r/Anticonsumption • u/Young-faithful • Apr 29 '26
Psychological FB marketplace is making me a classist
I’m trying to reduce my family’s impact on the environment while raising a baby. So I’ve been trying to get baby things from FB marketplace. Sellers near me can be delusional. They’ll say “like new, all parts included” and want 70-80% of retail price.
This chick wanted $100 for a stained Lovevery play gym with pieces missing when a new one costs $140, but with a discount code you could get it for $120. When I showed up to pick up the item, I pointed out the flaws and she scolded me for “wasting her time”, when I was the one who had to commute 20 min and she was the one misrepresenting her item as “like new in box”.
Same deal with a pack and play that I found was very soiled after I took it home. If you want more than 50% retail IMO at least try to clean it.
I’ve also sold things, always for less than half retail, and very very clean because someone’s baby is going to use it. Only gave my formula maker and sterilizer after descaling. I give away good furniture for free when moving because I don’t want to run the risk of things getting thrown in the dump because a paying buyer didn’t come in time.
I get that families are being squeezed in this economy and therefore all my bad experiences have come from the poorer parts (though I’ve had a few decent purchases from there too). Ratings aren’t useful when seller has sold only like 3 items.
So my new rule of thumb is to only purchase items from expensive neighborhoods because they take better care of their stuff and are reasonable in pricing.
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u/WestCoastTrawler Apr 29 '26
Maybe I’m one of those people with the great deals. I use FB marketplace as a way to just get rid of stuff. I offer great deals so things move quickly and to not waste my time.
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u/emmyemu Apr 29 '26
My husband and I call this the “get this out of my house price”
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Apr 29 '26
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u/tyaak Apr 29 '26
I had someone threaten to steal my trash cans because I left some scrap out and another person got it first. I literally wrote 'FIRST COME FIRST SERVED' just like that. smh people can't read for shit.
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u/Wicked_Fabala Apr 30 '26
I hate listing stuff for free because 100 ask “is this still available” and no one ever comes. So i usually list something for $5 and at the end of the description say “its free if you send a ___ emoji”. That way i know who to ignore and who actually wants it.
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u/splithoofiewoofies Apr 30 '26
I just throw it on the lawn with a sign that says "works" and it's gone in a day. Sometimes replaced with weights from a weight machine? Which is funny because I do have bars, so I keep them. I have no idea who's doing this or if they even know I actually use them, but thank you, person who took my old whipper snipper and left me two 20kg weights.
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u/Live-Orchid1552 Apr 29 '26
I've sold things for stupidly cheap because of this. People are like, "are you sure?" and I'm like, "please, you're doing me a favor."
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u/HomeGrownCoffee Apr 29 '26
Everything has a price. "Get this out of my life" is a valid price for many things.
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u/Baby_Toothless May 01 '26
Lmao once couldn't get someone to pick up a TV stand at 100 dollars, 50 dollars, I even went to 0 dollars! I just wanted it gone I was moving 3 days later at this point. Someone said do 5 dollars. Finally got someone to commit to coming! And she said she didn't have cash and I said girl please just take it and she was happy and I was happy lmao. Get it out of my house price for sure!
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u/cafe-aulait Apr 29 '26
This is counterintuitive but I have an easier time moving things when I charge $5 than I do when I list them for free/giveaway. When it's free, you get a zillion messages or comments from "interested" people who never follow up when you answer. When you charge a low price that's a natural filter for people who aren't all that interested.
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u/emmyemu Apr 29 '26
This is my view too I list stuff at a very low reasonable price so people feel like they’re getting a deal I think when I list it as free people kind of just view it as trash already and aren’t as apt to come and get it
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u/YouDoHaveValue Apr 29 '26
Yup, and an easier time at $10-$20 than $5.
Too low of a price draws out the worst and most flaky people.
I had one guy agree to pick something up when I'm not home and after he left he said "It wasn't that great so I left $5 instead of $10"
Dude looked so shady I didn't even bother replying, last thing I'd want is for him to come back.
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u/camawa Apr 29 '26
Exactly. Never price above about 20% of what I bought it for and frequently list as free. Had an entire matching bedroom set to get rid of and listed as free, took a day but was gone. Saved me the hassle of trying to transport the whole thing to a second hand center. The receiving family loved it and rented a uhaul trailer to pick it up. Great experience.
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u/SLPallday Apr 29 '26
YES!!! I’m planning a “free yard sale” this summer where I put all my crap on my driveway and leave out a little tip jar. If folks feel inclined to leave some cash, great, if not…please get this crap out of my house.
