Most people don’t pay much attention to Facebook nowadays. And I get it: as far as social networks go, Facebook is the one platform most associated with the aging millennial population and their boomer parents. These days, most of the social media action happens on TikTok, YouTube and in messaging apps.
But there’s one part of Facebook that deserves your attention and can legitimately make you money while cleaning out clutter from your house: Marketplace. I turned into a believer when I was able to turn my Sonos Sub into cash-in-hand within a few hours on an idle Saturday afternoon.
I quickly sold my old Sonos Subwoofer
I had cash in-hand within three hours
Years ago, I paid $500 for a glossy black Sonos Gen 3 Subwoofer. Back when I actually used Sonos (these days, I rely more on my Amazon Echo speakers in almost every room), the subwoofer was amazing, providing house-shaking bass that seamlessly integrated into my Sonos whole-house audio system. Sonos streamed audio directly from a variety of sources, and avoided the audio issues that plague Bluetooth streaming speakers.
But as my Sonos Sub started to collect dust, I felt guilty. Even if I could sell the Sub for half price I’d be happy.
So I turned to Marketplace. It was a Saturday afternoon and I didn’t have much to do, so I fired up the Facebook app on my phone, shot a few photos and within minutes I had a live listing at $249 for my Sonos Subwoofer with local pickup.
It was less than two hours later that I got a message from a guy named Adam who seemed interested but wanted to talk on the phone. We exchanged phone numbers and talked — Adam wanted to know why I was selling the item, and I explained that I no longer use Sonos and the Sub is in great condition but that I just don’t need it anymore. Adam wanted to stop by that afternoon to pick up the subwoofer. I noticed Adam had a 5-star rating on his profile on Marketplace, and after talking to him, I was confident that he was a serious buyer.
Porch pickup is common on Marketplace, but it runs entirely on trust, so a few precautions are worth it. I only did it because Adam had a solid rating on his profile, the pickup spot is covered by an obvious security camera at my front door, and I was home the whole time. For anything higher-value, or with a buyer you can’t vet, meeting in a public place is the safer move — many police stations now have designated exchange zones for exactly this. And whenever you can, count the cash before the buyer leaves.
Another hour later, I watched (via camera) Adam come to my front door, look at the subwoofer (I saw him turn it over a few times, checking for blemishes), then put the money in the envelope and take off with the subwoofer. Transaction complete! Within just three hours from posting the item, I had cash in-hand.
I should note that this was a particularly quick transaction — most other things we’ve sold on Marketplace (my wife sold several home decor items and made some serious cash—more on that later) have taken several days which is not a big deal, especially when selling multiple items.
It’s free to use Facebook Marketplace (unlike eBay)
If you’re doing local pickup
I’ve used eBay many times (though I wish I had the most valuable old tech worth thousands), but the fees have gotten out of control. While there is typically no fee to list an item if you don’t sell frequently, you’re hit with a final-value fee that can really add up. On average, eBay will charge you a final value fee of around 13% depending on category. That’s insane! That means that if I sold my Sonos Sub on eBay instead of Facebook Marketplace, I would have ended up paying eBay a $33 final value fee, leaving $216 in my pocket instead of the full $249 I got from Facebook Marketplace.
Saving on fees only matters if listing the thing isn’t a chore — and this is where Marketplace really separates itself from eBay.
Marketplace is best through the Facebook App
Facebook has made a truly mobile-first shopping experience (unlike eBay, which is primarily designed to be used on a desktop computer overall).
The app makes it super easy to take photos of your item directly from your phone where you can also add a title, description, and fill in other details.
To sell something on Marketplace, just open the Facebook app > tap the Marketplace tab on the bottom > tap Sell > Create listing.
There are some limitations
You first must have a Facebook account in good standing and be over 18. If your account is new, you are likely to face restrictions in your ability to use Marketplace. Not only that, but Marketplace might not be available in your country yet. You can do a quick check by going to facebook.com/marketplace to see if you have access, but from a quick check with MakeUseOf’s global team, I couldn’t find any instances of Marketplace not being accessible.
The dark side of Facebook Marketplace
The “is this item still available?” issue and other ways to avoid wasting your time
The key is to temper expectations. Just because someone messages you on a fresh listing to ask if an item is still available does not mean that you’re close to a sale.
In fact, you might get a dozen messages from people asking if an item is still available. Most of the time, these people are just confirming that your listing is still valid because unfortunately, Facebook Marketplace is littered with items that have already sold, but the seller has yet to mark them as sold.
How do you know someone is a serious buyer? They’re likely to send you a substantive question, or provide you with a specific pick-up window. Sometimes, like in the case of the sale of my Sonos Sub, you’ll have someone request a quick phone call so that they can determine if you’re a serious seller.
Facebook Marketplace is a genuinely good platform to buy and sell
And I’m not even the most successful Marketplace seller in my house.
My wife isn’t as patient with technology as I am. But if it’s any indication of how solid Facebook Marketplace is now, she cleaned out several closets in our house and sold a bunch of lamps and decorations for nearly $1,000 in cash over the course of a weekend just by using Facebook Marketplace. She sold three decorative lamps we no longer need, an area rug, several storage bins, and multiple baby products like a stroller and portable crib.
When it comes to selling stuff around your house, Facebook Marketplace is genuinely fantastic and in most ways superior to eBay.
