Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place

In today’s article, we are going to be teaching everything you need to know about Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling. Yes, during the course of this post, you will see Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place.

See: Facebook marketplace app

So, if you are among the numerous Facebook users and searching for a guide on Tips for Selling on a Facebook Marketplace, this article has gotten you covered. Continue reading below and please don’t forget to share this article with your friends and loved ones!!!

Nevertheless, before we shall proceed with the guide on Q&A on the Facebook Marketplace, let us first off, consider how to create a Facebook account:

Facebook App Account Profile

If you are an online user and looking for a guide on Tips for Buying on a Facebook Marketplace, here are the steps you need to follow to signup for an account that will allow you to the Facebook marketplace:

  1. Launch your android phone
  2. Next, tap on the play store and search for facebook app
  3. Tap download on the play store
  4. Wait for the app to download and then tap install
  5. Once the app installed, tap to open it
  6. When you are taken to the facebook app homepage, tap on the create new account
  7. Now, you will need to fill out the form by entering your first and last name, phone number or email address, password, date of birth as well as gender
  8. Next, tap signup to continue
  9. Afterward, copy and enter the confirmation code sent to you in the required field

How To Sign Up On Facebook Using Desktop

Here are the steps you need to follow to successfully sign up on Facebook;

  1. Open the Facebook site, www.facebook.com.
  2. Once you have done that, you can now click the “create new account” link at the top or bottom of the screen or page.
  3. After that, you will see another page, with some empty boxes.
  4. Those boxes should contain information about you.
  5. Now fill in your names, email or phone number, password, gender, and your birthday.
  6. When all this is done correctly, click the signup button.
  7. Then you will be sent a confirmation message to your email or phone number.
  8. The message contains digits to confirm your sign up.
  9. Type in those digits in the confirmation box on Facebook.
  10. After that click the “continue” link.

Now you have fully completed your sign up steps and you are now a Facebook user.

Congratulation, your account is now live on Facebook. You can now start using the platform to access several things on Facebook.

Facebook Account Login Steps

If you have an account on Facebook and want to figure out how to login, here are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Visit facebook.com on your browser
  2. Next, locate you will see where you can enter your login details. Now, enter either your phone number or email address that is linked to the account
  3. Enter password
  4. Now, click login and you will be taken to your account

It is that simple and easy. Once you do that, you will be taken to your Facebook profile.

Having outlined that, let’s now proceed with the business of the day, Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place.

Before I proceed with this guide in details let me quickly stress here that if you are new here, welcome! You can subscribe to my email updates so you don’t miss a thing. Thanks for visiting!

It will interest you to know that this article on the Facebook Marketplace was originally written in 2014. And, WOW have things changed since then! Please see my updated notes at the bottom for new tips on buying and selling in the Facebook marketplace.

Are you a part of any Facebook Marketplaces in your area? I’d estimate I’m in 20 different marketplaces in my county, ranging from furniture & home goods to crafts & homemade items, and everything in between.

Whether you’re new or seasoned, I have some tips from buyers and sellers, and even from a couple of group administrators that can help you get the most for your money, completely headache-free!

Facebook Marketplace

How do you get started on a Facebook Marketplace?

It’s really all about who you know! Sometimes they begin city- or county-wide, and when memberships become so large it can become difficult to manage, so administrators may choose to break off by category. Do some research, poll your friends on Facebook and if they’re a part of a marketplace, ask them to invite you. Many groups are “closed” or “secret”, requiring an admin to approve potential new members.

Tips for Selling on a Facebook Marketplace:

  • Admin tip: Read through the group policy, usually pinned to the top of the group page. Some will not allow you to cross-post, meaning post the same item in different groups. That just opens up a whole bag o’ crazy trying to keep track of who was next in line!
  • Admin tip: Watch several transactions take place before jumping in. See how the conversations flow, ask questions.
  • Take a decent photo: The best photos have a contrasting, solid background – crop out your spouse/kid/dog sleeping on the couch and potato chip bag on the coffee table, please! (I’ve seen it, for reals).
  • Price your items to sell, at or slightly above garage sale prices. That gives you a little wiggle room for negotiating, but probably 75% of what I have sold the buyer never asks to if I would take lower.
  • Post in the correct category: Don’t post a blender in women’s clothing because you think women would be the one wanting a blender. #Seriously.
  • Be quick in responding (also when buying): This is simple courtesy. No one wants to get excited because they’re the first to respond to a deal, and you don’t get back to them for 48 hours. See the group’s rules for acceptable timeframes. And have grace, not everyone is mobile and can respond in 15 seconds or less.
  • Meet in person off-site for higher priced items. I’m sure this goes without saying, but don’t leave cash laying on your doorstep for 10 hours. If you work from home or stay at home, you might be comfortable with leaving your sold items in a tote on your porch and collect cash once the item has been picked up. Otherwise, find a safe meeting spot close to home to make your transaction.

Here’s an example of a perfect Facebook Marketplace transaction. The seller posted details of her item, her general location, and price. Someone responded, then the seller replied that she private messaged the first responder.

One additional person expressed interest by commenting “Next”. If the first buyer passes, the seller will go to the next one in line.

Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place

Tips for Buying on a Facebook Marketplace:

  • Line jumping is not a sport on the marketplace! If there is more than one person ahead of you, simply put “in line” in your comment, and any respectable seller will move down the list, in order, should the first responder pass on the item. Don’t type in “Quick pick-up! I need this item ASAP because my dog is dying and my car broke down and my boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife left me.” Wait your turn like everyone else.
  • Do any bartering before pickup. Some like to do this via a Facebook private message.
  • Inspect item upon pickup. It’s ok to pass!
  • Learn the terms: Similar to selling on eBay or Craig’s List, learn the terms so you know what the heck people are talking about. PPU = pending pick-up; EUC = excellent used condition; NWOT = new without tags, etc.

Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place

In this photo (above), you can see some examples of items bought/sold on the marketplace. I bought the two framed art prints (still with $29.99 price tags on the back, each) for $4 each to go near our bar in the basement. The two pairs of jeans are a prop I borrowed from my neighbor, and she paid $10 on the Facebook marketplace for the Paige jeans (retail $150-$200) and $5 for the Limited jeans (retail $50-75).

Is it time consuming? It can be. Factor in your time taking and uploading your photo. Turn off your notifications so your Facebook newsfeed doesn’t become inundated with marketplace deals. And some do complain that there are no-shows when an item is scheduled to be picked up.

Is it safe? I believe so, especially when you can meet someone off-site if you are concerned in any way. As with any online communication or transaction, be smart. One admin told me she’s seen people put their street address within a comment (instead of private messaging). That would be not smart.

Is it fun? Yeah, I’ll admit it’s pretty fun! I sell most of my kids’ clothes and toys through Indy Kids Sale twice a year, but I have had some decent success with home decor, household items and my own clothing. I save up my cash from selling for some “fun money”, spending it on shoes or a purse, you know, girlie things like that. Another friend of mine sold her entire living room furniture set through the Facebook marketplace, and used that money to put toward her new set.

2017 Update on Facebook Marketplace Buying & Selling

After reading through my original article dating back to 2014, surprisingly many facts and nuggets of wisdom are the same. Play nice, wait your turn, don’t be a line jumper and show up if you agree to meet.

What HAS changed:

  • Facebook has now changed the look of these groups and the look of posts themselves. When it first became a “thing”, buy/sell posts looked much like your standard Facebook post in your newsfeed. Now, there are sections for item name, price, location and description.

Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place

  • You can also see from the blue callout box, that now when you post to a group you have the option to select more groups or even “THE” Marketplace. By increasing the number of groups your item is posted in, more eyeballs will see it and it could potentially sell faster.
  • Another change … messaging buyers and sellers to communicate around a possible sale is super easy. Under the item’s photo is a box that says “Message Seller”. And when you have possible buyers indicating their interest in a comment, right under the person’s name is “Like”, “Reply” and “Message”.
  • And, if you choose to lower the price it will put a slash through the original price, the original price is red and the new lower price is in green. This is a nice, eye-catching change.

Facebook Marketplace: Tips on Buying and Selling On Facebook Marketing Place

I hope you found these Facebook Marketplace Tips helpful! Do you participate in Facebook marketplaces where you live? What’s your take on them?

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