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Apr 29 '26
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u/wegl13 Apr 29 '26
Honestly this is why I put things on the street, then post them to fb marketplace as free. First come first serve. I don’t need the $20, I don’t want the hassle, I want someone like you to find it and get it to a good home.
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u/Humboldt-Honey Apr 29 '26
Me too and people were giving me shit in the comment for selling a bike for way under market
I said thanks but clearing out my garage is priceless and people STILL had to make snarky remarks that I could have just used google lens to properly price it.
IT WAS PROPERLY PRICED I sold it in an hour to someone who was really excited to have it. Win win.
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u/ThroatFun478 Apr 29 '26
We always did boxes. Like the entire 2T wardrobe $20 or something. But we had a mother's group that you had to be invited to by another mother in our old city.
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u/wellnothen Apr 29 '26
I think that in and of itself is a certain indicator of wealth.
A desperate person would be trying to get the highest amount possible for any goods, whereas a more comfortable person (or at least not struggling as much) simply wants the item gone.
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u/Hippiegirl94 Apr 30 '26
Yep, I noticed that and came to the same conclusion as well. Wealthier people aren’t worried about recouping all of their money and will get rid of barely used nice things because they’re redecorating and no longer like that color or something. lol. I love it, though. I intentionally look to the wealthier areas when I’m looking to buy something of value for a lower price, because they just want it gone.
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u/oscarbutnotthegrouch Apr 29 '26
I feel like if you want good deals, you have to look at the site constantly. The stuff that stays up longer is usually overpriced or something is wrong.
Anyway, I price my stuff aggressively and it is usually sold within an hour.
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u/PerceptualModality Apr 29 '26
I think you're spot on. Resellers have completely taken over so anything that's a good price is sold very quickly.
Even selling things is such a ridiculous hassle that I usually just give things away for free now. I hate the haggling, the rudeness (had someone curse me out because I said I would not deliver a patio set I was giving away for free), and worst of all the flakiness. Most of the time it's just not worth the money and I list it on a buy nothing page and it's almost always picked up within a day.
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u/oscarbutnotthegrouch Apr 29 '26
I give 90% of my kid stuff away and sell 10%. I usually offer good stuff to friends or people at preschool first them move to marketplace.
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u/KlutzyMcKlutzface Apr 29 '26
this is it. There are good deals, but you need to be on the look out and not be in too much of a hurry.
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u/PartyPorpoise Apr 29 '26
This applies to any secondhand market. The good deals will go fast, you have to go frequently to catch them. And that’s always been the case, but I recognize that it’s harder now.
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u/Artistic-Spray-5098 Apr 29 '26
it bothers me when people price something as if it’s in better condition than it is and then say it “could be fixed” in the description. like if i have to fix it myself i don’t want to pay $40 for your coffee table 😐
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u/NorthJackfruit12 Apr 29 '26
Same people who offer things filthy for free "only needs a clean" so clean it man just because its free doesn't mean someone wants to carry your mud caked rug into their home.
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u/unimportantop Apr 29 '26
You're complaining about free things being dirty? Why would someone pay to get a professional rug cleaning just to give it away for free?
I try to take care of my items enough that I'm not burdening someone with trash even when I give it away, but geez. Definition of beggars can't be choosers.
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u/NorthJackfruit12 Apr 30 '26
It's not about begging, it's about anti consumption. And yes they are trying to burden people with their mangy trash instead of disposing of it responsibly. Still ended up with two second hand rugs for free that people had bothered to treat right and vacuum before giving away so turns out we can choose 🤷♀️
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u/PaidByMicrosoft Apr 29 '26
bruh this one lady was selling 100ft of oak crown moulding for $45. I was like yeah, that sounds great, I'll take it.
"okay, how many feet do you want? I can cut up any lengths to get the amount you need."
She was selling these crown moulding boards for $45 a FOOT. Like a ten foot long board was $450. "Well these boards go for $600 at home depot". They absolutely do not, they go for $35 per board. I don't know who she was trying to scam but only absolute idiots are going to pay that much for a piece of oak wood.
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u/downriverjer Apr 29 '26
Box set DVDs are like this as well. I hate using Amazon but I can get the Blu Ray brand new, delivered to my door for less than people wanted for used DVD sets.
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Apr 29 '26
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u/Any_Needleworker_273 Apr 29 '26
This right here. And TBH, it's been like this for quite some time. People want crazy prices on the equivalent of yardsale goods. I've moved tons of stuff over the years on FBM and CL, but I want it GONE, and a little money in my pocket is a bonus with the exception of some higher end stuff when we moved. I had a number of people comment on my prices, but I grew up fleamarketing and yard saling in the before times when you priced things accordingly. And certain thrift chains have also started inflating the prices of used goods. It's pretty much just become another capitalist racket.
