Transcription
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Well, hello friends, and welcome to my dining room. Today, we've got a really fun video ahead of us. We are going to dive into marketplace finds. I'm going to share some of my favorite tips for buying and selling on Marketplace. I'll also take you guys along, maybe do some like live shopping, and I'll also show you some of my very favorite pieces that I have found on Marketplace, including a couple things that you can see right now.
So, if you are somebody who wants to live frugally, if you want to avoid scams, if you want to find the best deals and find those things on marketplace and get them before your friends do, then you are in the right place.
So, I have to admit, this doesn't necessarily come from the most admirable place. I was actually sharing with a friend of mine. We were kind of like lamenting about some of the things that our husbands struggle with, you know, whether it's an addiction to fantasy football or an addiction to video games, or in my husband's case, he's addicted to like checking on shoe drops for like Nike shoes and stuff like that. I don't know. It's not my thing. But I realized that I also have kind of an annoying addiction in my life. And that annoying addiction is Facebook Marketplace.
So today, I'm going to share all of my secrets of how I was able to furnish our beautiful home on a tiny budget. Okay.
So, my very first tip before you actually go and get any items is to go onto Facebook Marketplace and save everything that you like. It doesn't matter if you can afford it or not. Facebook uses your activity and the things that you like to show you even better things as time goes by. Things that are more curated to your own style.
My next tip is probably the most dangerous one and the most time-consuming, and that is to check back often. If you are really looking for something that is on your mind or is a need in your home, it's important to keep looking like daily, if not multiple times a day, to make sure you can like slide in there and get that piece that you need as quickly as you can, because before you know it, those things are gone.
If you see things that you love, but they're a little bit out of your price range, I would also recommend that you hold off on pricey pieces on Facebook Marketplace, unless it's something that you love. Aster. So, for me, I knew that I really wanted this hutch right here. I don't know if it's pine or what, but when this was listed, it was $250, which I know might sound like a lot. It's actually not too bad when you think about hutches in general, but I loved that it had like this antique look. It had the glass doors. I could put all my cute little decorative items in here. I'm not crazy about the color, but honestly, it had almost everything I wanted and it was available on the date that I had a truck to be able to bring it to my house. And so, to me, this was worth it. But honestly, if it was not an absolute necessity for our home, I probably would not have spent $250 on it. I have found many others since this time that would probably be better suited for us and were definitely cheaper, and if I could do it over again, I would wait. But that's just how the game is. Like, no matter what you buy, in two years, something better is going to come up, and you just have to take that gamble.
So, obviously, when you bring home a big beautiful piece off of Facebook Marketplace, one of the wisest things that you can do is to clean this at first. And so, today I'm going to be cleaning a few of my favorite pieces around the house that I got off of Facebook Marketplace. I'm going to be using Branch Basics. These guys sent me over their ultimate starter kit, and this is one of my favorite things because their stuff is so simple. They sent over the concentrate, which is a multi-purpose cleaning solution used for any cleaning job when diluted with water. They also included the oxygen boost, which pairs with the concentrate for an all-natural way to tackle laundry stains and grout. They include laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets in your starter kit. They also include these cute glass bottles. They've got an all-purpose, a bathroom, a streak-free, and they also have a foaming handwash bottle. The concentrate is great because all you have to do is fill these bottles almost to the top with water and then just put a little bit of that soap concentrate on top, and you have an entire bottle of a safe and effective cleaning product.
One of the funniest claims about these products is that it says that they are human safe. I think that it's so comical that they put that on there because they're plant and mineral-based and biodegradable. They're free of fragrance, hormone disruptors, and harmful preservatives. They're baby and pet safe, so you can replace all of your conventional toxic cleaning products with these guys. Their ingredients are gentle enough to use on skin, yet strong enough to tackle dirt and grime. Their formula is made of plant and mineral-based ingredients without any harmful chemicals. This one concentrate does everything. You can replace dozens of toxic conventional cleaners with just one concentrate that can do it all. The bottles are refillable, so they are better for the environment and for your wallet. Also, if you subscribe to auto-delivery, you can save 10% on every shipment.
With having so many little kids in the house, plus honestly us as adults, it's really important to me to have non-toxic cleaning products as the only thing that we use in our house. They're also fragrance-free, which I really appreciate because we host so much, and I know that a lot of people are very off-put by strong smells in the home. Using toxic products can pollute your air, strain your immune system, and increase your risk of chronic illness. Everyday products under the sink, in your cabinets, and stored in the pantry may silently trigger headaches, brain fog, asthma, and more.
So, if you guys are interested in getting your own Branch Basics starter kit, you guys should click my link below and use my code KristenBB to get 15% off of your starter kit.
