Navigating Facebook Marketplace: Top 3 Tips for Getting a Good Deal on Furniture

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Often when I’m sharing my newest thrifted furniture finds, I get asked how the heck I found it and where? And for so cheap?! I decided to gather all my best tips and tricks for finding great deals on Facebook Marketplace and put them in one place.

Okay, so you have a piece of furniture in mind that you’re looking for. For the sake of the example, let’s say you’re looking for a coffee table.

1. The first thing you’ll want to do is search “free coffee table” in the marketplace search. This is going to accomplish two things. First, it’s going to show you all of the free coffee tables, which is generally a win. But more importantly, it’s showing Facebook’s algorithm that you want to see free coffee tables more often. So if someone lists one in the near future, or one becomes free, FB is more likely to show it to you. This is going to help you out in the long run when navigating Marketplace.
   
    
2. Keywords. Okay, so you’ve searched for free coffee tables, and nothing good comes your way. Don’t stress! There are a couple of options. Go back to your search and type: wood coffee table. Most people aren’t going to list a wood coffee table as “wood” if it’s a pressed wood, or veneer product. Not to say pressed wood or veneer can’t be a good purchase, but if you want to find something solid wood, use the keywords “wood ______” or “solid wood ________.” This is going to narrow down your search and eliminate tons of time spent scrolling vs if you would have searched the common “coffee table” keyword.

   Keep in mind the perspective of the seller when navigating the negotiation. A lot of the time when solid wood furniture is put onto Facebook marketplace, the seller has usually had it for a while and is finally deciding to parting ways. Particularly in the case of true antiques or vintage furniture. Sentimental value can be hard to barter. If you come across a piece that is nice quality but priced as much as a new one, save it and come back later. Chances are the seller will eventually drop the price. In the meantime, refer back to the free searches and solid wood searches.

3. After a while, Facebook will show you what you want to see. This brings me to my next tip on what to AVOID. I mentioned it previously, but Facebook marketplace wants to know what you are looking for. Work the algorithm to your advantage. Avoid the urge to click on a random listing that you aren’t interested in, Facebook will remember and show you more of those things. So although it’s tempting to click on weird random one off’s, it’s better to only show Facebook marketplace that you like to see what you are intentionally looking for.

   Personal story break, somehow I accidentally clicked on a miniature furniture piece for dollhouses MONTHS AGO! Now I keep getting tricked since it can be hard to tell what is mini furniture and full-sized from a photo. I still get several suggested items that are for dollhouses and it’s the worst! Lesson learned, read titles fully and look at pictures before clicking on anything.

And that’s it! By simply letting Facebook Marketplace know what you want, knowing what to search, and being patient enough to let prices drop, you’ll be well on your way to letting Facebook find your perfect new piece of furniture and bring it right to you! Happy hunting to all my readers and please reach out if you want to know more!

Stay tuned! This September I’m doing a furniture flip series that will let you follow along as you purchase your new furniture, and flip it depending on the final product and the material it’s made from.