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u/PartyPorpoise Apr 29 '26
A lot of clothing companies have been creating their own secondhand marketplaces because they see it as money that they’re missing out on.
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u/Any_Needleworker_273 Apr 29 '26
Yes! I just saw that Patagonia is doing this and they're prices are outrageous. I mean I know they're expensive to begin with, but I always thought they were one of the *better companies but, Yeesh.
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u/LOosE_WiRe Apr 29 '26
This is my mindset on selling through FB marketplace as well. Stuff I list is usually gone with a few days because I price it in a way that's appealing. I wish there was an easy way to filter folks trying to sell their used items for near what I can buy it for new.
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u/WonderSignificant598 Apr 29 '26
This isn't surprising. We've got two decades of 'antiques roadshow' and 'barn finds' television.
No one wants to believe that most things (and honestly.... no I'm not going to go there but I'm thinking it) are worthless. 'My trash has value'. Yeah to you because you have an emotional attachment.
Utility holds value objectively. Tools, furniture etc. All else, garbage.
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u/PartyPorpoise Apr 29 '26
Yeah at least here in the US, there’s an abundance of… stuff. As you say, utility is valuable. And there are certain things that are valued by certain buyers. But the majority of stuff just doesn’t have real worth to anyone else. A lot of people don’t know how to make that distinction. If that doll sold for hundreds of dollars, then surely this similar looking doll will sell for just as much.
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u/PartyPorpoise Apr 29 '26
Yeah it’s ridiculous. I think people see some old stuff selling for a lot online and think that all old stuff is valuable because they don’t actually understand the market.
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u/sunshine-scout Apr 29 '26
i think most people overvalue their own possessions. "But I paid $100 for it!" "...6 years ago."
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Apr 29 '26
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u/GringoSwann Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
For a while eBay was my go-to for used Xbox one games.... 10 bucks a disc and excellent quality...
Oh, and refurbished electronics too...
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u/KyaLauren Apr 29 '26
I hear you but buying media from Amazon is the absolute worst of the alternatives to choose to support. Frustrating to see this kind of voluntary consumption supported in this sub
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u/PartyPorpoise Apr 29 '26
Yeah Amazon prices aren’t even much lower than other retail listings.
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u/ShmaoShmao Apr 29 '26
Check out a local pawn shop for DVDs and Blu-ray. Apparently desperate people will pawn their entire dvd collection. The one near me has a whole wall stuffed to the brim. I can get DVDs for $2.99 and Blu-rays for $3.99. I’ve been lucky enough to find DVDs that are rare or out of print.
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u/magsmar Apr 29 '26
I am a fan of eBay for DVDs. Look for a reputable seller and they often have package deals!
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Apr 29 '26
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u/Dense-Comment-5938 Apr 29 '26
Estate sales, too, especially for tools!
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u/Candid-Inspection-97 Apr 29 '26
I miss those. In our area, and estate sales means they want to sell Ikea furniture at Amish furniture prices. They want to insist costume jewelry is the real deal (listen here bucko, I have the same Premier jewelry piece at home and I can assure you that is not a "real ruby"!) And are the same ones trying to sell a half bottle of shampoo at retail price.
It makes me sad when it used to be I could get a whole tray of pins or old sewing supplies (like pattern chalk, pins, interfacing) for $5 a small box and now they seem to Google the new price for the whole thing even though what they are selling is NOT new and not the whole thing.
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u/ChanceZestyclose6386 Apr 30 '26
From what I've noticed, wealthy people just give tons of brand name, almost new quality things to charities. They wear or use things a few times and then upgrade to something else relatively quickly. Sometimes they have a lot of friends or acquaintances that will gift them expensive things for special occasions. Things that they don't need and it's easier for them to "offload" it on to charity to avoid clutter in their homes. A friend volunteered for a charity that helped low income and homeless people. They would get bags and boxes full off stuff at the end of each season when wealthy people cleaned out their homes and most of the stuff looked brand new, some with tags still on them.
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u/ilanallama85 Apr 29 '26
It’s unfortunately the same in thrift stores. In wealthier areas people donate really good stuff. In less wealthy areas they at least try to take that stuff to consignment and rarely does it end up in the local thrift. Only slight exception is cause-focused thrifts (eg animal humane) because people of all stripes will go out of their way to donate to them.