Okay, so also in regards to this hutch, be realistic about fixer-uppers. So, I bought this, like I said, not loving the color, and I was like, you know what? Like, wouldn't this be so cool if I could like strip it down, get it down to the original pine, and like do all the cool things that DIYers on the internet do? Let me tell you, it has been three-ish years since I bought this, maybe close to four. I'm telling you that that will most likely never happen. But I like it enough as it is to just keep it for what it is. You know, maybe one day, not today. If you buy a chair that you like the shape of, that you don't like the upholstery, are you really going to reupholster this whole chair? Like, you have to be realistic with yourself.
My next tip is to look for bad or ugly photos. I'm telling you, if I see a bad photo on Facebook Marketplace, I'm clicking on that thing instantly because typically it means that people do not know what they have. Like, or they just think it's junk. They just think it's old. Like, they don't care enough. If they're taking a junky picture of it, they are likely to probably take less money for it because they don't value it enough to actually put it in nice lighting or take a clear picture. You don't want to skip out on some of these amazing items just because they're like covered in dust or, you know, in a pile with a bunch of other things. In my opinion, an ugly photo equals a hidden gem.
So, when you're in your search, if you really like antique items, yes, you can put antique in, and you will get beautiful results. But you may actually get a better deal if you use words that are a little bit less desirable. Like if you use the word old instead of antique. Like somebody might say an old pan instead of an antique cast iron pan. You know, like it's the same item, but it's the amount of value that each person is putting on it. So if you use old, you're often going to get things that are, you know, in people's garages or basements that they just want to get rid of. But then using words like vintage can give you more options. So having a broader search will get you more hits ultimately.
All right. Once you find your piece and you are so excited, always ask for dimensions. Let me tell you, I have made some embarrassing mistakes. And there's nothing worse than asking your husband to take his time to drive to a different town after asking somebody to borrow their truck and bringing this whole thing back and realizing that it does not fit in your space. And let me tell you, that has happened to me. Don't eyeball it. Just trust me. I know that it may delay your ultimate response by asking a couple questions about it, but you don't want to waste your time or their time by doing all of this just for it to not work out.
I was so thankful that I did this when it came to this little TV stand. I don't know what you want to call this little thing, but I got this for, I can't remember. I think it was like $75. But y'all look, it literally goes right up to here. And I would have felt like such a loser had I bought this whole thing and it came out to here. That would have not been a good deal.
Another thing, before you go out to some random person's house in the middle of nowhere, look into the people that are selling. I often will ask friends on Facebook, like if there's a mutual friend, like, "Hey, do you know this person?" Just kind of like check on my safety. I try to take Josh with me as much as I can, but if you see them and they have no reviews, or if it's like a brand new profile, just use your gut, trust your intuition, and if it doesn't feel right, then just walk away. Listen, we don't need any missing person's situations just because of an antique ironstone picture that you saw online.
Okay? Hey, and speaking of the middle of nowhere and living out in a small town, if you live in a city, I would recommend expanding your searches to encompass small towns around you. If you're willing to make the drive, like around here, there are small towns all over the place, many within a 30-minute drive. And in small towns, people typically have lower prices because people are not as likely to have them within their search and they're not as likely to drive out. But small towns also are known for having older homes or more historic places. And often you can find the best vintage items in small towns. What I like to do is make it like a little mini road trip. Like get a coffee, have an adventure, have like a little bit of alone time if you can. Maybe your husband can keep your kids, and you can make your own adventure going to a small town gold mine.
Next, I would recommend sending friendly but very direct messages. Listen, you don't want to waste these guys' time as much as you don't want them wasting yours. I always go into it saying, "Hi, their name. I'll take this. When are you available for pickup?" So, I go into it as if they've already agreed to it. I'm trying to get in there as somebody who is absolutely interested and I am ready to go. Now, once they respond back with like, "Yes, it's available. I have this time." I will say, "Would you consider taking blah blah blah for it?" You know, like I will almost always haggle in Facebook Marketplace. You guys want to negotiate smart. Use OBO or Best Offer to your advantage.
And I always use a little trick. I always go to share the listing to my profile. And when you do that, I'll show you guys how to do it. When you share it to your profile, it will show you how many days that this item has been on Marketplace. And you can use that to try to figure out how much you want to negotiate with these guys. I would say that if it's been up for, you know, just a day or so, I mean, you can try to negotiate. If it's been up for a week or more, game on, we are going lower. And if it's been up for months, I would say you can definitely go lower, maybe even as low as like two-thirds or even a half of the price. And a lot of times they'll take it. I will say though that if you're within the first couple months, just be honoring to the people that are trying to sell things. Obviously, they're trying to make money as well. I would recommend to never offer less than two-thirds of what they're asking for. It just kind of feels rude, and you don't really want to be that person.
But if they say yes, be ready to send a deposit. This is kind of annoying. I don't love doing this, but if it's a really hot item, if you snooze, you lose. So, I can't tell you how many items I have put down deposits before I ever even saw it. I don't know if it's like the wisest thing, but it's turned out pretty well so far.
