6 Ways to Earn Money on Facebook Marketplace

Understanding the Best Time to Sell Items Online

The first few months of the year are an excellent time to get your house in order and declutter. It’s often cold or dark outside, so you’re stuck in the house anyway; you have Christmas gifts to put away; you’re ready to start on your New Year’s resolution to get better organized; and spring cleaning is just around the corner. During this time, it's common to find yourself with items that no longer serve a purpose but still hold some value.

When decluttering, deciding what to do with these items can be challenging. You might consider holding onto them until a garage sale, but how many months from now will that be, and will you actually follow through? Alternatively, you could sell on Craigslist, but arranging meetings with strangers can be difficult. Donating to a nonprofit is another option, but if you take the standard deduction, you won’t be able to claim the donation. Higher-value items may also be worth more than the donation value guide allows, and you still have to arrange for drop-offs and receipts.

A practical alternative is to use Facebook buy/sell groups. These local groups are prevalent on Facebook and are usually defined by a specific geographic area, such as small suburbs, big cities, or entire counties. The rules and regulations vary by group, as they can be created and managed by anyone. Some groups require proof that you live or work in the area, while others are simply a localized version of Craigslist.

To find local buy/sell groups in your area, type keywords like “buy and sell” plus the name of your location into the Facebook search bar. You can also search for “resale” or “local to” plus your location or simply type in the name of your local area and scroll through the list for any resale pages. There are likely close to 20 resale groups in the closest suburbs to your neighborhood.

Benefits of Using Buy/Sell Groups

Buy/sell groups offer several advantages over other selling platforms. They aren’t completely anonymous like Craigslist since each user is tied to their profile. While fake profiles can exist, they are typically reported quickly. You can see a person’s profile, and even if it’s set to private, some information is visible, including whether you have mutual friends. Knowing that a buyer or seller is a friend of a friend feels more legitimate.

If you have an issue, the group administrator should help you resolve it and can decide whether to ban someone from the group if it’s a major or constant issue. You can sell your items closer to their value—especially for new or like-new items—than you would at a resale or consignment store, which has to take a portion to cover overhead.

These groups feel more like a community, where you may get to know frequent sellers or buyers and even make some friends. Several groups organize group activities or sales in a community space. Some groups are targeted to specific needs, such as clothing only, maternity and baby items, kids’ clothes, etc., so you don’t have to wade through thousands of listings that aren’t relevant to you.

Tips for Buying and Selling on Facebook

1. Know the Rules
   Read the rules and lingo of each group and follow them. People get angry when the rules are broken, and you risk being kicked out of the group or shamed by other members. Every group has different rules, but they are important to follow. If you’re looking for something in particular, post an ISO (in search of) message — chances are, someone will want to get rid of what you are looking for, and it’ll save you time in your search.

2. Price and List Items Fairly
   Price your items fairly. People will scroll past items that are too expensive. Any dollar you make is more than you would have made if you donated or threw the item away, so don’t be greedy. Pricing low will give you a better chance of selling your items, and something is better than nothing. A few dollars aren’t worth sitting in a box or hanging in your closet.

3. Be Honest
   Be completely honest in your listings. If there are any flaws, disclose them and include a picture. Be honest about fading, spots, condition, because the buyer isn’t committed to purchasing until they examine the item — you’ll waste everyone’s time by not being honest, and people will remember and not buy from you again.

4. Be a Smart Buyer
   Show up on time and have exact change when you are purchasing — or overpay and don’t expect change from the seller. Don’t make a claim for items you aren’t completely sure you want to purchase. Check the item very closely before exchanging money — don’t be afraid to change your mind if it isn’t what you expected — especially if the buyer misrepresented the item.

5. Watch Your Reputation
   Be kind and honest. If you are rude, if you lie about the condition of items, if you constantly haggle with prices, if you don’t show up for pickups or if you don’t leave the correct amount of money, you’ll have a bad reputation. People will complain about you, block you from seeing their posts, or ask that you be kicked out of the group.

6. Be Safe
   Meet in a public place, unless you know the person. Many people will ask that you pick up purchases at their home or offer porch pickup if they aren’t going to be home. This can be risky. Don’t post your address, phone number or schedule detail your availability in the post or comments — all of these private details should be exchanged via private message with only the buyer or seller. Tell someone where and when you are meeting with a buyer. Save your messages/emails until the transaction is complete in case there is an issue. Accept and pay with cash only (and know what to look for with counterfeit money). PayPal is a safe alternative if you are familiar with a person.

Final Thoughts

While I personally prefer donating items over selling, I occasionally sell high-demand items or respond to ISO posts if I have an item someone wants, knowing that these will be quick sales. I use the buy/sell groups a lot for purchases, as I have no qualms about purchasing certain things secondhand. These groups are worth joining if you don’t mind secondhand purchases and would rather shop online than at a thrift store. They are a great option for selling items, especially if you have high-demand, excellent-condition or name-brand items to sell.