Buying Local, Online

I've been shopping online for years, as well as selling online, on various platforms. One issue with selling online has always been shipping costs and limitations. I have a few larger household items that I want to sell, and didn't want to do it online because the shipping would be difficult, so I started looking around, and found Facebook groups. I am in other Facebook groups for selling and marketing, so I don't know why it didn't occur to me to try them before, but I'm finding that I really like the format.

I see quite a few in my local area, and I'm not even in the city, so, unless you're in a very rural area, I would recommend looking at the groups, to see what people are selling (and what is in demand, if you're a seller/business), because I'm seeing some great deals on all kinds of items, as well as services. Every group is different, because the creator sets the rules, but some allow pretty much anything, as well as business advertising, which could save a lot of money for sole proprietorships/small businesses that are looking for new customers.

In order to find groups, you can go up to the address bar on Facebook, and type in something like 'group buying Phoenix' and see what comes up. Some use terms like 'garage sale', 'yard sale', buy sell trade', 'buy sell swap', and similar. Once you find a group or two, Facebook will suggest others in your area. Each group shows the number of members. A high number could be good, and mean lots of items to choose from, or it could simply mean people join and then don't bother with it, so don't discount the smaller groups, because they might have a dedicated group of sellers/buyers who actively participate. Happy shopping!

 

Yes, you're right about that, and I've definitely dealt with that frustration. It seems to depend on what you're selling, also. I've had 2 items recently that I've listed, where as soon as I posted them, I got immediate serious interest, and sold them within hours. I have other things (the larger items that are worth a lot more, that I really need to sell), that languish. I've also had the jerks who make low ball offers, and I don't even reply to them, I simply 'hide' their comments.

What I'm thinking regarding the fast response items versus the slow/no response could be that the buyers are making solo decisions on those purchases, versus having to check and discuss the larger purchases with their husbands, and the items are more portable, so the buyers can simply drive over (or meet me, depending on the circumstances), and drive off with their new goodies, versus having to have a truck, muscle, and cooperation to help move large purchases. Also, it's easier to slip a smaller purchase into a house unnoticed.

Another thing I've noticed is that it's important to pay attention to days and times of when you are posting/selling, and, if you're a buyer, when others are posting, because there are active times and slow times in the groups. If you're looking for something in particular, there are also ISO groups 'In Search Of', where you can list what you're looking for, approximate location you're willing to drive to get it, and price.

FYI, some groups state that if you're not happy with listed prices to just keep quiet and move on, letting others buy the item, but even in those groups, I've experienced what missbishi is talking about. One way to stop that might be to hide the comments as I mentioned, tell the group moderators, if it's against the rules in that group, or, start your own group, where you control what happens and who is a member...in that case, you can set that up as a no no, give a warning, and if repeated, ban the person.

 

You couldn't have said this at a better time. I just clicked on my Etsy bill and it's over $25 for listing renewals. I'm planning to downsize the shop when those listings expire, because it's ridiculously expensive to maintain. I'm going to be downsizing my living situation, so I'll keep listing household and personal items on Facebook, and concentrate more of my energy there, rather than Etsy, where I'm competing with a glut of crap made in sweat shops. At least so far, there are no fees associated with selling in the Facebook groups, so whatever I make, it's all profit, and yes, no dealing with the shipping fees and hassles on top of shop fees. I've always been a fan of supporting local people and businesses, and it's nice to have the transaction completed in person within a few hours (when that happens), rather than having to wait while an item sits in the North Houston postal facility for 5 days, which could affect my feedback.

 

I meet the person, so can always look over merchandise. I'm always surprised when people I am selling something to don't even look in the bag I hand them. I guess they feel more secure when they see a picture, name, and Facebook account associated with the person they're buying from, rather than a random stranger on Craigslist or other classifieds site. If you mean counterfeit merchandise, I stay away from a lot of what I see on there. There are tons of Michael Kors purses and wallets I'd love to have, but I assume most of that is counterfeit.

 

One thing to watch out for is fishy people. I had a guy message me several weeks ago about a large item I'm selling in the Facebook groups. It was a Sunday, and I normally wouldn't deal with an in-person sale on a Sunday, especially one where the person had to come inside the house. I told him he could come right then to look at it, and he told me he was out at a local tourist destination, eating. What that told me was that he was probably drinking. I told him I would be available until a certain time, and he said he wouldn't be able to meet before m cut off. I was suspicious to start with, because I had noticed he'd been trolling the groups, and suddenly asking everyone if their items were available. It seemed he'd won the lottery, or was suddenly single (and looking for a hook up, or something else), which made me leery.

My plan was to have a friend come over and be here when he came. The problem with having someone come to the home, even if someone else is there, is that the person still knows where you live, and could come back. That's an issue with many of the Craigslist robbery / home invasion incidents. So, when he said he wouldn't be available later, I told him to message me on Monday, so we could arrange a time. He tried to friend me, but I ignored the request. It's been several weeks, and suddenly yesterday, I got a private message from him saying hi and asking how I'm doing. I ignored it, and am going to block him. He's obviously not interested in buying what I'm selling, and I'm not interested in what he's selling, either.