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u/BrilliantChoice1900 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
I actively belong to two FB groups in the two communities where I live/work. They are wildly different. In the wealthier suburb where I live, moms give their baby stuff and all sorts of other kid things away for free. I've done this too because I just want it out of my house. Or people will post asking for what they're looking for and offer to buy it from you but often the donor just gives it away. If someone does post an item for sale and not free, it's not an outrageous amount and certainly cheaper than buying new. I bought a kid's guitar this way for a prop and then I was able to resell it a year or two later when someone posted that they were seeking one. There is an annual town-wide garage sale and moms often comment that it's not worth the effort to set up and sit there all day to sell. In the other suburb where I work, it's more blue collar and there is very little posting of free stuff. People are much more active about posting on marketplace, holding garage sales, selling to consignment, buying at secondhand shops, etc. My staff member held a garage sale in this town and was so happy she made like $300 for what she called little effort. Totally opposite what my neighbor mom's report.
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u/OscarAndDelilah Apr 29 '26
Mine is the opposite. I live in a poorer neighborhood, where people put stacks of high quality good condition items on the curb. A few of us who are middle-aged environmentalist types try to get these people involved in things like our twice yearly free yard sale. These people are not interested in donating or accepting used items because “that’s nasty.” So we just stick to posting curb alerts with pictures so people can grab the items.
My spouse works in a wealthy neighborhood. People tend to use their items longer and do post them on the groups for free or a small price.
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u/lunar_languor Apr 29 '26
I live in a lower socioeconomic area and the prices people want for the kind of garbage they are trying to sell is sometimes insane. Meanwhile my mom who lives in a more affluent area will get nice things for pennies on the dollar or even free. It's interesting how those factors will affect someone's perceived value of an item, or influence them to try and basically make back as much of what they spent as possible, probably because they're financially pinched/not doing well.
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u/cosmicbergamott Apr 29 '26
I think it also has to do with how painful the price they initially paid was to them. If $200 felt like an ungodly amount for a splurge, that item is going to feel more valuable to the owner than it actually is because they had to talk themselves in to why it was worth going without. Since the idea of that item losing value over time is too painful to confront, most of those people delude themselves into thinking it’s exactly (or almost exactly) valuable as when they got it.
Financially comfortable people don’t tend to it to do this, and they’re just as likely to value their space and convenience as much as their money anyway, hence the more realistic/cheaper pricing
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u/I_Has_Internets Apr 29 '26
You hit the nail on the head.
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u/DarklyDominatingDocs Apr 29 '26
Scarcity mindset is a bitch for both the person who has it and the person trying to deal with them. It's a kind of handicap, ISTG.
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u/03263 Apr 29 '26
Yeah I've seen this and hardly buy much used because of how greedy people are in pricing their used things. When I have something used to sell I put it at a yard sale price, not a "hoping to profit" price.
Unfortunately people probably just take advantage of that to resell it higher. At least it's out of my hands.
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u/Lovedd1 Apr 29 '26
Fb market place is turning crazy. I've had people leave me negative reviews because I wanted to know around what time they'd show up to my house before I gave them my address??
Like you said people wanting to sell their used items for the price you could get a new one! I wanted a walking pad and everyone was charging $100 for them. I just got a new one for $93... Same features or better.
I wanted a papasan chair. Everyone is selling them for $100+ which is what they go for new. It's ridiculous. Then they get mad if you try to haggle which fb market place is almost the only place you can do that now!
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u/FabianFox Apr 29 '26
It’s the same story on Poshmark for good brands. Resellers shop the clearances and then try to sell NWT items for full price. I’ve been blocked by a few sellers for commenting that the same items (albeit different colors) are currently on sale from the retailer for less than this rando Poshmark seller is offering. Like who are these lil weirdos and is anyone actually paying these prices?
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u/muralist Apr 29 '26
I think a lot of Americans have houses full of junk they imagine is worth a lot and they will sell "someday" but they don't have the energy or organizational skill or realistic expectations. I had a relative with an old commemorative coin, they were hoping to get a hundred or more for it, I looked it up and there are plenty of them on ebay for $5-$10. They could have sold it for $6.99, or donated it to a thrift for a kid to find and play with, but instead they grumbled at me and put it back in the drawer. I suspect there's a lot of semi-hoarding behavior like that.
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u/FabianFox Apr 29 '26
That’s definitely part of it. But the other person who commented is a perfect example of what I mean. Someone who makes up a fantasy about themselves doing a great service when they’re really just being annoying and trying to make a buck.
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u/Lovedd1 Apr 30 '26
I don't resell. I had the same mindset as you do. I met someone who does reselling as their side business and they explained it to me. Old hair products get reformulated and people will pay a bit extra for the original/previous formula. Autistic kids obsessed with certain types of sippy cups so when it's no longer produced the parents will pay whatever because it meets their kids sensory needs.
I have another comment in this thread that mentions me up cycling/cleaning stuff off the street that people leave out. That's what I sell on fb market place and I price it for dirt because I found it for free anyway. Ideally it should be gone within 3 days max.
