3 min read

First time selling on FB Marketplace

First time selling on FB Marketplace

Today was my first time selling on Facebook Marketplace.

Here's what I learned:

  • Add shipping options on larger items
  • Staged items sell quicker
  • It takes the same amount of effort to sell a $150 item, as it does a $10 item.
  • Everyone asks for a discount
  • If you're presentable, people trust the item more
  • People crave predictability even if it's boring AF

Pro Tip: include shipping options on larger Items

I have a king-sized bed. Aint no one got time for finding manpower and loading that onto a truck. So I tell them I can take care of shipping for them (I just Task Rabbit it and I add a 10% convenience fee for my trouble.)

Tomorrow I'm going to test out increasing the listing price by $60 and saying shipping is 'free' to anyone within a 15 mile radius.

Shout out to my girl Melissa for this tip.

My staged items sold quicker

This dresser was my first-sold item today:

This is what it looks like without staging.

Which would you rather click on?

It takes the same amount of effort to sell a $150 item, as it does a $10 item.

And the cheaper the item, the more people tried to get it for free or almost free. With bigger items, people were more likely to accept the price as-is or ask for just a minor discount.

Tomorrow I'm going to try bundling all the similar inexpensive items together and charging one fee, so that I can sell them all without going through the hassle on each individual item.

Everyone asks for a discount

This seems obvious but I'm a noob. Tomorrow I'm going to list things higher so people discount them down to what I really want to sell them at.

If you're presentable, people trust the item more

I learned this from a friend in Auto body, who said that if you bring in your car to get work done, make sure it's 100% clean and you dress well. The folks working on your car will assume you're really particular and they'll make sure they do the job the right way. If, on the other hand, you are a slob and your car is filthy, they'll be much more likely to cut corners when they fix up your vehicle.

Today I got a customer who was really particular about the big-ticket item she was going to buy from me. The item was in perfect shape but I didn't want her to hassle me, so before she came, I dressed up, did my makeup, lit a scented candle, and staged my home a bit.

I could see her shoulders visibly relax. "You have such a nice place!" she said, and bought the item with barely a look over.

People crave predictability even if it's boring AF

Everything cool and indie-brand that I'm selling is not getting any attention. My IKEA stuff though? Already mostly sold. Reason: people like predictability. They don't want to take a risk, especially when they can't just walk into my house like a store front and test out everything first.

There are also price points (mid-range) and sizes that are more popular and re-sellable. I'm fairly sure my King-sized bed would be gone by now if it was a full or a queen.