Issue #18: My Girlfriend’s Guide to Selling Your Unwanted Stuff on Facebook Marketplace

A guide to joining the circular economy and four fabulous fixers that are ready for your vision.

The Silvert Lining is a place where I talk about real estate, cool homes for sale, things I’m looking forward to, and how I’ve been spending my time. In addition to this newsletter, I also post regularly on Instagram. You can follow me at Dan Silvert Homes. If you would like to meet with me to discuss your home search, you can schedule time here.

Editor’s Note: A Word from Dan

After a decade in real estate, many of my clients have told me about painstakingly sorting through every one of their belongings, deciding which items will make the move to their new home and which items are ready to find a new owner. The impetus for today’s newsletter is a discussion I had with current clients - who have become friends - regarding their plans to downsize their belongings as they move to a new home. I casually mentioned that my girlfriend, Jessica, regularly sells things on Facebook Marketplace. Fast forward a few months, and she is now helping these clients sell items as they pack up their home. As I’ve shared this story with other clients and friends, everyone wants Jessica’s advice!

This week you will be hearing from Jessica directly as she shares her magnum opus on selling on Facebook Marketplace.

The Poodle needlepoint that almost ended a buyer’s romantic relationship.

Jessica’s Guide to Selling on Facebook Marketplace

I have been selling my belongings online and in person for the last two decades. My primary motivation has always been environmental; the idea of perfectly usable goods ending up in landfills (or Chile’s Atacama Desert) is disturbing to me. I am also a devoted antique store and thrift store shopper who lives for a deal. I own a quantity of belongings that can best be described as “abundant.”

The height of my thrift shopping in the early- to mid-aughts coincided with me dipping my toe into reselling. My friends and I spent many weekends at flea markets buying clothes and records, and I shopped at Savers so much I knew the schedule for when new merchandise hit the floor. My growing vintage clothing collection necessitated throwing themed parties so I could wear my prized purchases. Once I was wearing a pair of vintage silver loafers to work and the sole separated from the upper part of the shoe! I had to hold the shoe together with rubber bands for the rest of work day.

After acknowledging I had too much stuff yet wanted to buy more, I started selling at the same flea markets I was frequenting as a shopper. Every few months, I booked a booth with friends and we purged our unwanted tchotchkes and clothing.

In my early flea market days, what surprised me the most about reselling was how excited people were to buy my wares. One memorable encounter involved a small child insisting to his mother that he purchase a 1970’s mushroom needlepoint. He repeatedly yelled, “I love mushrooms,” while clutching the needlepoint. His mother and I eventually realized the mushroom love stemmed from Nintendo’s Mario. The needlepoint had a similar aesthetic, and $10 later he was excitedly discussing where the needlepoint could hang in his bedroom.

After years of occasionally selling larger items like furniture on Craigslist, I became a devoted seller (and occasional buyer) on Facebook Marketplace. That platform has replaced Craigslist and flea markets as the fastest and easiest way for me to sell items without paying any fees. While I do sell via sites like eBay and Poshmark and at in person antique fairs, my advice in this newsletter is going to focus on selling on Facebook Marketplace.

In a future newsletter issue I will spill my secrets on buying amazing vintage treasures for a song!

Facebook Marketplace’s homepage. So many random things for sale.

Why Facebook Marketplace?

The only reason I am still on Facebook is for Facebook Marketplace. The site has 1.1 billion users across 70 countries, and it is how Facebook is keeping younger users engaged with their platform. The primary benefit of Facebook Marketplace is that there are no fees. I also like that all sales are local so I don’t have to worry about shipping. There is an option to offer shipping on Facebook Marketplace so anyone in the US could buy your item, but I only select the “local pickup” option for my items.

Since Facebook Marketplace is hyperlocal, I often sell items quickly. I have completed many sales within an hour of posting an item for sale!

I do want to acknowledge that Mark Zuckerberg being constantly cringy, his sharp turn away from moderation, and the increasingly terrible algorithms have contributed to many people leaving Meta’s platforms. I understand this point of view. For me, Facebook Marketplace is the easiest way to participate in the circular economy while being environmentally conscious. And hey, there are no fees so I’m not directly financially supporting Zuck donning Benson Boone’s very snug jumpsuit.

How much is my item worth?

My objective when selling is always to break as close to even overall as possible. I’ve sold some items at a huge profit and sold other items for a fraction of what I paid. I try to focus on the fact that I no longer want to own said item. A part of reselling is accepting the sunk cost.

Research is key when determining what price to charge. I first search Facebook Marketplace to see comparable items for sale. For example, when I was selling a used TV I found dozens of similar TVs for sale for around $100. I then priced my TV for $90 and sold it that day.