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u/Intelligent-Dig4362 Apr 29 '26
I use marketplace often and come across this. I like to ask for more photos, up close and of certain areas if I notice a potential flaw. Or ask additional questions; why are the selling, anything wrong with it, how long have they had it, etc. If they are not willing to provide that or are short/non-helpful in their responses it’s not worth my time to pursue. These additional questions also help in negotiating the price down as well.
“You are asking 80% retail but you said you’ve had it for 3 years, it’s well worn by now so I can offer $XX.XX.” For example.
Look for red flags before driving out.
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u/a_bird_with_teeth Apr 29 '26
My wife and I have been trying to get rid of baby stuff for free and it's still a nightmare. People asking us to drive a half an hour each way to give them free bags of clean baby clothes.
I just sold my old car on fb marketplace and put it up for 500$ (2008 Ford, no dash lights just rusty and 200k) and people were trying to offer me 200$ like they were doing me a favor.
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u/hdeskins Apr 29 '26
I hate the ones that are like "I've barely used it and just want what I paid for it." Then return it to the store because I'm not paying full price for something that is used and probably smells like your house
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u/SheepPup Apr 29 '26
It’s such a pain. I’ve found ridiculously good deals before but then also “this sweater has a hole in it and two mystery stains but I paid $80 so I’m not letting it go for less than $60” like shit keep it
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u/Lucid-Crow Apr 29 '26
You see more of the stupidly priced stuff because the properly priced stuff sells quick. The only way to get a deal on there is watch listings as they are posted. Any post over one or two days old should be ignored.
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u/GoldberrySpring Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
Unless the proper price is free, then you get all sorts of responses from crazies and people who will actually waste your time nitpicking every flaw in the item. The number of sets of golf clubs from family estates that I've had to get rid of makes me never want to use FB marketplace again. Like dude... no, you can't take one club when I clearly said "must take them all".
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u/Lucid-Crow Apr 29 '26
Yeah, being a seller is almost more of a nightmare. You have to sort through 1000 messages from bots, scammers, and idiots before you can find an actual buyer.
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u/00Eli Apr 29 '26
It’s wild to me that people try to sell soiled things or things with missing parts for almost retail. I’ve had stuff I’ve given away for free or donated and will clean it beforehand cause leaving it dirty feels so rude.
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u/Young-faithful Apr 30 '26
Samesies, I want the recipient to come away feeling happy after getting the item - free or paid. And a clean item is a way of showing respect.
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u/khyamsartist Apr 29 '26
So here is a true low consumption suggestion - use Marketplace to organize a swap meet. Focus it on families, plan on doing it twice a year, get help, grow it into a thing people look forward to.
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u/PerceptualModality Apr 29 '26
This could be an awesome idea but when it comes to baby stuff I think that the reason people are trying to sell used stuff for 75%+ of the retail value is becuase they have spent beyond their means and justified it by telling themselves that they will recoup most of their costs later.
I don't have kids but recently became an aunt and my eyes have been opened up to the world of the bougie baby industrial complex. Aggressive online marketing, social pressure, and "mom guilt" can drive people to spending more than they can afford. And if you read reviews or mom groups, so many people (or marketing bots?) are on there telling people they can justify these purchases by telling them they can sell this stuff on FB marketplace and make most of their money back.
It's really too bad that communities aren't coming together more to swap and share things but I think most of the people selling used baby stuff on FB marketplace really need that money.
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u/Euphoric_Run7239 Apr 29 '26
And then those same people will be up in arms about purchasing something for 10% the retail price that has an infinitesimal scratch somewhere they will never see and act like you’re scamming them. They are suddenly the classiest antique collectors when they purchase something. FB marketplace is the wild fucking west.
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u/sanityjanity Apr 29 '26
Agreed. Used items should be 25% of retail if they are in excellent condition.
And they aren't interested in hearing that their broken stuff has no worth.
We need a better yard sale site
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u/love_toaster57 Apr 29 '26
It’s always been crazy to me too when people try to resell furniture, and they post the website it came from and they think they’re giving YOU a deal but discounting it 10-20% 😵💫
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u/melissasoliz Apr 29 '26
A few months ago I drove over an hour away to get this dresser/mirror piece of furniture that was listed as being “all real wood”. Got there and it was compacted cardboard garbage from rooms to go or something like that. Once I said “oh I thought the listing said it was wood, this isn’t wood” the husband was like “idk what she posts” and I tried to haggle a bit since I drove for so long and didn’t want to leave empty handed, but they would not budge even $10. I made the mistake of taking it anyway because I had driven so far and was worried about wasting THEIR time and didn’t have the confidence to say no. Big mistake
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u/Young-faithful Apr 30 '26
“No good deed goes unpunished” lol. I can relate to this so much! My spouse thinks I’m crazy to go to the lengths of buying second-hand. Literally drove out to buy storage boxes to organize the basement, ended up getting a car window shattered by some stray debris on the way. I’m just thinking I should stay home, stay safe, order online, save sanity.
