How to Decorate using items from Facebook Marketplace
You’ve heard me say it before, but the best kind of home is one that really represents who you are. Decor items should be collected over time. They should include experiences, memories and tell a story about your life and who you are. A collected home is the best kind.
Sure, when you look through a Serena and Lily or Pottery Barn catalog, everything looks beautiful. We take it as a compliment when someone says, “Your home looks like it should be in a magazine!”. But the reality is that while this may look nice at first glance, it’s not the way we live and it really has no character.
One way to achieve a collected look is to add antiques and gently loved, previously owned pieces to your décor. My favorite source for doing this is…you guessed it, Facebook Marketplace! Here I’m going to tell you why it’s my favorite source and give you tips on how to shop this fruitful source on your own.
Why do I love shopping Facebook Marketplace?
Oftentimes, people don’t know what they have. They are decluttering and want to get rid of things and frankly, just don’t care about it anymore. Sometimes, you’ll find valuable antiques for a steal and the owner just has know idea that what they have is actually of any value. It’s the thrill of the hunt!
You can negotiate. You can see how long something has been listed and see if the seller has lowered the price. If they have, they might be willing to take even less for the item.
You can find something unique, that no one else has! Yay for one-of-a-kind items!
You can find real quality items like solid wood or find something that’s nearly brand new for a fraction of the price. Say no to fast furniture!
Ready to dive in? You’re in for a treat. Here are my top tips for shopping Facebook Marketplace with success.
Use key search words that are relevant to what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a certain style such as grand millennial or chinoiserie, then use that as a search word. If you are looking for vintage frames, then use that as a search. If you are looking for quality furniture, use the manufacturer in your search.
Save everything that is relevant to what you’re searching for! This is probably the most important tip right here. It takes a few times doing this, but once FB knows what you’re looking for, it will change it’s algorythm and give you more and more related items.
Don’t be afraid to shop and have something shipped to you. This is totally legit and is buyer protected.
Sometimes, you’ve got to travel a bit. If you’re willing to do it, your marketplace just got bigger.
Beware of scams! Soooo many scammers. I see this more when I’m selling than buying, but nonetheless, never give out your phone number to anyone. Only use messenger for communication. Trust your gut. Look at profiles if you feel uneasy.
Get yourself a Venmo account. This makes it so much easier to hold an item that you can’t pick up right away. If you only offer cash, the seller will likely sell the item to the first person that pays. Holds are usually not happening without payment.
Location matters! I change my search location often when I start to see the same items day after day. Not always, but cities that are larger with more affluent neighborhoods are where you’ll find some real treasures! You all know I live in Colorado. I live in a small town, but my proximity to larger cities is good. Everyone in Colorado knows that Boulder is where all the rich people live! Ha! So, oftentimes I widen my search to Boulder in hopes that I’ll find a real quality piece. Sidenote-I go to the Goodwill in Boulder too.
Search often! The more you search, the better the algorythm is and sellers post things every day. It’s not really like garage sales where Thursday is the day. New items pop up every day on Marketplace.
Negotiate! You don’t want to lowball it so much that it’s insulting, but if an item is listed for $100 and they haven’t lowered the price at all, it doesn’t hurt to offer $80 and save yourself $20 for another Marketplace find. Worst that happens, they say no.
Follow those sellers that have multiple items you like. There are legit antique dealers on Marketplace or hobbyists that do the hard work searching for you. Become a regular shopper.
Pay attention to measurements and condition! If the seller doesn’t provide them, always ask. Never depend on the photos for sizing. It can be very misleading. The last thing you want is to be disappointed and feel like you wasted money and now you have to resell what you bought. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Look for items used for home staging in the description. Many times these are not even used, the stager just wants a different look.
Be careful. There’s a certain time period where items can just look dated in your home. You’re way better off either going with antiques which are very old or a specific style, or something fairly new (within a few years). If you buy items that are 5-20 years old, they’re likely to just look dated instead of collected.
Here is my latest FB Marketplace find! I got 4 of these for $80. They need a bit of work and some new upholstery, but are in fantastic condition and are super comfy. They are going to add some real character to my dining area in my kitchen. Yes, I love wovens and rattans, and yes they’re going to be next to my Ballard rattan counter stools. I love them both and I love the character of both and mixing new and old and no, I don’t plan to paint them. *Please ignore my dirty floors. Dark floors and golden retrievers don’t mix.
Want to know what’s on my FB Marketplace search list?
vintage frames (working on a gallery wall!)
bamboo
campaign style furniture (I love this style!)
pedestal table (for client entryway)
Restoration Hardware (good quality and newer)
vintage lamps
Bardello Pinheiro (because I collect these)
rattan
vintage mirror (I keep hoping a nice Federal style mirror will pop up)