How To Make $40 in 5 Minutes On Facebook Marketplace!

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Get cash for your clutter in as little as 15 minutes when you use these tips for how to sell on Facebook Marketplace! 

How To Sell on Facebook Marketplace

Looking to make a little extra cash this today?  Take a walk through your house and pick out some things you no longer love – then sell them in minutes on Facebook Marketplace!

Facebook Marketplace has revolutionized the re-selling industry and made it so easy to make a few extra dollars by selling unwanted items from your home.

Over the years, I've made thousands of dollars by selling miscellaneous items – furniture, clothing, household items, y’all I have even sold a CAR on Marketplace!

I’m here to share some tips and tricks with you on how you can turn your clutter into cash using an app you’re probably checking daily anyway…

=>  Also see: 62 Ways Moms Can Make Money From Home

What to sell on Facebook Marketplace

You can sell almost anything on Marketplace. Some of the best sellers and most common categories include:

• Home Decor
• Furniture
• Upcycled/Refinished furniture (if you’ve got an artistic side)
• Older, wooden furniture (for someone else with an artistic side to refinish)
• Clothing
• Baby and Kid items (especially toys and infant gadgets)
• Tools
• Pet supplies
• Prom Dresses

You can think of Marketplace as the digital cousin of the Yard Sale. Buyers are looking for deals, items in good condition (exceptions apply to items being sold for parts, notably broken, etc.), and typically more common merchandise (i.e. not collectibles). Because of this, there are some items that might be a better fit elsewhere.

Some items NOT to sell on Marketplace:

• Valuable antiques & collectibles (websites like Ebay or your local antique store might be a better fit)
• Real jewelry (costume jewelry is fine)
• New items priced at retail (if a buyer can choose between you and Target, Target will win every time)
• Prohibited items (Facebook has a list of items you cannot sell like animals, firearms, and alcohol)

Getting Started

Now that you know what you can sell on Marketplace, let’s start collecting items and make some money!

One huge bonus of selling your items is that you’re also getting the emotional benefit of decluttering and cleaning your home.   (If you haven't checked out this Decluttering book yet it will REALLY get you motivated and in the right frame of mind!)

Physical clutter in our homes leads to mental clutter (aka stress). Studies show that clearing out your physical environment improves mood, stress levels, and even relationships!

Come up with a plan of attack for your decluttering.

Set aside a day of the week to sort through your home. You can go room by room, or pick a category to focus on (books, toys, clothing) throughout your home. Designate two separate bins or boxes – one for items to sell, the other for items to donate, and bring a trash bag along for things you’ll toss.

Get your kids involved

Your kids might not be on board initially to part with their beloved toys (that they hadn’t played with in 6 months but now they NEED), but getting them involved in the process can be fun for everyone. You can give them a share of the profit for their items to be used to buy something new or save up for a big ticket item. This is also a great opportunity to donate items to less fortunate children and have conversations with your kids about giving to others and helping their community. You might be surprised how quickly their perspective changes and how willing they can be to give their old lovies to another child!

Prepare your items to sell

To avoid getting overwhelmed with too many items, I find it helpful to stop after each room or category and list (put up for sale) what I’ve collected so far.

When you input your listing on Marketplace, it will ask you for information about the item. You’ll need a Title, Price, Category (Facebook will prefill these or give options), Condition of the item, Pictures, and a Description.

Keep in mind the two key factors that make for a successful Marketplace sale: GREAT photos and a great description.

(Great example of a neutral, clear corner for the backdrop of this Little People Zoo)

Taking great photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, and in this case a picture is worth the money you’ll make!  To help sell your items on Facebook Marketplace, you want photos of your item that really showcase the value to a potential buyer. Here are some tips for taking great photos of your item:

1 – Make sure the item is clean – take an extra second to give it a quick wipe down

2 – Find natural light – if you can, take your pictures during the day near a window. Natural light (light that comes inside from the sun) is typically much more flattering for your item than artificial light

(These photos show different angles of this wallet, and highlight the style and function)

3 – Take multiple pictures – show different angles, features, and close-ups of the item so potential buyers get the whole view

4 – Choose a neutral background – for anything smaller than a couch, try to position the item in front of a neutral background (empty-ish wall, clean table, solo corner) so that your item catches and keeps a buyer’s attention

5 – Make sure the picture is in focus – it might seem obvious but if you’ve scrolled through Marketplace you’ve probably seen your fair share of blurry photos that do NOT inspire a buyer to purchase!

