Today I’m sharing my favourite Facebook Marketplace tips so you can make most of it – minus the drama!

Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find bargains – or make some extra cash. With that said… wow, can it be annoying at times. That’s why I’m sharing my top Facebook Marketplace tips today, which I hope will enable you to get the most out of marketplace, without the drama that can sometimes come with it.

What’s so good about Facebook Marketplace?

I’ll be honest: I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook Marketplace.

Let’s start with the positives. The most magical moment I had with marketplace so far was when I found a much-coveted peacock chair on it for only £15. I couldn’t believe the price as these things go for well over £100 on eBay! When I went to pick it up a girl in her early twenties answered the door and as we chatted she said it used to belong to her gran she was surprised anyone wanted it, because it wasn’t her style at all. And there is the beauty of marketplace. One person’s trash is another’s treasure.

On the flip side, there have been many irritations. The infamous automated messaging is quick and easy, yes, but also means that everyone comes across as abrupt and a bit rude. The ‘??’ messages that arrive when you don’t respond within five minutes? Those can grate after a while!

There’s also the fact that there’s so much amazing stuff… but unless you drive it’s not accessible. Unless you can persuade the seller to deliver it for you, that is, which can be done.  

Either way, I can’t seem to stay off it. So I thought I’d share my Facebook Marketplace tips so you can get the most out of it and avoid making the silly mistakes I have. Because trust me, there have been many… more on that later!

First up, here’s some of the most common questions about Facebook Marketplace…

Why use Facebook Marketplace?

Why FB Marketplace? Well, a lot of people are on it – there are over 800 million people in 70 different countries using Facebook Marketplace. In a time when the world has gone virtual in so many ways, marketplace is the equivalent of a virtual car boot sale.

The biggest thing to remember with Facebook Marketplace is that people are out for a bargain. There’s just as much haggling in the virtual world as there is in the real one, so it’s good to keep that in mind when you’re both buying and selling.

Is selling on Facebook Marketplace profitable?

I wouldn’t say jack in your job just yet, but it’s a great little side hustle. You can make decent pin money and declutter your house at the same time – a win-win in my eyes!

How do I succeed on Facebook Marketplace?

I’ll be sharing some of my top tips for selling on Facebook Marketplace below. In essence, though, it comes down to a few things…

1. Identifying what sells
2. Pricing it accordingly
3. Finding your niche

On that last point, finding your niche is all about building authority in your chosen area. If you want to be really successful on Facebook Marketplace then it’s about creating a brand and becoming well-known for a particular type of listing. That could be anything from upcycled cabinets to vintage furniture to second hand children’s clothes.

Does Facebook Marketplace charge a fee?

No it doesn’t, which is one of the plus points of marketplace!

What can you sell on Facebook Marketplace?

There’s a huge list of categories for what you can sell on Facebook Marketplace…

• Vehicles
• Property rentals
• Apparel
• Classifieds
• Electronics
• Entertainment
• Family
• Free stuff
• Garden & outdoor
• Hobbies
• Home improvement supplies
• Home sales
• Musical instruments
• Office supplies
• Pet supplies
• Sporting goods
• Toys & games

I said a lot! However, this is supposed to be a post on Facebook Marketplace tips, right? So below I’ve broken it down into what I think are the best-selling categories on marketplace….

What sells fast on Facebook Marketplace

If you don’t want to pay shipping costs then offloading onto Facebook Marketplace is a good idea – that’s why you tend to see a lot of furniture and white goods for sale.

• Furniture that can be upcycled
• Home goods including white goods
• Entertainment – old DVDs, etc
• Children’s clothes and toys

What doesn’t sell so well on Facebook Marketplace

I’ve never bought clothes on Facebook Marketplace – I would stick to Depop or Vinted or similar for that, although some people say otherwise. I also don’t know if it would be my first choice for big ticket items like a car. I would always want to have more of a paper trail than a couple of messages!

Finally, if you’re looking to buy or sell bespoke artwork or creative products I also don’t know if I’d pick marketplace as my first choice. Etsy is miles better for that!

• Clothing – in my experience at least
• Vehicles or other high value items
• Property to rent
• Artwork or creative items

Tips for selling on Facebook Marketplace

Here are some of my favourite Facebook Marketplace rules for sellers…

1) Include all the details

Don’t skimp on the details when it comes to your listing. If you don’t put it in at this stage you’ll get asked about it later, probably many times over. Here’s what you should include…

• Brand
• Condition
• Size
• Any marks/damage
• Is it from a smoke-free home?
• Delivery or collection only

2) Take clear photographs

You don’t have to be a professional photographer or anything. However, there are a few simple things that you can do to make sure your listings can make as much of an impact as possible. Here are a few Facebook Marketplace tips when it comes to photography…

• Take photos in daylight
• Ensure your pics aren’t blurry
• Showcase important details
• Show what clothes look like on
• Ensure clothes are clean and ironed

3) Be clear on delivery

This is important. Is the price just for the item – or are you charging an additional fee for delivery? Is it collection only or would you deliver to certain postcodes? As with the rest of the listing, it’s important to include as much information as possible. You’ll save yourself a headache and a ton of messages asking you these questions, so you might as well.

