Last week, I shared a Before peek at a table and chairs that I picked up on Marketplace. I got a ton of questions about what it was and how to go about shopping marketplace for treasures.
It is a bit of a hit and miss- lots of listings and lots of different options- so how do you go about finding what you are looking for? I have learned a couple things that have helped me to find what I am looking for- and today I am sharing those here.
Shopping Marketplace- What is it?
Marketplace is a place on Facebook where people list things for sale. It is kind of like bay, kind of like craigslist – and it has a ton of hidden treasures. You start by searching for what you are looking for- just like on any other website- and marketplace will pull up listings that match. Like the set of antique European furniture we restored.
Local and Shipping
You have two options for searching- you can search local listings within a certain distance- which is great for picking up. Or you can search shipped items- and arrange for shipping. Most of the time- the default is set to searching both- so you will see both show up in the feed.
Search Keywords
Search the keywords for what you are after. Vintage dresser. French antique. Antique Mirror. Vintage dishes. Etc.
Interact with listings
Just like the algorithm on regular Facebook or Instagram- interacting with the listings is key. Facebook is all about that algorithm and what you interact with (which all of us who work in social media are really not happy with) So when you search for an item and then click and open those listings- it shows Facebook that those were what you were looking for and you want to see more of those in your marketplace listings. So search and open listings that you want to see more of in your feed.
Side note: this is also why influencers ask people to ‘Like’ and ‘comment’ on our posts on Instagram and FB. By doing that- it shows the platform that you want to see our posts show up in your feed. Otherwise, FB and Instagram will decide what they ‘think’ you want to see instead.
Click Save
A lot of you have asked how I have found those pieces of furniture for Free. They weren’t free when when I first founds them. The antique European pieces were listed at $600 when I first saved them. I saved them because I thought they had great potential at that price- and so wanted to save them to go back and take a second look while I thought about them and kept shopping. I got a notice that said the seller had updated the price in the listing- and it was now free. It was originally just for the cupboard and mirror- when we picked up- the seller offered to include the smaller sideboard if we wanted that as well. You might remember why the FREE price was actually a price that required a lot of work when we found that these antiques had a wee bit of a beetle problem. You can read about that HERE
There is also an area you can search in marketplace where it is all free all the time. I haven’t shopped that area yet- but that might be a good place to score a few things as well.
How to buy what you find
Much like the good old classifieds where you could find treasures tucked into the ads in the paper- if going to pick up something local- you would bring cash or send money through Apple Pay or PayPal. Recently, most times pick ups have been listed as ‘porch pickup’ meaning you pick it up without meeting anyone. I would suggest for safety- you bring along a friend even so and make sure that someone knows where you are going – more about that below.
Something to know that is different on marketplace– when you message a seller, you can see a bit about them and they can see a bit about you as well. And in some cases -they can see a lot about you depending on your own Facebook settings. Where you live, your phone number, your family members, etc. Because when contacting them through Facebook – Facebook shares your profile with them. Good news or bad news depending on how you feel about that. So in comparison to craigslist which only shares a repeater email address when you message someone- Facebook is much less private.
I personally don’t appreciate that aspect shopping marketplace and have hesitated to message some sellers because of it. But that is me personally and it comes from past experiences with Facebook and cyber stalking and harassment on my FB page and also because my husband worked in law enforcement and had extra precautions. So I am a tad extra cautious about that. But for a lot of people- being able to see who you are interacting with makes them feel more comfortable.
Shopping and Scoring- Best Tip
All in all- I think marketplace is a great spot to pick up local treasures. If you know just what you are looking for- you search and can find it. Or if you just want to browse a broad term like vintage- you can do that too. The best tip for scoring that treasure? Search keywords often– listings are added all the time and they are sold all the time quickly too. I have missed out on some great pieces that were just listed- and sold within a couple hours later.
Coming up – I am working on redoing that table this week- and using a different method to remove the finish. I will share the process and the AFTER soon.
If you have any other questions – let me know in the comments and I will try to answer them. And to read the story about the antique European treasures we found for Free on Marketplace- you can find each of those posts linked below.
- Treasure Hunt- BEFORE
- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
- Carved Sideboard REVEAL
- Carved Mirror REVEAL
- Carved Armoire REVEAL
Happy Wednesday all.
Aussie Jo says
Some pretty goof tips here
Susan says
Thansk for the INFORMATIVE info Courtney. Always love your posts.
Nancy carr says
Great INFORMATION. Thank you.
franki parde says
Good & not as good is exactly…that. I’ve sold a number of things on MP & only Cash ‘n Carry…it’s been good & the no show happens…lots of messaging. Your “good” pieces are fantastic!! franki
Gail says
Thank you for the information