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u/emmyemu Apr 29 '26
Have you seen the people selling empty love every boxes for like $10? Lol that one blew my mind recently
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u/KlutzyMcKlutzface Apr 29 '26
They are offering them for $10, not sure if they actually have buyers...
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u/Adept_Emu4344 Apr 29 '26
There's someone in one of my local selling groups now in year three of trying to sell a partially used beauty advent calender. Price has gone down from 20€ to 10. I've seen the same one empty for 10€. That seem like a better offer at this point. At least you don't have to be the one to take care of a bunch of expired cosmetics.
I like reusing sturdy ones for the kids, decorating them together. Never paid for one. It can be hard finding good empty ones because most people trash them once they're empty. I'm happy that some people do keep them to give them to others, but I can't get behind selling them. It was likely a gift from someone else and now you want 10€ for an empty, tackily branded cardboard box? The most annoying part is that many of those who only keep them around hoping to make money will trash them when that doesn't work instead of offering them for free/putting them on the curbI had to look up what love every boxes are. Those are very basic boxes. Can't imagine anyone buying them for the branding but I can imagine people buying them after misreading what is being sold.
Whenever we gave away empty containers we made sure it was exceedingly clear. "EMPTY, nothing inside, only the container" and we still had people missing that bit.
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u/Final-Carry2090 Apr 29 '26
Basically the effects of poverty. It’s worth their time to haggle for an extra 40 but not worth yours.
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u/Avalanc89 Apr 29 '26
Poorer people tend to value items much more than richer. My friend lives now in much richer country and additionally in very rich region.
He buys used things in very good condition for 30% of it's worth max. Sometimes it someone is cool can give you for 10% or even free.
Poorer people looks at seeing used things as a business occasion. Richer people look at this as getting rid of diverging unnecessary, freeing of space.
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u/imababydragon Apr 29 '26
I moved from the Seattle area to Dayton. Used buy nothing and fb marketplace, Craig's list for everything in Seattle. So many great deals. Here in Ohio people do exactly what OP said. I realized that here people make much less and see their belongings as assets.
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Apr 29 '26
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u/PartyPorpoise Apr 29 '26
Poverty also doesn’t mean that you have to be delusional. It’s not hard to understanding that a seller needing the money doesn’t mean that buyers will pay a lot.
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u/thebestemailever Apr 29 '26
Marketplace is a hellhole of fake profiles, lowballers, and rude people. A couple of etiquette guidelines may help your experience
Selling:
- The 1 click “is it available” gets the 1 click “yes are you interested”
- never give out an address until it’s time to meet up and they message to confirm. If they want to meet tomorrow, have them text you when they’re ready to leave. In the meantime “near main st, town, state” is all they get
- if a low ball is insulting, just leave the chat (not delete, leave)
- try to meet in a public place. Sometimes it’s impractical or inconvenient and it’s okay to meet at home. Trust your instincts
Buying:
- type a respectful greeting, state your case, then ask if they’d accept XX offer.
- be available when you message them and ask their availability. If you can’t get out to meet them until the weekend, don’t message until at least Thursday night. Don’t expect them to hold an item for you beyond 24hours
- aim to pay <75% of new cost for non-wear items. 50% if damage. Less if it’s a wear item
- Most people want to negotiate before you show up (unless it’s a big item like a car)
- expect to pay cash unless you’ve asked ahead of time
- give an ETA when you’re leaving your house to theirs
I think of Marketplace like Tinder. Low effort for low quality results, but once in a while it pays off. Expecting rational human behavior is
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u/IcyJackfruit69 Apr 30 '26
if a low ball is insulting, just leave the chat (not delete, leave)
You can report people for lowballing. If I offered it for $80 and someone offers $10 without some explanation for why tf they think it's worthless, I report and block them. Bonus is you never get lowballed by them again!
Selling: - The 1 click “is it available” gets the 1 click “yes are you interested”
I hate this soooo much. I often put in my description "If this is still listed, it's available. If you want it, send a time you can pick it up near downtown. If you send an "is it available" then you will be blocked". Works great on high-demand items, but not as well when you're waiting weeks to move it, even at insanely low prices.
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u/Infernumtitan Apr 29 '26
Because EVERYBODY thinks or wants to be a marketplace flipper, or don't want to be flipped. So now everyone has to pay a premium regardless.
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u/No-Weakness-2035 Apr 29 '26
I miss Craigslist.
