How to Find the Best Stuff and Get the Best Price on Facebook Marketplace
Do you ever wonder how other people find such good deals on furniture, antiques, decor etc. on Facebook Marketplace?
Finding the really good stuff, and getting a great deal on those finds might seem like luck… But I promise you it’s not!
I myself love a good Facebook Marketplace find! I’ve actually bought quite a few things for our farmhouse on Marketplace (I’ll show you photos of some of my purchases throughout this post.)
And today on the blog, I want to share some of my best kept secrets to scoring the best finds at the best prices on Facebook Marketplace!
Thrifting on Facebook Marketplace
Shopping on Facebook Marketplace is kindof like shopping at an online version of a thrift store / yard sale.
Marketplace is full of items for sale, all different kinds of things, and at all different price points.
My favorite things to thrift on Marketplace are furniture, antiques, and even salvaged items like old doors and vintage lighting. But the sky is the limit and no matter what you’re looking for, you can likely find it for sale on the app.
Speaking of thrifting, I actually wrote another thrifting related post you might want to read: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting for Your Home / Decor. That post is full of tips and is a great resource to check out!
Things I’ve Purchased on Facebook Marketplace
Before we jump into all the tips, I thought it would be fun to share some of my past Facebook Marketplace scores with you.
I’ll share the original FB Marketplace listings, the actual price I paid for each item, and photos of the items in our farmhouse!
Large Antique Brass & Crystal Chandelier
Listed for $50 – I paid $45.
The Facebook Marketplace photos of this old chandelier did not do it justice. Not even a little bit! But I knew that if the lights still worked, this beautiful piece would be a steal at that price point.
This light is one of my more recent Facebook Marketplace finds, and these are the first photos I’ve shared of it here on the blog!
Not only does the light fixture still work, but it’s even prettier in this space than I had imagined!
When we were re-building our home, I was still learning and refining my style. Speaking of our farmhouse…
Have you taken the tour?
We re-built our family’s 1800’s farmhouse… and I put together a mini tour of the before photos!
Ok, back to the new light… there is one particular light fixture that I chose during construction, but that I just didn’t love anymore.
The Christmas photo below shows more of the original light we chose, and more of this space when we had it set up as a bedroom.
This room now doubles as a guest bedroom and as my office where I work on the blog. We decided to hang the new / old chandelier I found on Facebook Marketplace in here and I absolutely love it!
The new / old Facebook Marketplace chandelier feels much more like me and my style now! What do you think?
Medium Antique Brass & Crystal Chandelier
Listed for $80 – I paid $70.
We haven’t installed this chandelier just yet. But I plan to hang it above the clawfoot tub in our bathroom. How pretty would it look in this space?!
I know you can’t really see the current light in this photo… but I think you can kindof imagine the new chandelier hanging over the tub.
That’s a project for another day, but I’ll be sure to share photos of it when we get it done!
1800’s antique fireplace mantel
Listed for $350 – I paid $280.
The antique mantel was a dream Facebook Marketplace find!
We built a DIY fireplace in our living room, and added the antique mantel to complete the look! This project is by far one of my favorite DIY projects in our farmhouse!
We did make a couple modification to the piece. Mainly painting the mantel white (see my DIY chippy paint technique) and cutting down the legs a bit.
People tend to have strong opinions when it comes to modifying antiques. I am not one of those people!
Brittany’s Soapbox: It’s ok to modify your finds… even the antiques!
Especially when it’s something that will be a permanent piece in your home. Something you’ll love and live with forever (like the antique mantel we installed in our home). It’s ok to paint or otherwise alter a piece to make it the perfect fit for your family and your home!
Stepping off my soapbox now…
French country Cane Back dining Chairs
Listed for $100 – I paid $90 for the set of 6.
These cane back dining chairs were such a perfect find for our dining room table! (Another FB Marketplace find I’ll show you a little further down the page.)
I had fun styling them on our screened in porch when we first got them, and I still love this look for a Memorial Day or 4th of July celebration! Click here to see more of this patriotic summertime porch look featuring our Facebook Marketplace dining chairs.
farmhouse trestle style dining table
Listed for $200 – I paid full price.