4) List it at a reasonable price

I always say that you can spot the noobs on Facebook Marketplace and other buying and selling platforms because they overprice their listings. Once you’ve been using the apps for a while you get more of a feel for what people are pricing their items at. It’s worth having a browse and see what similar items are listed at and price yours in the same range. 

5) Be responsive

If you’re selling on Facebook Marketplace you need to be on it – literally – and that means responding to potential buyers promptly. Your responsiveness also shows on your profile so it’s important for your rep as a seller.

It doesn’t matter how much detail you’ve included on your listing, you can bet your bottom dollar there will be always be someone wanting additional information. You’ll also get offers haggling on the price with “??” messages if you don’t reply in five minutes. I’m not saying you have to reply immediately, but that’s definitely the vibe!

My No.1 Facebook Marketplace tip

Be safe

Out of all the Facebook Marketplace tips, this one is the most important.

It’s something to think about when you’re both buying AND selling. When I went to pick up my peacock chair it involved me and my boyfriend driving to another town about half an hour away to pick it up. You do these things in good faith, but there’s always that little voice in your head likes to telling you it’s a scam and you’re going to be ripped off.

I was certainly wary of going in the house to pick up the chair, however, luckily the door was opened by this super friendly girl and the chair was in the hallway right next to the door. I was in and out in the house in about twenty seconds. Massive relief!

Here are my Facebook Marketplace tips for staying safe…

1. Always bring someone with you
2. Tell someone where you’re going
3. Share the address details

Tips for buying on Facebook Marketplace

Looking for Facebook Marketplace tips for buying? Come on in…

Facebook Marketplace tip 1: check it regularly

Who knows when a bargain can pop up out of nowhere?

I was looking for a retro gluggle jug and I’d been on the hunt for one for a while. I’d just been on another website, Trouva, I was almost on the point on buying when I decided to hop on Facebook Marketplace for a quick browse.

As if by magic, up popped a gluggle jug on my feed at a fraction of the price it was listed at online. It was only £7 – and in the local area. It was delivered the same day and it now takes pride of place in my bathroom. So one of my top tips is to make sure you log on regularly so you don’t miss a bargain!

Facebook Marketplace tip 2: don’t get distracted

I’ve fallen foul to this a couple of times. If you’re on a limited budget, you tend to plan what you’re buying month to month, whether it be a rug, a new coffee table or kitchen tiles. Right?

Well, Facebook Marketplace has a knack on swerving you off course. You might be scrolling through and see an amazing chesterfield sofa for a fraction on the price – or a lamp shade or ornament you weren’t planning on buying.

These are always tempting but my advice would be to go on it for specific items and try to not get distracted by the rest!  

Facebook Marketplace tip 3: ignore the sponsored posts

Similar to the point above, try not to get sucked into the sponsored items on Facebook Marketplace They always really annoy me!

You’ll be browsing through listings and then you pause mid-scroll because you think you’ve clocked a total bargain. But then you realise that it’s actually a sponsored post and what it’s actually showing are all the expensive homeware products you’ve been browsing over the past week. Really not why I’m here, FB!

Facebook Marketplace tip 4: pay attention to the details

I’ve become a cropper on Facebook Marketplace a couple of times. Mostly when I’ve been so dazzled by an item I’ve overlooked the details and not paid close enough attention to the actual measurements.

The decorative pot I was planning on putting my cheese plant in turned onto to be barely big enough to hold a small cactus and when I bought a gorgeous vintage Keiller’s marmalade jar it ended up being much smaller than I thought.

I probably would have put in a cheekier offer if I paid a bit closer attention. I still love it, but you can definitely do better than me!

Facebook Marketplace tip 5: overlook the bad lighting

The beauty of Facebook Marketplace is that you can really sniff out a bargain if you know what you’re looking for.

While shops and websites are all about the lighting, the styling, and the overall aesthetic, there’s none of that on marketplace. It’s pretty unfiltered!

So while that means you have to look beyond bad lighting, it does mean that you can find that bargains that others might overlook. If you’re into upcycling then you’ll no doubt see a ton of potential in the old furniture that can be unlocked with a lick of fresh paint.

My best Facebook Marketplace bargains

A fish-shaped gluggle jug

You may laugh, but these kitsch fishy-shaped retro jugs – so-called because they make a glugglng sound when you pour water from them – are in right now.

Price elsewhere: £35

Facebook Marketplace price: £7

2 x pallets to make a coffee table

I know I wanted to make a pallet coffee table and so sourcing cheap pallets was a priority. I got these for £5 each and stacked them on top of each other to make a table.

Price elsewhere: Shipping costs could be huge!

Facebook Marketplace prices: £10

A peacock chair

I mentioned this one at the top but Facebook Marketplace is the perfect to find retro furniture that’s not considered to be ‘in’ right now – like my peacock chair.

Price elsewhere: £100 or more

Facebook Marketplace price: £15

Those are my Facebook Marketplace tips – have you snapped up any bargains on here?