So have you used Facebook Yard Sale Groups yet? I personally love them for bigger items that would be hard to ship on eBay (plus no fees or shipping), heavily used items, or big lots of items. You can also use this to promote your yard sale time and location.
What Are Facebook Yard Sale Groups?
Facebook yard sale groups are usually centered around your location and are for buying and selling items. They are very similar to a classified ad. You will find that a lot of groups are closed, which basically means you need to request to join or be invited. If you are having trouble finding groups in your area, just ask your friends and they will know the best ones to use and can invite you.
How to sell or buy on Facebook Yard Sale Groups?
To sell:
- Go to your Facebook app or login from computer. (Personally I like to use the mobile app for this.)
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Find appropriate group.
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You can either list items in a post or my personal favorite is to use the sell button. Then fill in all the details. (What you are selling, price, pictures, and a location). Then post item.
Tip: By using sell button it will automatically put you listing in a special section to see everything you have listed. Look for Your Sale Posts on top of group page.
To Buy:
- Just comment and negotiate all details of the sale. Most sellers like to private message you for pick up locations.
Be on time and bring cash.
Enjoy your great new purchase!
Tips…
- Safety First! Always arrange to meet in public places, and bring someone with you if possible. If item is large like furniture, be careful of inviting people to your home. I would definitely have some there when they come.
- Be Careful with Personal Information! I have never had any problem, but you may want to be careful with things like cell phone number, address, and other information.
- Don’t Be a No Show! Whether you are the buyer or the seller be sure and meet at the arranged time. If you do this a lot, it can and will get you banned from these groups.
- Inspect Items! If you are buying inspect items at time of purchase. These items are most likely sold as a final sale. And remember to bring cash, because most sellers will not accept checks or credit cards.
- Include Pictures! To make your items sell better, it is best to include pictures and if item is of high value I would post several pictures.
- Be Descriptive! Include information such as items condition, size, color, measurements, and other information. The more information you include the better chance it will sell.
- Follow Groups Rules! Most Facebook yard sale groups will have some rules. You need to become familiar with them, and do your best to abide by them. That will keep you on good terms with the group and lead to a pleasant transaction for everyone.
- Bump Items! Most groups do not want you keep posting the same item over and over again. I will usually bump items after a couple of days. To do this all you need to do is post a comment on your item for sell and Facebook will pull it to the top again.
- Mark Items as Sold! After item sells and buyer picks up item, you then need to mark item as sold or delete item. I prefer to mark as sold, it is just so much more fun, plus it may bring attention to your other items.
- Post In Appropriate Group! This took me awhile to learn, but you have different groups for different interests. You are better to post baby items in a group dedicated to kids items, antiques with antiques, and so on. This helps you reach the right people who are looking for what you are selling.
- Check Group Size! A Facebook yard sale groups that 10,000 members will have a better chance of selling than 1,000 member group. You still need to post in the best suited group for the item.
- Cross Post! Okay this is at the bottom for a reason. While cross posting can bring you more traffic in other groups, but it can become confusing while talking to buyers. I recommend using this carefully, and maybe after you have sold a few things. You can you to your activity page to locate conversation, but that can be a pain.
For Facebook’s official rules on Facebook Yard Sale Groups please click here.
What tips do you have?
I would love to hear your success stories and any tips you might have for using Facebook Yard Sale Groups. So let’s get a conversation going in the comment field.