Facebook Marketplace can be a wonderful thing when looking to buy or sell used baby clothes or gear. As a twin mama, I am always looking for ways to keep my budget in check. I usually buy secondhand and this includes Facebook Marketplace. Here are my tips for how to buy & sell on Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook Marketplace is a place for people to discover, buy and sell items. By listing on Marketplace, you can reach buyers where they already are.
Facebook
Buying
Search Radius: Set a radius based on how far you are willing to drive. Living in a big city, with traffic, I tend to limit my radius to 5 miles and up it to 10 miles when I cannot find what I’m looking for.
Search Notifications: Set up notifications on your searches if you are looking for something in particular. You never know when it will pop up.
Search Terms: Be generous with your search terms – some people might name their item the brand and item name ie “BOB Gear® Revolution Flex 3.0 Duallie Jogging Stroller” while others might call it “Jogging Stroller”. Try it all.
Pick Up: Be safe. Let someone know where you are going.
Payment: I do not pay until I have the item in my hands. If someone pushes you for something different, it probably isn’t worth it.
Those are my tips for how to buy on Facebook Marketplace.
Selling
Post: Create a good post with good pictures (at least 2-4), a descriptive title, a short description in the body and any other unique details you can add. The more details, the easier it is for people to find your post.
Shipping or Local: I perfect to sell my items locally, but if you are up for it, shipping your items will broaden your buying base.
Share Your Post: It is always a great idea to share your post to local groups on Facebook (if the rules allow). This gets more eyes on your post and hopefully sells the item fast.
Imperfections: Be upfront about any imperfections. Show it in the photos and note it in the description.
Price: Price your items to sell. If the item is in really good condition, I usually do 50% off the retail price. I drop the price from there depending on the condition. It never hurts to search the item you are selling to see what others around you are selling it for too. Also, consider if you are willing to negotiate. I tend to negotiate myself, so, when I post clothing I always mark it up by a few dollars and allow the buyer to negotiate me down to the price I really want.
Grouping: Groups your items together. If you are selling clothes or small toys, the best way to move them fast is to group them together. For example: Toddler Girls Summer Clothing, Size 12 months, 10 pieces for $10s.
Pick Up: Again, be safe. If you are not comfortable doing porch pick ups, meet someplace in public. A lot of police stations have safe areas to meet and drop off / pick up goods between strangers. Also, be aware of scammers! I had someone wanting me to “confirm I was human” by clicking a link. Obviously, this is a hacking method.
Payment – I always reiterate the price so we are on the same page. I typically do not request payment until they pick up the item. I am upfront about how they can pay. Zelle, paypal, venmo or cash are my preferred payment methods. I make sure they tell me how they are paying and give them my username so there is no confusion.
Those are my tips for how to sell on Facebook Marketplace.
That’s it!
Those are my tips for how to buy and sell on Facebook Marketplace! It can be a wonderful thing! Be smart when buying or selling, over communicate and do not assume anything. I hope you have as much success as I have over the years!