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Facebook Marketplace - Is this a good place to sell?


RH

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I don't use Facebook really but I do have an account that I use to connect with a specific organization.  I'm going to be listing a bunch of stuff here and, eventually, probably eBay.

My thing is, I'm trying to avoid listing every single item on it's own sell page but some of my stuff is in the $50-200 range and I'd like to post lots people can browse and then make offers.

So, I've posted some classifieds here and I just posted two of those to Facebook.

So, for you guys who resell stuff, other than eBay, where is the best place to move your stuff and get fair prices as a seller?  I'm willing to wheel and deal on a game by game basis, and I don't mind shipping but setting up an auction can take 5 minutes.  I have multiple hundreds of items I'd like to sell and I don't have that much time on my hands to list them all on eBay and I'm not yet ready to bundle games in lots of 10-20 games to post them since a lot of them aren't the el cheapos.

Is FB a good place for these type of sale, or do I have other, better alternatives for posting lots and working directly with potential buyers?

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I haven't had much luck on marketplace (i.e. lots of work for little gain) but Facebook groups have worked out well for me.  They do have their own hassles but I've found they are easier for moving larger lots. Just don't expect it to be a small amount of effort. I have hundreds of small items too and I've been slowly dribbling them out on ebay because I can post and forget. On FB I have to constantly push so it doesn't fall down on the post list. 

Other options Mercari, offerup, etc. are all useful sometimes but it all depends.  I used to like LetGo (bought by offerup I think?) but now find the second rate sales platforms to be slow slow slow. Honestly, my happiest sales are with other collectors where I can just say sell a lot at 20-30% off price charting and be done.  Resellers will want at least 50% off to make taxes work out.

What are you selling anyway? 🙂

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I don’t do local. I’ve been having great results with “shipping only.” No fees til Dec 31st and the shipping rates are cheaper than anywhere else. Try it. Beats any other platform on features. Only advantage eBay has is the bigger audience and international shipping.

Edited by MiamiSlice
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Just now, RH said:

@MiamiSlice If you setup shipping, can people pick and choose from your lots, and you have multiple transactions from one post?

FB started asking for a bank account and though it makes sense, that's when I backed out.

No, with FB Marketplace if you want to list something with shipping you have one shipping option for the listing. So yeah you would have to make one listing per item. 

If you are trying to move a lot of stuff with minimal effort I recommend making a big text list and you can post it on Reddit and in some FB groups. For FB you will need at least one photo of everything. Then just say "happy to provide additional pictures of anything on request"

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I've had little luck with stuff over the $50 mark on FB, but I also don't open it up to shipping too.  I'll meet up in a safe place with a reasonable distance.  I probably should, but I just find ebay easier to deal with stuff if I'm going to be shipping.  Personally I'd rather get paid into paypal anyway, and even today some people are still babies about that in person (just make it a non-refundable payment, just like cash would be.)

FB though I also find sucks for listing multiple items, as others said, you can not break up various charges such as shipping as I did look at it.  I've had my PC Engine Duo up for awhile now, no one cares.  I did move some of the games, but the system is still boxed up here.

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Bank account? I don't think we're talking about the same thing here.

Facebook is the only place I sell things, eBay is way too much of a hassle. I'm a member of some local gaming groups so I simply post items in there, they sell and then people come by to pick them up, it's easy. A word of advice is to actually put some effort into the listing, I see some items listed with blurry photos from too far away and vague descriptions so I just skip over them. I list all of my items with multiple photos, name, console name and price in alphabetical order by console. All games are in a single listing so people can just skip through the list to see if I have anything they want. The listing can stay up for a month but eventually it all sells.

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Since Facebook Marketplace is designed for selling locally, it's probably going to vary by area.  In my experience, Marketplace is a great place for buying and selling bigger items that are more difficult to ship, and therefore better suited for selling locally.  This includes things like cars, furniture, and large tools.  However, for smaller items that are simple to ship, I tend to avoid Marketplace because it's simply easier and usually cheaper to look at places that sell nationwide such as eBay.  That's not to say you can't make it work, but in my area, all video game related posts are super overpriced, and if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I might as well get the buyer protection that I get from eBay or Amazon.  

I'm not sure that I've ever had a successful purchase or sale of video game related items on Marketplace, but I've bought and sold tons of larger items (primarily tools) this way with a lot of success.  

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1 minute ago, Bonanza125 said:

I deal on Facebook all the time. It's worth a shot to give it a try. You will however run into some offers from people looking for bargain deals. 

Yeah, I got my first offer. Straight up trade for a switch lite for $600 of PS1 games. Thanks, but no thanks. I wasn't rude, and neither was he. I kind of expected that too, but if that's all I get, I'll pass on FB.

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4 minutes ago, RH said:

Yeah, I got my first offer. Straight up trade for a switch lite for $600 of PS1 games. Thanks, but no thanks. I wasn't rude, and neither was he. I kind of expected that too, but if that's all I get, I'll pass on FB.