After looking for comps on Facebook Marketplace, I do a wider search using key words and Google's image search feature. The search results will show me what similar items are selling for on other resale sites, such as Poshmark, Etsy, eBay, Chairish, and 1stDibs. These resale sites do charge a fee for each sale; fees vary by site and the sale price of the item. In my experience, listed prices on 1stDibs are very inflated as the site has high seller fees, but prices on eBay and Etsy are consistent with Bay Area Facebook Marketplace prices.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much random items are worth. My late grandmother had a mint condition 1990’s era TV/VCR combo. Before committing to taking it to electronic recycling, I did a quick Google image search and was shocked at how high the prices were on eBay. I confirmed the TV/VCR worked and then listed it for $150 on Facebook Marketplace. A number of people immediately messaged me, and I sold the TV/VCR for my listing price.

Will buyers want to negotiate?

I have sold scores of items on Facebook Marketplace and very few people have tried to negotiate with me. The exception to this is when people are interested in multiple items I have for sale and offer me a lower price to bundle them.

My strategy regarding negotiating is to honestly assess the demand. If an item is really popping, I will politely tell someone who tries to negotiate that I have received full price offers and I’ll be in touch if the item does not sell. But if it has been crickets for days, I will accept any reasonable offer before an item death spirals.

I occasionally buy things on Facebook Marketplace, and I recently lost out on an item because I thought the price was too high and tried to negotiate. The seller went with someone who was willing to pay full price. If the musical Hamilton taught me anything, it is that hubris will always contribute to your demise.

How can I present my item well?

First and foremost, always be honest and post accurate photos without any visual clutter in the background. There are thousands of things for sale on Facebook Marketplace and you want potential buyers to click on your listings. Once someone clicks on your listing, they should be able to quickly ascertain the basics, including the size/dimensions and condition. If an item has a flaw or noticeable wear, I call that out in the description and include a photo. You do not want someone to meet you for a sale, only to be disappointed by the condition and leave empty handed.

Facebook Marketplace’s algorithm is a frustrating mystery. To appear in the maximum number of searches I try to use all relevant key words, including common variations (e.g., MCM, midcentury modern, mid-century modern, and mid century modern). The research I do for pricing can be valuable when writing a description as I can see how other people are describing their similar item. I love using adjectives in life and online, and try to include pleasing yet descriptive words in my descriptions.

You can see the number of views an item you’re selling receives and the results are often confounding. I have had items receive thousands of views in a couple days while similar items receive under 10 views in the same time period. If no one is clicking on an item after a couple days, I will update the photos and/or edit the description to add more key words.

I have played with AI (Claude is my favorite) to write my descriptions. I did not find that using AI saved time or helped me game Facebook Marketplace’s algorithm.

A picture is worth a thousand words. My hutch that sold in an hour.

What is the best day to list an item for sale?

This is a common question in the reselling community. Some people claim Thursday is the best day to list items as more buyers are looking for things to buy over the weekend when they’re off work. I have found that listing items on Saturday and Sunday often result in the fastest sale.

My home came with an older yet serviceable washer and dryer set. When the washer died, I listed the dryer on Facebook Marketplace. It was a Sunday afternoon and within 15 minutes of the ad going live a couple was on their way to buy the dryer. It turned out that their dryer stopped working the previous day, and the service technician was booked for at least a week. The couple had four children and loads of laundry to dry, so they wanted an inexpensive working dryer to tide them over.

Recently I bought a new hutch for my kitchen on Facebook Marketplace. After confirming the pickup date and time, I needed to sell my current much smaller hutch. I listed the hutch on Saturday evening, and within an hour it was sold with a Lugg pickup scheduled for the following morning.

Responding to potential buyers can be time consuming, especially as many people want to buy the item ASAP. I only list items when I’m going to be in town and available to respond in a timely manner. I do not recommend listing a slew of items on Facebook Marketplace and then going on a week-long vacation.

How does the buyer pay me?

I accept cash, Venmo, and PayPal. I operate on a first come, first served policy and prefer not to take deposits to hold an item. The exception being if I am selling a piece of furniture and the buyer is arranging delivery via Lugg, then I will request a deposit to hold the item (usually 50% of the purchase price).

How do I avoid scammers and creeps?

Selling on Facebook Marketplace is akin to a trust fall. The best way to explain my risk tolerance is to share that I took Casual Carpool to work in San Francisco a couple days a week for many years. For the uninitiated, Casual Carpool is a free rideshare wherein drivers pick up strangers to commute into San Francisco in the carpool lane to save time in traffic and pay a lower bridge toll. Once a driver had fresh donuts, she shared with us riders, but it was actually a ruse to proselytize her cultish church. I still enjoyed the donut. The worst thing that ever happened during my Casual Carpool tenure was when a driver’s car broke down on the Bay Bridge and we had to be rescued by Caltrans. The entire ordeal took hours and I was very late to work.

