Shopping Secondhand on Facebook Marketplace-A Simple Guide

Shopping secondhand on Facebook Marketplace can be simple with this guide. Learn how to get the best deals in five easy steps.

a cinema light box sitting on a table that says second hand with jewelry on the table and clothes hanging in the background

Shopping secondhand is my favorite way to shop. I remember going to yard sales as a kid with my mom and being thrilled with many of my purchases that I got for a dollar or less. My enjoyment and willingness to shop secondhand has served me well in my adult life as well. As a stay at home mom, purchasing items secondhand has helped us to stay within our monthly budget.

Benefits of Shopping Secondhand

There are a variety of benefits to shopping secondhand. Not only can it save money but it benefits our environment as well. Here are some top reasons to shop secondhand.

Reduces waste
Prevents overproduction
Money Savings
Unique items
Circular Economy

Where to Shop Secondhand

There are a variety of places to shop secondhand. Depending on where you live you find some of these secondhand shopping options.

Thrift Stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army
Consignment Shops
Secondhand Boutique Shops
Non-Profit run thrift shops to support a cause
Online Options such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace

As a mom of three little ones it is challenge to pile everyone in the car to go thrift shopping for several hours. This is why I am so thankful for online secondhand shopping, especially Facebook Marketplace.

What is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook Marketplace is an online platform where users can buy, sell, and trade items within their local community.

The marketplace is a money saving, penny pinching, dream shopping experience! I cannot tell you how many amazing items I have been able to find on the marketplace for a fraction of what it would have cost us to purchase them new.

Five Tips to Shopping on Facebook Marketplace

If you are new to secondhand shopping and a Facebook Marketplace newbie, here are 5 tips to help you get started. Make sure to read to the end to see some photo examples of our personal purchases off of Facebook Marketplace.

1. Retrain Your Brain

Shopping secondhand isn’t second nature for many of us. In our society usually our first thought when needing to purchase an item is to search Amazon.

The first tip in learning to shop on Facebook Marketplace is to retrain your brain. Whenever you think of an item that you need to purchase for your home or family, instead of your first thought being “Amazon” instead think “Marketplace”. I ALWAYS search the marketplace first, no matter the item. (okay, maybe not for underwear) Actually as of last week, this is no longer true. LOL

The point is, learning to shop secondhand is like building a muscle. The more you do it the more it will become your go-to way of shopping.

2. Be Patient

There are very few items that we absolutely need the very SECOND the thought crosses our mind to purchase it. Unfortunately we live in a microwave society and want everything immediately (hello, Amazon prime). If you are willing to have a little patience you can often find great items at an even better price.

Another benefit of patience when shopping is that you actually buy less, which saves even more money in your budget. You’d be surprised how many items you think you “need” will seem less and less important after a couple of days. This forces that potential purchase to sit in your mind instead of using the dreaded 1-click ordering feature.

An example of how patience is key when shopping on marketplace is our purchase of a water filter for our home. Recently we decided to get a high end water filter for our home and at the time Berkey’s were really popular. We waited a couple weeks, looking online, before finding a brand new Big Berkey (retail: $300) for $50 on Facebook Marketplace. Someone had bought this item brand new, decided it wasn’t for them and wanted to get rid of it soon after purchasing.

Patience is key when shopping secondhand.

3. Ask the Right Questions and Do Your Research

Shopping secondhand does take a little more work to begin with but the outcomes are usually worth it. Be sure to inquire and ask the seller all of the necessary questions about the item you are considering to purchase

You want to have all of the necessary information before driving or planning to meet the seller. Don’t let the fear of someone else buying the item before you keep you from putting in the necessary research. You want to make sure you are purchasing a quality item, at a great price and will fulfill your need in purchasing the item.

4. Always Ask for a Reduced Price

One of the greatest benefits of shopping on Facebook Marketplace is that the prices aren’t set in stone. The owners of these items are ready to get rid of them and usually willing to negotiate. Selling on Marketplace is an easy way to get some extra cash vs donating the item or throwing it away.

I always ask for a reduced price when I’m purchasing an item on marketplace unless it is already priced far below what the item is worth. Normal when negotiating the seller is willing to take less.

I will share a personal opinion on negotiating etiquette: Unless you are purchasing a more complex/large item that you must inspect on site (anything mechanical, contains multiple components, higher end, etc.) agree to the price before going.

It is rude to show up to someone’s house to purchase a $10 item and then ask the seller to sell it for less. Once you set a meet up time and place, I see it as a verbal agreement that the price is good for everyone involved. So, always ask for a cheaper price, but if the item doesn’t need to be inspected on site, bargain before arriving.

5. If You End Up Not Liking the Item: Resale

On a handful of occasions, we have purchased an item but later realized it wasn’t actually what we needed or wanted. There was nothing wrong with it, just after having it in our life for a short time we decided it wasn’t actually needed.

If this happens we almost always try to resale the item. There have been many times that I have sold an item for MORE than what we purchased it for 3 weeks prior. Don’t be afraid to resale and make your money back!

Items We Have Personally Bought on Facebook Marketplace

When we purchased our home, there were many things we wanted to upgrade or remodel. We have slowly over time been able to do many of these things.

We have purchased lamps, side tables, a frame tv, our dining room table, light fixtures, practically all of my kids clothes, and even our Minivan all on Facebook Marketplace. It’s the ultimate internet yard sale. Recently me and my husband wanted to update our bedroom furniture. We sold our old pieces on Facebook Marketplace and were able to purchase all of our new pieces for $20 less than what we sold the old for. You really can’t beat shopping secondhand.

Shopping on the marketplace can be a lot of fun…a lot like a treasure hunt. You will feel great knowing that you bought an item at a fraction of the cost and the money saved will be applied to other areas of your monthly budget. This is an important skill in being the homemaker and home economist of your home.

I know I have shared a lot about purchasing on the Facebook marketplace but I have also sold the same if not more items than I have bought. By selling items on marketplace I can often bring in an extra couple hundred dollars a month for our family. It’s not enough to live off of but its a nice amount of extra cash every month. Buying and selling on Facebook marketplace is a great little side hustle for the homemaker.

Below are pictures of items we have bought on marketplace at a fraction of the cost.