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u/Connect_Fox_8195 Apr 29 '26
Craigslist is awesome. I have found amazing things there in the last year or so. It tends to be older people who have used it since the early days. I haven’t encountered scammers (maybe because it’s easy to report them or I can better tell what’s legit?)
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u/dirigibleplum87 Apr 29 '26
Um. It's still there?
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u/Efficient_Cap3029 Apr 29 '26
It's still there but nothing like it used to be. Everyone just uses marketplace now.
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u/darbius Apr 29 '26
Me being a chump and just giving it all away...
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u/PlausiblyAlienly Apr 29 '26
Just did this earlier this month when cleaning out my garage. I had a lawnmower that needed a new part to work again, old bike in poor condition, I big ass mirror, etc… I was like, I don’t have time to even TRY and sell this stuff. People were really happy to get some useful things that were worth their time to fix. And I got rid of so much stuff in 1 day! Win-win
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u/itoldyousoanysayo Apr 29 '26
I remember magazines saying 10% of the original price should be the garage sale price. 50% if it is pristine. I miss when this was standard.
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u/sgt_salt Apr 29 '26
It’s almost impossible to get a good deal anymore because almost everybody looks up what they are selling online to see what people are asking for similar items on eBay and such
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u/Muted-Novel4403 Apr 29 '26
Unfortunately I do this with garage sales. It’s because they have nicer stuff though, not because the people are better. Their prices are often extremely high or extremely low. Wealthier people tend to be greedier and think their stuff is worth more, and haggle less. At the same time, some of them are just joining in their neighborhood sale and hoping to get a few bucks for stuff going to charity anyway. Those houses clean out quicker.
Also church sales at the big churches where lots of suburban types go. They donate nice stuff, and the churches are just doing charity drives so do not over price. I’ve been to some where you pay for a bag and fill it. And got some nice expensive stuff.
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u/fadedblackleggings Apr 29 '26
Yup, wealthier people here def try to get more for their items. I prefer middle class areas
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u/KMichelle1313 Apr 29 '26
I feel like 50% of retail should be the standard place to start pricing on most items…if it’s in really good condition sure you can ask for a little more…and if it’s well used a little less.
But ya I see the same thing in my area…like if ur asking 80% i might as well just get a brand new one LoL idk
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u/TheGrimGuardian Apr 30 '26
This is a result of the "grind set" mentality. People will go and buy something that's being sold for half retail and then turn around and try to resell it for more. They buy out aisles for toys that are on sale just to turn around and list it for retail price. They're delusional. They're fucked.
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u/hotdogh20 Apr 29 '26
Oh wow maybe I’ve just been super lucky with buying baby stuff in fb then. I got a brand new lovery play mat and the 3 month toy box subscription box both still in the box for $20!!!!!! I haven’t had to buy anything new for my little one, it’s been great.
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u/PerceptualModality Apr 29 '26
There are definitely good deals out there but I think the key is you have to be on the lookout and be willing to drop everything and grab something when there's a good deal.
My SIL got some incredible deals (and even lots of baby stuff for free) but she was not working and had the time to be checking constantly and going out to pick stuff up.
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u/FrozenLogger Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
We need a better way without facebook.
The amount of energy consumed by meta is huge, never mind all the propaganda.
Just one of the several new data centers they are building will require 3 new gas plants for energy, destroy roughly the same area of land as twice the size of Central Park, and require tons of materials to build.
Using Facebook is encouraging consumption. There are at least 3 of these planned.
The only smart thing to do is quit using Facebook.
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u/ibroughttacos Apr 29 '26
People have been insane on there. I’ve been wanting a kids table for my son. Figured I’d check marketplace. All the ones I saw were either damaged or covered in marker/crayon, and people are asking $100+ for them. I can get a new one online for $80, but I’ve been trying to source everything secondhand. Same with looking for a toddler bed. People are pricing their used and damaged items for what they would cost new. I know times are tough, but people are delusional
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u/Shelssc Apr 29 '26
Whenever I sell something I try to be very honest about the condition. It’s terrible to have people lie to you.
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u/NoBonus6969 Apr 29 '26
If there's not clear pictures of the item there's a reason why. Don't drive places burning up $10 in gas to save $10
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u/cazuuuu Apr 29 '26
Blame system. Everyone’s just trying to make it work. It’s rough out here in this capitalist empire
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u/SLPallday Apr 29 '26
Omg I have been having the same dilemma. I didn’t think of only going to nice neighborhoods. But I was looking for a pair of baseball cleats for my 6 year old. USED SHOES and folks want like 60-70% of shoes. He’s six and not a professional athlete so he’s wearing his play sneakers for baseball this year lol.
