It’s really no secret that I love secondhand furniture. I’m proud of it. It honestly makes me happy to own something that’s pre-loved. It keeps goods out of landfills and is a great way to get what you want – for lots less. For anyone skeptical, I’ll just say this – friends were shocked to learn that all of my homes have been semi outfitted by the likes of Facebook Marketplace and Offer Up because how would you know? I find goods that have been well taken care of and as my husband Jake jokes – have made lots of friends along the way. I’ve heard lots about people moving out of state, people who are redecorating, and family members who are passing along antiques to new homes.
Alright, so what’s the secret to not getting frustrated by secondhand shopping? Here are my top tips.
#1 Know what you’re looking for
The advent of the infinite scroll on these apps makes it easy to get lost in the sea of used goods. It was much easier when there was only Craigslist, and the interface made it impossible to find something without knowing exactly what you were looking for. You were forced to search and relied on savvy sellers who described and tagged their items with precision. Now, it’s easy to spend hours mindlessly getting caught up in viewing pretty midcentury finds, vintage curiosities, and furniture still sold in stores that makes you think “I like this. Maybe I should get it. What would I do with it? Does it go in my house? Actually, I really don’t need this.”
So, have a purpose. What exactly are you looking for? A small cabinet? How big? Are you flexible on the material? If you’re looking for wood or marble, use those specific terms in your search. Are you looking for matching nightstands? Try using search terms like “pair” and “set”. I’ve had luck finding great fits by using numbers in my search. For example, if I know I need a coffee table that’s at least 36 inches long, I’ll test terms like “coffee table 36”, “coffee table 37” etc. It’s super specific, and you’ll know you’re getting something that will be a perfect fit for your room.
#2 Set alerts and be patient
This is an extension of tip #1. If you have your eye on something but don’t want to spend the money to buy it new, set an alert and be patient. A few years ago, I was shopping at West Elm and Jake fell in like (he doesn’t really love furniture like I do) with a leather office chair. It was about $900 new. We didn’t really need a new office chair; it was a nice to have. So, I went home that evening and set up an alert for the exact chair we wanted. A few weeks later, I got a notification that someone was moving out of state and was selling their chair. Perfect! I negotiated on price, and we got the chair for half off of the store price. I’m happy to report he’s still working away (lots more these days) in that comfy chair.
#3 If you see something you want, jump on it
Ok, so you found THE THING you’re looking for – now what? The first thing to do is to reach out to the seller and get more details. Are they willing to sell the item for $50 off their list price? When are they available for you to come by and pick up? And don’t forget to ask this: are they selling the furniture “first come first served” or “best offer”? I emphasize this last question because if an item has a lot of interest, the seller might be incentivized to take a better offer. If you really like it, see if you can get the person to commit to selling it to you and offer a quick pick up. Don’t lose THE office chair you’ve been waiting to buy because someone offered $15 more. Ask about price and show you’re serious.
This may sound silly, but we got our dining room table off of OfferUp and it felt like we won the lottery. I had been searching for a midcentury table with the same coloring as our wall-paneled den. I wanted something that could seat 6-8 people and I wanted cane back chairs. So yes, I was searching for something super specific. The other catch was that I didn’t want to pay the insane prices for midcentury tables listed on FirstDibs. I got a ping that a new table was listed from my alerts, and it was located in Milwaukee. About an hour and a half away. I offered list price ($800 for the table and 6 chairs; a great deal!), and Jake jumped in the car to pick it up. We left no room for others to compete for this great find.
If you’re using Facebook Marketplace, high interest items have made buying a bit more tricky. I’d bet that Facebook has implemented some backend algorithms that surface goods that get more clicks. More clicks means more competition. If you find yourself vying for one of these items – be careful. If you can “win” the item – great! If you find yourself frantically writing the seller without a response back, maybe it’s best to wait for another item. If you love gambling, maybe this works for you. For me, I’d rather have it be a pleasant experience.
#4 Be a nice human
My last and final tip is the most important one. Buying and selling furniture online can feel very transactional if you let it. Most people want to know their stuff is going to a good home – especially if it’s a family heirloom or maybe a parent who is parting ways with pre-loved baby furniture. So, when you reach out to someone, be kind. Always use their first name in your chat. Never use the auto-generated responses like “Is this available”. They’re too cold and convey a lack of seriousness. I like a good back and forth about a product and as a seller, I’m always happy to answer questions about my furniture – if the person is respectful of my time.
I’ve always known that being more personable when interacting on these apps increases my chances of buying the item, but I never had anyone specifically tell me that – until last month! Jake and I were in the market for a few more Sonos speakers. I followed my recipe: created a specific search: “White Sonos Play 1 Speakers”, set an alert, received notification someone nearby was selling, and suggested a quick pick up. I offered $75 less than his listing price for two speakers, and he transparently told me that he had a better offer but that the person wasn’t as nice! And there it is folks – proof that sellers do care about who they’re interacting with.