(example of a picture you would not want to use – too cluttered, poor lighting, unclear what is being sold)

Writing a great description

While a description isn’t absolutely necessary, it is important for ensuring a seamless and successful transaction. Without a detailed description, you’ll likely find yourself spending a lot of time answering questions from a buyer (and potentially the same questions from multiple buyers). When writing a description of your item, make sure to include:

• Any applicable measurements
• Important details about the item (size, function, style)
• Any flaws (tear in the fabric, worn thin at the knees, anything like that)
• Any other relevant information! It is better to be a little too detailed than miss any information
• Bonus: I like to reiterate the price, condition, and my location in the description just in case someone may have missed it

Listing Your Items to Sell Well

Once you’ve photographed your items, it’s time to list them on Facebook Marketplace! Since you likely took the photos on your phone, I find the easiest way to list is through the mobile app but you can use your computer as well.

Here is where you will input all of the descriptive information about your item and decide on a price. Pricing strategy can be a bit of trial and error at first as you get a feel for your area and local buyers. You can use the search function to find similar items to yours if you’re not sure what price to set and get an idea of what others are priced at. While you certainly don’t want to underprice, be careful with overpricing and wasting your time while an item sits un-purchased.

Sample Listing – PPP Team Member Jamie put up this post last week and had SEVERAL offers to buy in under 5 minutes!  She arranged a porch pickup for that afternoon and was $40 richer in no time 🙂

Title: 5 Pair of Adidas Men's Athletic Pants, Size Small
Price: $40 for the Lot
Photos: An eye grabbing photo of all the items together, then individual photos of each item in good light to show condition.
Description: My teenage son had a growth spurt and now none of these Adidas Size Small pants fit him. ☹️ All are in excellent condition, no rips tears or stains etc. Three are athletic pants and two pair are fleece joggers. Can meet at library, or porch pickup.

Once your item is listed, buyers will message you through Facebook Messenger if they are interested, and you can coordinate the sale.

Choosing your payment and pick up methods

Most sellers are paid via cash or electronic payment services like Venmo, Zelle, or Facebook Pay. As the seller, you can decide how you will accept payment for your item.

One aspect that has made my Facebook Marketplace journey so convenient and fun is the “porch pick up”. You make arrangements with a buyer, set the item on your porch, and the buyer comes by to pick it up. If they are paying with cash, they can put the money directly under your welcome mat. As you can imagine, this pick up method requires a bit of faith in your fellow man! It took me a while to wrap my head around the idea initially, but, once I was comfortable it enabled me to sell so much more. (And half of the time I’m not even home when the buyer picks up). If you're not interested in a porch pick up, no worries!  Buyers can still pick up from your home and ring the doorbell the old fashioned way to purchase.

If buyers coming to your home makes you uneasy, you can also suggest meeting them in a public place to make your exchange. A lot of police stations even have designated parking spots for this sole purpose to ensure safety and peace of mind!  You may also want to look at this post for tips on avoiding Facebook Marketplace Scams.

Bonus Tip: You can join “Buy/Sell/Trade” Facebook Groups for your local area to interact with more buyers.   When you list on Facebook Marketplace you'll have the option, with one easy click, to simultaneously list in your other local yardsale groups at the same time!  I'm a member of a number of Facebook groups for moms in my area which is a great place to sell baby and kid items, as well as other general items knowing the person on the other end of the sale is a fellow frugal mom.

Repeat the Process

You’ve got your first transaction done, cash in hand, and you are feeling GOOD! You can now repeat this process for any item you want to sell!

When I first began selling on Facebook Marketplace, the whole process was almost intoxicating to me – you mean someone will pay me $5 for that random sweater I haven’t worn in six years?! I combed through the house with the sole purpose of selling for weeks. My husband loves to joke that I targeted items from his bachelor days first (I’m sorry if your color-changing paper lantern lamp doesn’t fit in my aesthetic, honey).

The ability to sell items has also come in handy as we have prepared to move. We’ve moved 3 times in 5 years and with each move I was able to downsize and declutter ahead of packing to make my life so much easier! Plus, I have found some of my favorite furniture pieces and baby gear on Marketplace for a fraction of retail cost.

Happy selling, friends!

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