And now the table! The FB Marketplace listing photo was terrible, but I knew this table was the perfect style and size for our dining room.
A quick coat of paint brightened the table up quite a bit from the honey yellow wood tones. Click here for the table color – one of my favorite white paint colors I’ve used all throughout our home!
How to Find the Best Stuff on Facebook Marketplace
I could keep going, because so much of our home is from Marketplace. But I’ll stop here so I can start sharing some of my best tips and so we can talk about how to find the best stuff for your home when scrolling on Facebook Marketplace!
Tip #1: Look Often.
The early bird gets the worm… the daily scroller gets the best Facebook Marketplace finds! Or something like that…
Facebook Marketplace inventory changes daily. Well, more like hourly. And the good deals often go quickly!
I recommend looking often to give yourself the best chance to score the best deals before other shoppers snatch them up.
How often is up to you. I go through spells where I scroll Facebook Marketplace daily. In the carpool line, during a commercial break, etc. And other times, I might check the app once a week or so. But I tend to find better deals the more often I look.
Tip #2: Change up the wording of your searches.
Experiment with your searches and the actual words you type into search. If you’re looking for a chandelier like the ones I found above, here are some things you might type in to search for them on Facebook Marketplace:
- antique chandelier
- vintage light fixture
- old brass ceiling light
- brass and crystal chandelier
- antique brass light fixture
Each search term will give you different results. So experiment with the actual words you type into the search bar.
Quick Tip: Search Terms for Facebook Marketplace
When searching on FB Marketplace, if you are seeing too few results, broaden the terms. For example: try searching “white couch” instead of “white pottery barn style slipcovered couch”.
If you are seeing too many results, get more specific with your search terms. For example try “antique caned chairs” instead of “dining chairs”.
Tip #3: Train the Facebook Marketplace Algorithm.
Train the Algorithm to show you more of what you like! You can save your favorites by clicking the little heart below the listing photos.
You can also hide the listings that aren’t relevant to you. Click on the three dots in the top right corner above the listing photo.
Then you can click “hide listing” at the bottom of the screen.
Doing this really does work! I’ve noticed that when I do this often, I see more of the things I love at the top of the listings feed.
Tip #4: Set your search notifications.
Set a search notification if you’re on the hunt for something really specific.
When you type in a search term, you can filter your search by price point, color, material etc. Do this by clicking the little toggle / slider button right under where it says “Local” to the right of the location.
Once you have your filter options selected, then you want to click the little save button in the top left corner, right under where it says local.
This button will allow you to save your search and get notified of any new listings that fit your criteria.
Tip #5: Expand your location.
I don’t mind driving an hour or two for a really good find! So I always expand my location settings to show me a wider area of Facebook Marketplace listings.
You’d be surprised what you can find, and how many more options there are if you’re flexible on the location!
Tip #6: Change your location settings when you travel.
Speaking of changing the location… Are you taking a vacation soon? Visiting family out of town?
If so, consider changing the location settings on Facebook Marketplace to fit where you’ll be or even which towns you’ll be driving through!
BONUS Tip: See the potential!
Don’t just look at the listings on Facebook Marketplace for what they are. Instead, see the items for what they could be.
A little paint, new hardware, etc. can go a long way to making an older piece feel new and perfect for your home! Honestly, sometimes a good scrubbing is all a piece really needs. Try to look for the diamonds in the rough as you scroll FB Marketplace!
Speaking of paint… have you downloaded my free furniture painting guide? I’ll share it below!
How to Get the Best Price on Your Facebook Marketplace Finds
Now that we’ve talked about how I use the app to find things… I want to share a few tips that will help you get the best price for your FB Marketplace finds!
Tip #1: Know the “Going Rate” for Your Finds.
The “going rate” is the price an item typically sells for.
It’s so worth it knowing what the “going rate” is for your particular finds! Otherwise you could end up overpaying, or on the flip side, you risk offending the seller with a “low-ball” offer.
So how do you find out the “going rate” for the item you’re looking to buy?
Do a little research before you put in an offer.
Search for similar listings of that exact item on Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Etsy, Craigslist, etc. Read the descriptions and compare those listings to the item you’re thinking about buying. Kindof like how realtors “check the comps” for houses.