There are a number of things that I do to ensure my own safety when selling on Facebook Marketplace:

1. I only use Facebook Messenger to facilitate Facebook Marketplace transactions. Before I respond to any message via Facebook Messenger, I look at the sender’s Facebook profile to confirm they are legit. While I have encountered a few incredibly neurotic buyers who message me multiple times, most of the obsessively frantic messages I’ve received are from scammers.

2. Scammers create a sense of urgency and scarcity to trick people. I create and hold firm boundaries with buyers to reduce the likelihood of being scammed. No one “needs” to meet me to buy an item at 9 PM on a Tuesday.

3. If a buyer seems too good to be true then they probably are; no one is paying double the listing price.

4. When I suspect someone is a scammer, I immediately block them.

5. I always suggest the meeting place and prefer to meet people in public places only in daylight.

   1. I live near a middle school and often meet people in the parking lot when school is not in session as there are always people coming and going and we’re on CCTV. A number of people who have met me in the middle school parking lot have commented that it feels like a drug deal. These people tend to chuckle to themselves at how clever they are. But what kind of an adult sells drugs to other adults in a middle school parking lot?

   2. If school is in session, I meet buyers in front of busy businesses. Local grocery store parking lots are always good.

6. When selling larger items, I will have people come to my home but take additional precautions:

   1. I will provide my general location in advance, but I do not provide my address until about an hour before the scheduled pickup.

   2. I only meet people at my home in daylight.

   3. I like to have someone else home with me when the buyer arrives.

   4. I place the item in my garage in advance so I only open my garage door when the buyer (or Lugg) arrives and they can quickly load the item without going into my home.

   5. If a buyer is using Lugg I always ensure that the Luggers identify themselves to me, and I confirm with the buyer that Lugg has arrived and are loading their item.

      

      This dog painting was very popular on Facebook Marketplace.

Final Thoughts on the Triumphs, Trials, and Tribulations of Reselling

When I tell people about my love of the circular economy and reselling, I try to stress that it is fun! You can do it on your own schedule, make some money, and genuinely help people while keeping things out of landfills. Yes, there are occasional scammers who are generally annoying and shockingly dumb. But for every person who has attempted to scam me, there are dozens of people who have sent me photos of the items they bought from me proudly displayed in their homes.

I have owned many things that I did not particularly care about that other people love and collect. I enjoy Heath Ceramics and my kitchen is an aspiring Heath showroom. Over the years I had purchased a number of small Heath pieces in a glossy red glaze, even though the white and blue glazes are my favorites. The glossy red glaze has been discontinued and many collectors have paid me top dollar for my rarer pieces.

People are weird, funny, and confusing on Facebook Marketplace just as they are in life. I have been asked out for coffee while scheduling a pickup time for a table lamp; he stressed that we would “just be friends” so vehemently in his message it was a bit “the lady doth protest too much, methinks.” After I declined his invitation, he didn’t end up buying the lamp. A woman almost backed out of buying a Poodle needlepoint she had obsessively written me about because her boyfriend hated it and couldn’t bear to have it in their home. Apparently needlepoint inspires intense emotions in people of all ages. After a few days the boyfriend relented, and his penance was to meet me in front of my office by the Embarcadero Bart station to retrieve the needlepoint. It was awkward for both of us.

1. 821 Craft Avenue in El Cerrito is a 1924 Craftsman with 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms listed at $949,000. The home has charming historical details, an 11,280 square foot lot, and views of the Bay. This home is a great opportunity to restore the interior to its former glory and transform the large lot into an outdoor oasis.

2. 910 West California Avenue in Mill Valley is a 1955 cottage with 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms listed at $949,000. This is a great opportunity to call your favorite licensed contractor and transform this Marin County property into a cozy retreat.

3. 227 Orange Street is a 1906 Craftsman triplex in the Adams Point neighborhood of Oakland listed at $895,000. The primary home is 2,100 square feet with 4 bedrooms/2 bathrooms. There are two smaller units each with a private entrance. This property is painted in bold, contrasting colors inside and out. This is an opportunity to call your favorite painting company and execute your own color story while restoring the home’s historical details.

4. 3257 Inverness Drive is a 1969 home in the Northgate neighborhood of Walnut Creek with 5 bedrooms/4 bathrooms listed at $1,695,000. This home has a beautiful courtyard and swimming pool. While this home needs cosmetic updates, you could comfortably live there while you transform the property into your dream home.

Let me know if you are looking for a new home and I can create a customized search based on your wants and needs that will email you homes that meet your search criteria. You can schedule time with me to discuss your search for a new home or selling your current home by emailing me at DanSilvertHomes@gmail.com. DRE #01963734