Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at VCU chapter.

I love Facebook Marketplace. For those of you that don’t know what on Earth I’m talking about, Facebook Marketplace is a page on Facebook where users can buy and sell things like a virtual yard sale. It has been a game-changer when it comes to furniture, clothes and shoes, home decor and more! I personally bought my gorgeous kitchen table and chairs on there for a fraction of the retail price!

One reason I love Marketplace is because it is an easy and convenient way to buy gently used items or well-loved fixer-uppers. Most people spend a lot of time scrolling through social media already, so adding a place on Facebook to buy products is super convenient. It is also nice because you can filter your search to only see things for sale near you. This makes the pickup quick and simple which is important for many people’s busy lives. It also guarantees that you are supporting your friends, neighbors or community members by buying from them, which is another thing that I love. Why go out and buy something brand new without checking Marketplace where your neighbor could be selling the exact same thing for a fraction of the retail cost? 

Buying on the Marketplace is great, but so is selling. It is a very easy process, which I love. All you have to do is describe the product, price it, add a picture or two then post it! Plus, you have the option to make it only available to your Facebook friends, or you can make it public. I have sold anything from clothes, hats and shoes to electronics on my Facebook Marketplace. It is especially nice as a college student always in need of extra cash because it is pretty easy to find things that you aren’t using anymore or that you just don’t need.

Another great aspect of Facebook Marketplace is that you can choose to join individualized yard sale groups. Since I am from Louisa County but currently live in Richmond, I am a part of Louisa, RVA and Chesterfield yard sale sites. Being in multiple groups is awesome because there is always such a variety of things being sold. Sometimes, you can even come across people giving away stuff for free, which is like hitting the jackpot if it is something that you need.

No matter how easy it is to use social media as a way to shop, nothing beats going out to actual yard sales and digging through piles trying to find that one prized item. Luckily, Marketplace and yard sale groups are also used to post pictures of real yard sales, their locations and an overview of what they are selling. This is way better than just having an address to a yard sale because you can see if they are even selling anything that you need or want. For example, I see lots of yard sales selling clothes and shoes. If you are looking specifically for a coffee table or a couch, this wouldn’t be the sale for you.

Happy shopping!

 

Image Credit: 1

Kristen is a senior with a major in Elementary School Education. She loves to read, camp, and hang out with her two dogs and awesome husband.
Keziah is a writer for Her Campus. She is majoring in Fashion Design with a minor in Fashion Merchandising. HCXO!