antique and thrifting tips for eBay, Facbook Marketplace, offerup and Chairish

Tips on using Charish, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and OfferUp

I love shopping vintage online because it’s already available,  no lead times! I am sharing some tips to utilize my favorite sites online – Chairish, OfferUp, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.

antique and thrifting tips for eBay, Facbook Marketplace, offerup and Chairish

Jumpsuit: Fame & Partners (old) / Sandals: YSL / Louis Vuitton Cuffs: here and here  

W
ith furniture time leads around 3-6 months, buying what is already available now, like vintage is a great idea! I am currently waiting for a CB2 burl wood side table that won’t get here until September. *sigh* If you want to check out the tips for Estate Sales, see this blog post.

I bought this set from FB Marketplace for $30 and I was so excited to snag it. The seller put a chair photo first that was really bland and I still went through the images and saw the adorable table! I will refresh it when the weather cools down and I will spray it either white, black or Charleston Green.

CHAIRISH

Known for curated antiques and collectibles, Chairish isn’t one of the cheapest home decorating sites out there, but it is one of the fanciest in terms of the items they showcase. I mean truly, if you have a design eye and an appreciation for vintage and timeless items that are truly an investment, Chairish is a great site to browse!

  • You can buy from local sellers – just like eBay and pick up the items to save on the very pricey shipping.
  • You can set an alert on keywords and Charish sends an email to you when there are new items. Be aware these emails come almost daily.
  • Shipping can be astronomical on Chairish – it depends on the item and size, but you can do a search on eBay for the same keywords and some sellers list the product on multiple sites. This worked out in my favor for a 1940s mirror which was around $450 and I didn’t want to pay the $300 shipping, so I paid $100 instead on eBay!

eBay

One of my longtime favorite sites that I sort of forgot about over the years. Now I’m back and buying regularly on eBay! I mentioned earlier I found the same mirror from Chairish at the same price but cheaper shipping so I hopped on it.

  • If you find an item you like, hit “add to wishlist” the seller may offer you a discount within 24 hours. I did this with the Asian screen panel and the seller gave me $50. I accepted it because I already knew I would purchase it and that just gave me the right excuse because it was quite the investment piece.
  • Like Chairish, start to search using your keywords. Hit “Save this search” and eBay will send you an email when new listings come available. Try to do this for as many keyword variations for a specific product you can. Also consider misspellings. I once scored a set of curtains due to a misspelling!
  • Some listings you can submit an offer as well to the seller and usually meet somewhere in the middle with price.

Facebook Marketplace

Usually the bargains are on Facebook Marketplace but you need to act quickly! You can also purchase from anywhere like eBay and immediately check out on Facebook.

  • Set up search alerts for all the variety of keywords. Facebook will notify you in alerts when you log in. Try every variety and make a search alert for them.
  • If you see something you like, immediately message the seller and tell them what days and times you can pick up the item. You need to move fast, it’s like spotting something at Home Goods.
  • You can also submit an offer (and perhaps do this after you message) – FB does not take payment in this instance when it’s local for pick up, but payment is agreed upon between seller and buyer.
  • You can also ask what is their best price, on FB you can bargain especially if that listing has been up for a while.
  • When you find an item you like, look at what else the seller has listed – you might find something else too!
  • Follow certain sellers so their items pop up in your marketplace feed.

OfferUp

I think the OfferUp app is overlooked and probably underutilized for buyers – you can add search alerts as well. For instance I did “neoclassical” and “chinoiserie” and it sends me an alert on my cell phone, probably one of the very few notifications I allow on my phone. The only annoying thing is it’s a cash register sound so it sounds as if I’m getting paid.

  • Quick save items
  • Save multiple keyword searches
  • Turn on notification alerts – why not know right away when there are new listings?
  • Submit an offer, you don’t have to pay asking

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If you have more tips for these sites, please add them in the comments!

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Diana Elizabeth might head to an estate sale this weekend at 7:30 am, but with the heat at 117+ it might not be a good idea. Benjamin wants to poke around the property and Diana just wants to shop of course. Also, she needs to purge again. This is called balance.

Diana Elizabeth is an author, photographer, and obsessive thrift shopper. You can typically find her in the garden wrist deep in dirt, at a local estate sale or planning her next creative themed party. She continues to blog weekly.

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