When it comes to picking up items, I would always recommend taking somebody with you. I will take my husband as many times as I can when he knows that I'm picking up items. If he's not with me, though, I always try to arrange at a public place, typically like a parking lot of a bank or a grocery store or something like that. And if for some reason I do go to someone's home, I obviously never go inside. Like, I think that that's just basic wisdom.
So like everybody, I have made mistakes in the past with what I've bought off marketplace. I've bought things that were too big, too small. I bought a couch that we currently have that the leather on it was so thin and it all like ripped within, I think, a month of us owning it. It literally is in such bad condition. Be sure to look at the listings and ask online like, "Is this real wood?" One of the most annoying purchases that I made was our coffee table that I thought was real pine, and it wound up just being like particle board with pine over it, so that when I sanded it down, it just chunked up into a million pieces. Also, there's been things that I've thought like, "Oh, I can fix that." Let's be honest, I'm not fixing anything.
So, when I'm going through my feed, I am looking for real vintage antique pieces, real wood. I want unique vintage finds, statement pieces, all of that. Facebook Marketplace is almost the only way to go. Like, unless you're just made of money. Let me tell you that if you are young and just starting out, Facebook Marketplace is for you. Like, why waste your money on junky stuff when you could have high-quality items that you're getting for a fraction of the price?
So, this is actually one of my all-time favorite Facebook Marketplace finds. This is my antique desk that I'm obsessed with. It is a little bit broken, but I got it for $50, and I still can't believe it.
I'm going to open up my computer and let's take a look at what's on Facebook Marketplace right now, and I can kind of share with you guys what I look for and what I don't look for. This is going to be a live shop, so I have no idea what's going to be on here.
Okay, we are officially in Marketplace. There's a lot of stuff that's in Lincoln, unfortunately. And I live close enough to Lincoln that it's not that big of a deal, but I have to like really want something to go all the way to Lincoln. So, this is kind of a cool coat hanger thing, but as you can see, they've got like boxes and stuff in front of it. That's a good, that's a good sign. That means that they just want to get rid of it. And $100 isn't too bad for an entry. What do you call this? Like a hall tree. Listen, something that Josh and I are always looking at are like old like pickup trucks and stuff like that. That's like a pipe dream, but I would love that. $7,000. Not cheap, but not too bad.
Here is a vintage claw foot tub. Okay, so you guys can see that this is super nice, and it's only $175. But that is because it is in a town called Schleswig, Iowa. Never even heard of it, but that's what I mean. Like, if this is something that you're looking for that you really like, if you can find it in a small town, you can generally find it for much cheaper than finding it in a big city.
Oh my gosh. Okay, here is a huge steal. It's two Windsor chairs. Do you guys see that? These are listed for $35, and it's only been 18 hours ago in Omaha, which is not far from here. It says two sturdy Windsor chairs. One back spoke is missing. $35 for both. Okay, so if my husband wasn't about to kill me because I had too many chairs in our house, I would absolutely take these people up on this deal. Even if one is missing a spoke, these are beautiful chairs. And the fact that they're antique and it says sturdy is a good sign, too.
This is actually not too bad either. It's a cutter quilt for 50 bucks. Usually quilts are over $100. And so the fact that this one is only 50 bucks, it's not too bad.
Okay, so this one is actually pretty good. It says kitchen vintage and collectibles, but they're $20 in Syracuse, Nebraska, which I I don't know how far away that is, but the shelf is $20. These tin pie plates are five each. I'm kind of interested. Again, it's in a town that I don't even know where it is, so I probably shouldn't even go there.
You can always go to free stuff, too, and see what they have. It's generally kind of sketchy, but it's not always bad.
Here are my saved items. I got a vintage handmade quilt for $75 that I found. I have an antique table for $150. That's in Springfield, Nebraska. Some cute little bentwood chairs for $30, but it looks like these sold. Cool Afghan rug that's only $160 bucks. These are always so expensive. American Girl dolls for $50, but looks like these also sold. So, these are the type of things that I look for. Like, I told you guys that I've been looking for barnwood quilts. Man, this one was only $50. I probably should have gotten it, but I got that other one instead. Listen, don't ask me why I'm saving canoes. This girl just wants to live on a lake and canoe every day. Is that too much to ask?
Okay, well, that does it for my tips and tricks. The thing that makes Marketplace so much fun is that it's truly a treasure hunt. You just have to know where and how to look. And it's important to have fun, be smart, and don't settle on Facebook Marketplace. There will always be more on there, and the opportunities are endless.
So, if you guys want to let me know what your favorite marketplace find is that you ever found, or if you yourself have like any fails on Marketplace, y'all, I have so many fails on Marketplace. That's why I'm so wise. Anyway, I would love to know those if you want to put them in the comments.
If you guys are not familiar with me, my name is Kristen Hoffman. I'm a wife and a mom who loves thrifting, homemaking, and intentional living. If you guys are new around here, I would love it if you gave us a subscribe or like the video. Share this with somebody that you know is obsessed with Marketplace. We have a lot of fun around this channel, and I really hope that you stick around. So, until next time, I'll see you later. Bye.