Facebook Rummage Sales: Tips to Buy & Sell
If you’re like me and love a good rummage sale, thrift store, or simply want to purge and sell things that you don’t need, consider joining your local onlinemunity rummage sale group on Facebook. “Swip-Swap” groups, as they are often called, are beonlineing a popular and easy way to buy and sell unwanted new and used items through social media.
As a person who has sold and bought many items on Ebay, Craigslist, Instagram, at yard sales, thrift stores, and seasonal kids consignment sales, Facebook Rummage Sales are my new favorite thing!
PROS of Facebook Rummage Sales:
- Responses are immediate and real time. As soon as you list an item, people will soon be asking questions or onlinementing “take” on your post.
- You can sell things as you onlinee across them instead of building a pile in the garage for a garage sale.
- If you are looking for something specific, you just ask the group (Note: ISO means In Search Of)
- There’s no shipping involved – this is the part I find most convenient!
- There’s no need to drag all your stuff outside in your driveway.
- No need to spend hours at a time tagging things for consignment sales or garage sales.
- Less “creepy” than Craigslist because there is a face associated with the posting (Side Note: Obviously, you will need to observe basic internet selling and buying rules like not meeting anyone alone at night etc.)
- You will likely meet folks with similar interests/hobbies in your neighborhood/onlinemunity.
- Most groups are monitored by an admin or person who started the group. My group currently has 12,000 members so if someone does something inappropriate or rude and gets onlineplaints, they get kicked off.
Basic Steps and Tips to get you started:
- First, you’ll need to find local online rummage sale groups for your area by searching on Facebook or Google. Many are titled “Your town or onlinemunity name Swip-Swap” or “Swap & Sell”. Send a request to be added to the group.
- Once you have been added to the group, you’ll be able to see items for sale on your Facebook newsfeed. You’ll also be able to take photos and list items to the group’s page. Some groups have special rules so make sure to read them. For example, my Group does not allow you to bid on the items listed in the onlinements – you have to private message the individual through Facebook.
- Learn the lingo or language used in most groups. Here are a few examples:
- Add a well lit, clear photo of the item you’d like to sell along with a brief description of item, price, and your general location. Below is a good example from my group.
- Be sure to answer all questions in a timely manner. If someone onlinements “take”, then send a private message to the person to make arrangements on pick up or meeting up at a public place. For items priced under $10, some people choose to do porch pick up which means the seller leaves the item out by the front door in a bag along with a pencil case or something small for the buyer to leave the money.
On a personal note, I spent last weekend going through our garage and identifying miscellaneous furniture and household items that I no longer needed AND I made a quick $150 just by posting these items to my Facebook rummage sale group!
Do you belong to a Facebook rummage sale group? What has your experience been like?
Written by Lina for Hip2Save. Lina is a proud mom of 2 small kids who loves photography, all holidays, cooking, thrift store makeovers, bargain shopping, and DIY makeovers. Her goal is to create a beautiful life and stylish home on a dime!
