Secondhand shopping is having it’s moment lately. With supply shortages and an increased appreciation for vintage items in design communities + among design enthusiasts, everyone is tapping into antique stores, thrift stores and online shops such as Chairish & Etsy more and more.
My personal favorite place to hunt for those hidden gems and good deals has become Facebook Marketplace, and I’ve learned a few things along the way for turning up the best searches that lead to those long-coveted items you’ve been searching for.
why I prefer Marketplace over thrifting
Personally, I don’t take the time to hunt through thrift stores weekly for hidden gems. I will occasionally drop into a local antique store but usually skip the secondhand stores. I prefer Marketplace because:
1) The algorithm works for you, so you can efficiently search new postings everyday in less time.
2) Because you can search by keywords in listing titles and descriptions, you have the ability to look for exactly what you’re searching for.
3) There is a larger availability of new, high-quality furniture pieces, vintage items and even building supplies that you won’t find at thrift stores.
4) You can search local-to-you items that don’t require shipping.
how to search Marketplace
Widen your search area. Willingness to travel pays off! All of my best Marketplace finds were at least an hour drive away from me. I live in a rural area, so I search the nearest cities – and sometimes all over Ohio, even into Indiana or Michigan. If you’re open to shipping, I’ve had good luck with shipping smaller items like artwork and decor as well.
Search often by checking in (at least) once a day. New listings are popping up constantly, so the more you drop in, the better chance you have of snagging a really great item. You don’t need to spend hours searching — I probably check twice a day, just to see what new listings have popped up that I’m interested in.
Save listings that are close to what you’re searching for. The great thing about Marketplace is the algorithm will push listings to the top that it thinks you will be most interested in based off of your recent searches and Saves. So be sure to Save items that you really love — even if you don’t intend to buy them. This is also a great way to keep tabs on items that you’re hoping to buy for less if they don’t sell immediately.
Search general terms as well as specific key words. Searching “vintage furniture” will turn up pages and pages of items, as will “old table”, “vintage art”, “antique furniture” — etc. Some great listings are very vague and will fall into a general category a few pages deep. Searching for specific brands and key words such as “Visual Comfort”, “accent table” or “brass wall sconce” will turn out totally new results, so be sure to search a few different terms for the item you’re hunting for.
pricing | what’s a good price? do you ever offer less?
While I think a “good price” is subjective, I generally go by a few rules. If the item is newer or something I can find listed online, I look for a price thats 50% retail if it’s never been opened and 60-75% off retail if it’s in good, used condition. In general you will pay more than thrift store pricing, but get a much better deal than Etsy or Ebay.
If the item is vintage, pricing is more subjective: I think $400 for an antique armoire is a very fair price, $100 would be a really good deal, and $800-$1000 is probably what it would sell for in an antique store around here. If you’re stumped on what a fair price for the item would be, do a broad search of Ebay, Chairish and Etsy to get ballpark of how much the item generally sells for.
Sometimes the seller will give the option of “Make an Offer” on the listing. If the button is there then that means they’re open to negotiating — and I always advantage of that. If an item is listed at a higher price than I’m wanting to pay, a few factors play into whether I offer a lower price or not:
– If it’s what I think is a fair price for the item, I will consider if I want to pay the asking price or keep looking for a less expensive listing.
– If the pricing doesn’t follow my general rules listed above, I will offer what I thin is a fair price based on the condition of the item.
– If the item is on the high end of what I’m willing to pay and I’m driving a ways to buy it, it’s been listed for awhile or isn’t in great condition, then I will offer a lower price before agreeing to the sale.
I do think I’m on the conservative end of this. If I’m honest, I have a hard time asking someone to bring their price lower if it’s a fair price. However, I don’t think there’s any harm in asking — they can always so no! I think this is a more of a personal judgement call.
Have questions or your own personal tips for searching Marketplace? Drop them below!