I will admit, I have become a bit addicted to Facebook Marketplace since I found out that I was expecting baby #2. I wanted to share a few tips and tricks that I have been using to find the best deals on Facebook Marketplace.
We learned very quickly with our first child just how expensive baby items are, especially since they outgrow them so quickly. One of the best ways to save money on baby gear is to check out Facebook Marketplace. We have saved so much money already and not just on baby stuff.
I recently bought an entire fall and winter wardrobe for my 6 year old daughter for $50. The clothes were in great condition and they were all name brands!
We actually just bought our new baby’s entire wardrobe for the first year for $130! It came out to less than 40 cents per item and they were brands like GAP, Ralph Lauren, Carter’s, and Under Armour!
Facebook Marketplace is great to find things for kids, if you are redecorating, if you want to find cheap workout equipment, and so much more. It’s basically like going to a yard sale without leaving your couch.
How to Find the Best Deals on Facebook Marketplace
Set Proper Search Filters
It can be a bit intimidating to weed through all of the listings on Facebook Marketplace in order to find the best deals. So the first thing you want to do is go into your settings and add any filters to your search.
If you are on your mobile device go to Settings then Location and put in your location. You will then set a custom radius depending on how far you are willing to drive to get the deals. It can be anywhere from 5 miles all the way up to a 100 miles.
I usually do a radius of 20 miles. If you live in a large city, you can get by with a smaller radius. If you live in a small town, you may want to increase your radius to get more variety of listings.
If you travel a lot for work, make sure to check the listings for cities that you travel to, you may be able to pick up a deal on your way back home. My husband travels a lot between Atlanta and Charlotte so we do a quick search for those areas before he leaves if we are looking for a specific item.
Another filter to check is the delivery method. Do you want to pay for shipping costs or do you just want to see listings that offer local pickup? Depending on how hard it is to find what you are looking for, you will want to weigh these options.
I typically choose local pickup because I don’t have to pay anything extra for shipping and I’m not looking for a specific hard to find item.
Do Your Research
To find the best price, do a little bit of research for the item you are going to search for. I found a tummy time mat for the baby on Facebook Marketplace for $30. I did a quick Google search to see what the price would be for this exact mat brand new. It retails for $100! So that is a good deal.
Always ask for the brand and model of any product if it is not listed in the description and do a quick search to see what the retail price is right now for a brand new item. If the price the seller is asking for is more than 50% of the retail price, I will pass.
Depending on what kind of condition the item is in and how hard it is to find, you will have to figure out what the best price is for you.
More Facebook Marketplace Tips
Research the Seller
After you do the price research and a quick check to make sure the item hasn’t been recalled, do a quick search on the seller. You do this by clicking on their profile picture and it will take you to their ecommerce profile.
Here you can check their ratings to see how they have done with other buyers. The higher the rating, the more secure you can feel about your purchase.
On this page, you will also be able to see if they have any other listings available that may be of interest to you. If so, you can ask them if they will offer you a discount if you buy more than one listing from them. It never hurts to ask and it will save you a trip!
This is also a great way to see if they may be moving if you are looking for furniture pieces. If they have several listings of big items, most likely they will want to get rid of them quickly and will be more inclined to negotiate the price.
You can also check out their personal Facebook profile if it is set to public. I did this when we bought some baby clothes. I couldn’t really see what all of the items would be since they were stacked together in a bin, I could only see what was on top.
So I look at the seller’s profile to see if she had pictures of her baby to get a better idea about what types of clothes may have been in this bin. In all of the pics, they were cute and stylish clothes that seemed to be well cared for so I felt more confident in the purchase.
Search Facebook Marketplace the Smart Way
When you have narrowed down what you are looking for, head to the search bar in Facebook Marketplace and do a quick search for your item.
When searching, remember to filter the search for the delivery or local pickup option as well as the location radius and minimum and maximum price you are willing to pay.
You can then save that search as a notification so every time a new listing is posted that matches your search, you will be notified.
Make sure to do a search for different terms that may be associated with the item you are looking for. You may be searching for a “dresser” but other people may have it listed as “chest of drawers” or “chester drawers”. Figure out all of the search terms that might be used as well as misspelling the word. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen listings that say “kid’s shirys” instead of “kid’s shirts”.
Save Listings
Once you have found some items, make sure to save them to your saved list if you are interested but haven’t made up your mind if you want to purchase or not.
You do this by opening the listing and hitting “save”. This is a great way to keep yourself from having to search for things again. Plus, if you notice that it has been a few weeks since the item was posted, you can feel a bit more confident about negotiating the price.
Most people just want to get rid of stuff, not have it taking up space.
Be a Good Buyer
In order to get a good deal on an item, try to be an ideal buyer. READ THE DESCRIPTION!! I can’t stress this enough. Most sellers will have the size of an item, where they will meet or want you to pick up the item, and how they want to be paid (cash, venmo, etc.).
Don’t send them messages asking questions if you didn’t read the description first. As a seller, I can’t tell you how many times this happens when the answers to most questions, I already have in the description.
Not to mention how many times I have spent negotiating a price only to have the buyer back out because it is too far for them to drive. They didn’t set their location radius or bother to read where the pickup location would be in the description!
It not only wastes the seller’s time but it wastes your time as well. If the information you want isn’t in the description, then by all means, send them a message.
Remember to be kind and courteous. I am always more willing to negotiate a price if the person is kind and I can tell they have read the description of my listings.
Also, remember to be quick to respond to the seller’s messages. You want to set up a pick up time as soon as possible if you really want the item. There are many times where items are sold quickly so you don’t want to miss out because you didn’t check your messages.
If the listing does not mention that the price is firm, you can assume that the seller is willing to negotiate. Don’t go crazy asking for a price reduction. It depends on the item, but I would probably ask for $5 or $10 off a bundle of clothes and maybe $50-$100 off for a big piece of furniture. Again, this will depend on how long the item has been posted, the retail price of the item, and what kind of condition it is in.
These are just a few ways you can find the best deals on Facebook Marketplace. Make sure to check the platform often, even if you have notifications set up. You never know what kind of treasures you can find.
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