That's about what I would expect.  

However you go about selling those games, good luck with the sales.  I saw a few of your listings here and you have some pretty nice stuff for sale.  I wish I would make some offers on some of it, but I'm not sure I'll be buying too many games in the near future.  

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15 minutes ago, RH said:

Yeah, I got my first offer. Straight up trade for a switch lite for $600 of PS1 games. Thanks, but no thanks. I wasn't rude, and neither was he. I kind of expected that too, but if that's all I get, I'll pass on FB.

What I do to avoid that is I say no trade. Sell only. If trading let them know in the ad that you know the values to your games and expect equal or more value in return. No lowball offers.

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4 minutes ago, Bonanza125 said:

What I do to avoid that is I say no trade. Sell only. If trading let them know in the ad that you know the values to your games and expect equal or more value in return. No lowball offers.

Mandatory language in all online sales:  "No low balls.  I know what I have."

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5 hours ago, Code Monkey said:

Bank account? I don't think we're talking about the same thing here.

Facebook is the only place I sell things, eBay is way too much of a hassle. I'm a member of some local gaming groups so I simply post items in there, they sell and then people come by to pick them up, it's easy. A word of advice is to actually put some effort into the listing, I see some items listed with blurry photos from too far away and vague descriptions so I just skip over them. I list all of my items with multiple photos, name, console name and price in alphabetical order by console. All games are in a single listing so people can just skip through the list to see if I have anything they want. The listing can stay up for a month but eventually it all sells.

i try selling on fb marketplace sometimes. i have sold maybe 5 items out of 50 tries. 

i would love to use fb marketplace only but i always find myself listing the same items on ebay because i hardly ever get a reasonable offer or any bites on well priced items. i know i know but im serious i will sell an item on ebay (at auction) and pocket more than i was asking on fb...even in three local game groups.

Edited by docile tapeworm
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I've tried other places but I still find eBay (and here) to be the best in terms of getting a good price and the lowest amount of headaches. Maybe I've been unlucky with FB but there are too many tyre kickers or people looking to low ball you on items.

Ebay obviously does have its downsides, but I've just learnt to accept this as the cost of doing business and make sure I have documented pictures so the returned item is the same. So far I haven't had too many issues as a seller or a buyer.

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Haha, well I'm just spreading my games for sale everywhere like a shot gun.

I just posted a bunch of GBA, $1 auctions on eBay.  Seriously, within 5 minutes, some jokers messages me and asks if I'll take $25 shipped for Pokemon Emerald. Ummmm.... nope!

5 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

Mandatory language in all online sales:  "No low balls.  I know what I have."

I should take this to heart.

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1 hour ago, Shmup said:

Ebay obviously does have its downsides, but I've just learnt to accept this as the cost of doing business and make sure I have documented pictures so the returned item is the same. So far I haven't had too many issues as a seller or a buyer.

same. im like f it at least i know it will sell on ebay...now getting paid once your auction ends? coin flip. ive had 400+feedback not pay more times than i ever thought. even after opening a non payment case. its bs.

end rant.

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Well, I don't intend for this to be a huge rant but there are two things I hate about eBay.  First, they nearly 100% side with the buyer. This makes me hesitant to sell expensive items.  #2, they double dip with fees since they charge a 10% sales fee and then 5% through Paypal.

These issues have been pointed out ad nauseum.  Pair it with the fact that I'd like to just get high track viewing of my junk so I can filter out the BS offers, but still get he occasional good one.  And honestly, I'm not looking for top dollar.  Depending on lot size, I'd like to get about 75-85% GVN and 90-95% for single item sales. These aren't garage sale prices but they aren't bad either.  Especially with some markets and games being a little "covid crazy".

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I see anyone go on about no lowballs, I move along.  I consider facebook marketplace since I deal only locally, an online garage sale without the harassment of dealing with idiots stomping all over your grass and touching your things, let alone having to drag everything out and back too.  Before them it was craigslist before facebook made them pointless to exist.

Sure I don't expect a huge price cut, but I'll start at half what I think it is worth.  My attitude is, if you're selling local, and you want ebay, go there and stop wasting peoples time.  I handle it the same if I sell there, I don't go full price, seems like a greedy cop out.

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20 hours ago, RH said:

5% through Paypal.

PayPal is 2.9% which is the going rate for a credit card company. Remember this next time you choose credit at a local store bc they're eating that 3% CC fee. I always try to use debt so they can avoid the fees, if they're a local business I care about. 

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22 hours ago, RH said:

 

I just posted a bunch of GBA, $1 auctions on eBay.  Seriously, within 5 minutes, some jokers messages me and asks if I'll take $25 shipped for Pokemon Emerald. Ummmm.... nope!

I listed an auction of 75 NES games about a year ago. Somebody sent me a message offering $75 on the first day. I replied that I would rather let the auction play out, but he should bid that much and maybe he would win! 🙂 

I wonder if he threw in a bid, lol

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