This will give you an idea of what the current market looks like for your particular item.
Tip #2: Wait It Out for the Deals.
To explain what I mean by “wait it out for the deals”, I’ll use the chandeliers I showed you above as an example.
Sometimes items on FB Marketplace sell right away. Sometimes they sit and sit, until eventually the seller lowers the price.
If you are looking at the listings often, saving your favorites, and paying attention to how fast those items sell or even how long they sit… you can get a good feel for the market. This makes it easier to spot the deals when they come up!
I looked for vintage brass and crystal chandeliers on Facebook Marketplace for months! I’d see them listed anywhere from $150 to $500 and sometimes even more than that. The $150 ones were very tempting. But I waited it out.
One day I saw one for sale for $10. But I hesitate too long and that one sold right away!
So when I saw the two lights I shared above, one listed for $50 and one for $80 I jumped on them! I knew that at that price, they would sell quickly. And I was right!
When I met the sellers, both of them said that they had multiple offers, even back-up offers in case the buyer, aka me, didn’t show up and pay for the lights.
Tip #3: Negotiate to Get the Best Price.
Even if you find a good deal on an item, it’s still ok to negotiate with the seller to make sure you get the best price on your Facebook Marketplace finds!
Try asking something like “Are you willing to negotiate on the price?” or “What’s the best price you can do on this item?”
You can also just reach out with an offer like “I would like to purchase this ___, would you accept $___ cash.”
Tip #4: Make Your Offer Stand Out.
Let’s keep this whole real estate analogy going!
When you find an item that is priced really low, or maybe even just an item that is a very sought after item… you want to make your message and your offer stand out to the seller.
This is because when an item is priced really low, sellers on Facebook Marketplace can be inundated with messages. Sometimes they get more messages than they are able to respond to.
Whatever you do, don’t send the pre-written “Hello, is this still available?” message! Erase that part and type a new message in your own words. Tell them why you love the item. Show them you are very interested and are ready to buy!
This goes a long way and will get sellers to actually respond to your messages.
Tip #5: Pay Ahead of Pick-up!
Sometimes a seller will say something like “first to pickup” or “first to pay” gets the sale. You can lock in an item by paying ahead of time with Venmo / Paypal (just be sure to use buyer protection feature).
I actually did this with one of the chandeliers I purchased!
The seller offered to hold the light for me if I paid ahead of time on Venmo. I really didn’t want to miss out on the light, so I pre-paid and picked up the light the following weekend when I had more time to drive out and meet the seller.
I’m so glad I did this, because throughout the week, other people offered to pick it up sooner, pay full price, etc. Paying ahead of pick-up locked it in for me!
BONUS Tip: Sell on Facebook Marketplace!
Selling items you no longer use or need is great way to make back some of the money you’ve spent on your Facebook Marketplace finds!
Sometimes it may even be worth it to pay a little more for your dream finds, knowing you too can sell on Facebook Marketplace and re-coup some of your money that way.
Let’s say you are shopping for a new dining table. Maybe you want a larger one, or just a different style for your home. And let’s say you find one you like for $200 on Marketplace.
Since you already have a dining table at home, and you don’t need two dining tables, you can sell your old table. You might make $50 or $100, by selling the old table. That will help you to re-coup some of the money you spent on the new table!
Safety Tips When Shopping Facebook Marketplace
If a deal looks too good to be true… it might be. Not everyone is honest, and not everyone has good intentions, so you have to use your best judgement. I personally have never had a bad experience shopping Facebook Marketplace. But you can never be too careful these days!
Always meet up in a public place if at all possible. With furniture and large items, sometimes that’s not possible. A seller won’t want to haul their dining table and 8 chairs down to the police station just for you to pick them up… but for smaller items, it’s worth it to arrange a meeting at a public place just to be on the safe side.
Always bring a friend. Period. Don’t go meet a stranger alone.
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I hope the tips I shared in this post help you find the COOLEST stuff and get the best prices on your Facebook Marketplace finds! Until next time…
Really great post. Learned a few things. Thanks.
So glad to hear that Pamela! Sorry I missed your comment, but I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the post. 🙂