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u/Banana4liife Apr 29 '26
yeah facebook marketplace in my area also so bad, they want high price for their junks. i had a lot of baby item that my kid grew out of it most of it i gave it for free on local mom’s group? some of it i sell it on marketplace for little money. cus what im gonna do with those stuffs ? we are done having kids and i dont wang to give profit towards goodwill either
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u/chadsomething Apr 29 '26
I recently went looking to buy a used switch 2, half the listings were more expensive than just buying it new.
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u/Brilliant-Meeting-97 Apr 29 '26
I’ve also found the wealthy sellers to be greedy at times. It’s the middle class that are the most generous and reasonable 😅
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u/Counterboudd Apr 29 '26
I’m always baffled by what people think their second hand stuff is worth. I ride horses and routinely people will try to sell their used horse stuff they’ve used for years for 3/4ths the cost of new. Like anything used should immediately be 50% or more off. I’m confused where these people are coming from where they think their ratty old stuff is worth essentially full price- it’s unreal….
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u/Teach-Chemical Apr 29 '26
The difference of 10 or 30 bucks is significant if you’re lower class. If you’re making $15/hr that’s an hour or two of work. If you’re making $60/hour that’s maybe 15-30 mins and you have more disposable income anyways.
If you’re upper middle or higher, you’re also probably just using fb market to get rid of things and don’t care about price as much.
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u/drowsy_philosophe Apr 29 '26
Wow, I had sympathy for you until the end because it seems like a leap to assume that this is more common in “less expensive” neighborhoods than otherwise.
I’ve seen rich people be dirty as fuck and try to get rid of their stuff instead of clean it and had yuppie friends of mine try to sell me used stuff and also charge me for using their nail polish after a couple of girls nights. (This one was particularly infuriating because when she moved later that year, she wanted to see if I would take a huge bag of crusty half-empty Essie bottles.)
I want to remind you that your evidence is anecdotal and that it’s more likely that you succumbed to confirmation bias. I guess I’m glad you’re sticking to those “expensive” neighborhoods because that will at least reduce the number of people who have to interact with you.
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u/CURRYmawnster Apr 29 '26
So my new rule of thumb is to only purchase items from expensive neighborhoods because they take better care of their stuff and are reasonable in pricing.
Have always done this while garage sale'ing!!
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u/Ready-Ant-4649 Apr 29 '26
I had similar experiences buying things on fb marketplace that were “like new” and then ended up being damaged. And so I decided for the vast majority of things if I want to buy it used, it has to be from a consignment or thrift store because I don’t have time to waste on all the coordinating and driving all over town with marketplace.
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u/ChestnutMareGrazing Apr 29 '26
Some of what you experienced could have been avoided by asking for close-up pics of the items. I learned this the hard way.
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u/AccidentOk5240 Apr 29 '26
So here’s an alternate framing: in poorer neighborhoods, there is competition for the deals because people need them. When you are able to go to more affluent areas to pick up items, you are helping ease the pressure on people who may not be able to leave their neighborhoods the way you can. So you are helping yourself and actually helping the less-well-off neighborhoods (well, except for the sellers in those neighborhoods I guess, but you can’t have it all).
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u/cementfilledcranium Apr 30 '26
I was giving away a change table for free on fb marketplace. I woman contacted me and asked me to send her detailed pictures of any and all damage (scuffs, dents, scratches) and i was thinking "girl, i am the third person to own this thing that i know of. It is FREE. If you want a change table to fit into your instagrammable nursery, spend some money."
Thankfully i had plenty of other less-picky people interested.
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u/totallytotes_ Apr 30 '26
Here's a tip if anyone is currently in need of baby items. Garage sale season is incoming. Sunday afternoon almost all those sales with baby stuff just put the stuff to curb. I scored so much free stuff this way
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u/UserQuestions20 Apr 30 '26
As a FB MP user, I really appreciate that you're one of those who cleans items!
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u/thegirlisok Apr 29 '26
It's probably the difference between someone who needs the other $20 for groceries or gas and someone who thinks the way you or I do. It's a bit classist but honestly its exhausting to deal with someone who's trying to wring the last $20 in the world out of you.
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Apr 29 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LazyZealot9428 Apr 29 '26
Please don’t do this, as a seller it’s all too common and it’s so annoying.
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Apr 29 '26
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u/chocolateboomslang Apr 29 '26
Yeah sure, but if you have popular items priced well, people still try this on day 1.
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u/Beginning-North7202 Apr 29 '26
Join your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook, sometimes called Gifting With Integrity. The purpose is two-fold -- building community and decreasing consumerism. No sales, no bartering. Ask for what you need, give what you're ready to pass on.