow the location down to miles away too which is nice as well.
#3 – If you feel comfortable enough, secure the sale with Venmo. I know this isn’t for everyone and not everyone is trustworthy, but with this listing I felt comfortable paying the seller via Venmo. This way she knew I was serious about the purchase and that I was most definitely coming to pick up the items. I did check our her Facebook profile, saw that we had mutual friends and felt comfortable enough in doing that. Each seller and buyer also has a Marketplace rating as well. Use your judgement here but it is the best way in my opinion to secure the items that you want.
#4 – Be patient! I searched for months online, in stores, honestly everywhere for the perfect new chairs. I never thought I would buy them on Facebook Marketplace. It was sort of luck that they were listed, popped up in my recommendations and that the sale all worked out. Search when you can, be patient, be willing to take a drive {this was about an 1.5 hour away from our home, one way} and be prepared for disappointment. Most of time, as I have learned, sellers won’t even return messages when asked if a piece is available. It can be quite frustrating.
#5 – Take measurements, ask questions and make sure its the perfect fit for your home and space. Remember there is no returning here! Be sure its the right item for you and that it will fit in your home. I can’t tell you how many pieces I bought in years past off of Craigslist {is that even still a thing?} only for them to sit in our basement as they weren’t the perfect fit in our space. Know there may be some elbow grease involved as well, such as cleaning/wiping down the item {things may be dusty from sitting in someone’s basement or attic} or you may have to put some work in and sand or paint the piece. They always say, one’s trash is another treasure and you may need to put in some work to make the piece your own.
I hope these tips help in you searching and finding the perfect piece for your home on Facebook Marketplace!
