All about Facebook garage sales…
Do you ever wonder how some people always seem to get their hands on great deals that you can never find? Do you feel like you haven’t gotten your ticket for the clue train?
Today, I wanna share with you one of the BEST resources I’ve got for snatching a deal. The Facebook garage sale circuit.
*This post contains some affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.*
Here’s your ticket, and ALL ABOARD. This is the “Bargain Express”, and we’re about to leave the station…
When I was a kid, sometimes, I got hauled around to garage sales in the summer time. My Dad loves a good deal, and he instilled that same cheapskate, budget-conscious mentality in me. There’s no doubt yard sales are great places to find deals.
Problem is, traditional garage sales are a pain in the tush, no matter how you slice ’em. First, you gotta haul all your junk out of the basement. THEN, you make those cheesy signs and staple them to every STOP sign in your hood.
THEN, you gotta deal with the HAGGLERS…face to face. Always the first ones to your driveway in the morning…these are the people who notice a book marked for 10 cents, and they want it for 5. Seriously?
Did you know you could avoid (mostly) all that drama, and just do the yard sale thing VIRTUALLY???
We all know about Craigslist. I’m a big fan of Craig, too. But, for those of us who live in more rural areas, Craigslist doesn’t always work that well. So, wherever you live, but especially in rural areas…
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Facebook garage sale sites are the way to go!
Got questions? I got answers:
1. How do I find a Facebook garage sale site?
Good question, easy answer. While on your Facebook homepage, simply search for the name of your town, or a nearby town + yard sale…here’s an example from my page…
On the top search line, I typed “Alexandria yard sale” and 8+ options popped up. So, your next question is…
2. How do I join a Facebook garage sale site?
Some of the yard sales are so called “Open” or “Public” groups, which anyone can sell/buy on. I would NOT recommend using these types of sites.
Why? Well, if you post something, or comment on an item found in an “open” group, that means all of your 37,846 Facebook besties will be able to see that you’re selling the Bath & Body Works gift basket one of them gave you for Christmas last year…let’s just avoid this embarrassment and stick to the “Closed” or “Private” groups.
To join a “Closed” or “Private” yard sale group, there will be a “Join Group” button on their Facebook page. In the example below, for Des Moines’ site, there are two “Join Group” buttons.
Just click one, and as soon as the page administrator approves your request, you’re in! Once approved, postings for the group will begin to filter into your newsfeed. If they fall off, or start to disappear, just go to the page every once in a while to engage in some way so that Facebook knows you’re still interested in seeing that content.
3. How to I buy & sell on a Facebook garage sale site?
Easy breezy lemon squeezee, my friend. But before you start rummaging through your garage, know that each site has house rules. Make sure you know them. If you don’t, you’ll probably get a nastygram from the site administrator at some point. Most of the sites have very similar rules, so that helps.
As for posting an item, it’s no different than updating your Facebook status. Just go to the top of the group’s page (NOT your personal page) and write a post for the item, just as you would if you were updating your Facebook status.
Definite information to include in your posting:
- Price
- Condition
- Images (GOOD ones)
4. BUY BUY BUY and SELL SELL SELL!
You’re off to the races!! Let’s go MAKE SOME BENJAMINS, and find some stellar deals, boys and girls!
One last thing that I want to clue you in on so you can avoid some embarrassment. These sites have their own lexicon. SO ANNOYING, right? Why does everyone have to speak in code these days?
Without giving you TMI (too much information), I wanted to fill you in on a couple of the most common bits of lingo so that people who are already in da club won’t be lookin’ at you like, “Hey, NUB (newbie), WTH (what the heck), RTM (read the manual),” and scoffing at you like LOL (laugh out loud) with a WEG (wicked evil grin). You can say “THX” later, LOLOLOL.
Common Online Yard Sale Terms:
- P/U = Pick-Up, usually followed by the location you’d like to meet to sell an item. Typically, these transactions are done in a public space…such as “P/U Target parking lot, Wood Dale”
- PPU = Pending Pick-Up, sellers will write this in their listing when the item has been spoken for.
- Cross-Posted = Written in an item’s description to let buyers know that the item has been listed on multiple sites (Craigslist, other yard sale sites, etc)
- Bump = Sellers will use this term to comment in their own listing and “bump” the item back up to the top of the feed, to give it more exposure. There is usually a rule about how often an item can be bumped…typically once/day.
- ISO = In Seach Of
- OBO = Or Best Offer, meaning if the buyer cannot get the price listed, they would consider other offers.
- Interested = What potential buyers typically write in the comments if they want to purchase your item
- Sending PM = Sending Private Message. This is how a potential buyer will communicate with you as a seller. Typically, since these people will not be your actual facebook friends, any messages from them will be filtered into what facebook calls your “other folder”, which can be found at the top of your facebook page, under your message folder. Here’s a picture…
Hope you get some use out of this little tutorial. I know I could use some more peeps on my local sites to swindle…I mean haggle with…er, that was, trade goods and make friends with.
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Daisy D says
I was wondering what "bump" meant in the group I belong to – thanks!
Anonymous says
A popular term on some of our local sites, rather than cross-posted, is poos. (Posted on other sites) :).
Heather says
Hadn't heard that, and truthfully, I kinda feel like if I saw "poos" in an item description, I may head for the hills 😉 But glad that you've posted this so we can add this to the lingo list!! Cheers! Heather
Angela Neese Rathbun says
Thanks for giving me ticket to help me get a clue! I seriously had no idea about this! Thanks for linking up at The Creative Circle! I hope you'll join us for the party again this Thursday – I can't wait to see what you'll have to share!