8 Tips for Buying Furniture on Facebook Marketplace

I’m a huge furniture addict. Some may call me a furniture hoarder (a.k.a. my husband). I’ve always had expensive taste and was constantly realizing the items I desired were way out of my price range.

Over the last 2 years, I’ve managed to score $20,000 worth of items for only $2,000 by using Facebook Marketplace.

Antique finds add charm and originality to your home as well as a dimension of interest into your space. And we all want our home to be filled with things no one else will have.

How I Started Using Facebook Marketplace

It’s always been a dream of mine to be an Airbnb host and at the start of 2020 that distant dream started taking shape as a reality. This is where my love for Facebook Marketplace really blossomed. I needed inexpensive furniture that would look incredible for our boutique-style Airbnb in our small town alma matar, Oxford, MS. I started finding treasures left and right that were super high-end for the home.

Then, we started finishing parts of our own new home and I wanted some antiques to create a unique Gentlemen's Lounge for my husband's office. I quickly realized how inexpensively I could acquire high-quality pieces on Facebook Marketplace and I was instantly hooked. The first item I found for his office was a gorgeous cherrywood console for $80.00. From there I found a portrait of an old English gentleman, a pair of Hollywood regency chandeliers, and an antique chest I had restored.

If you want to learn how to use Facebook Marketplace to score amazing items, follow my 8 tips. 

Do Your Research

The more you look, the more you will find.

I love "researching" home trends by looking at images from my favorite interior designers. For example, I noticed bamboo furniture was starting to become a trend by looking at Clary Bosbyshell and Ariel Okin. I immediately started searching for bamboo furniture and found a pair of Henry Link nightstands for $20, that I recently had my wood-worker Nathan restore.

My Henry Link Chests - one was missing a drawer and they were missing chunks of wood. Next, I plan to have them lacquered and add some pretty hardware.

Keeping an eye on trends helps you gain inspiration for what it is you are looking for. Pro Tip: Have anywhere from 1 to 5 products in mind that you are interested in drawn from your inspiration photos to help you stay on track through your search process. 

Don't Be Afraid of a Challenge

Although every piece you find may not be in the best condition, you can hone your eye to recognize what might have hidden potential. I like to barter the price against the state of the item -it's a great bargaining trick! I'll message them and say "Well, you understand that I will have to pay to have this restored...could you come down to X on the price?". Almost always, sellers have been willing to come down when I mention this.

My husband purchased this chest for me as a gift after I begged him to for our anniversary. We had Nathan restore it, and now it's one of our favorite pieces we own.

The combined price of the item and restoration will many times be significantly less than buying a similar item at full retail.

Use Generic Search Terms

For this mirror, I searched "ornate mirror" and found it! It is a pagoda, chippendale mirror.

Using very general terms to search will help immensely in your hunt for the perfect piece. Instead of using specific terms you have in mind, think in terms of how the seller may be describing the piece.

Often, sellers don’t know what they're selling. Joe from small town Georgia may not realize the chairs he inherited from Grandma that he can't wait to get rid of just so happened to be Milo Baughman. He just thinks of them as some "old upholstered chairs" and will refer to them as such on his listing.

Here are some of the vague terms I use on a regular basis: 

lucite, lucite & brass, french furniture, french chest, Hollywood regency, wooden chest, marble top furniture, open armchairs, upholstered chairs, ornate mirror, mid-century modern, ornate frame, silver, portrait painting, chippendale furniture, rattan furniture, antique wood furniture

Know What You're Looking For

In contrast to my above paragraph, sometimes using detailed search terms has helped me find exactly what I am looking for. If you have something specific in mind, keeping search terms distinct may help.

Interestingly enough, when I've used a specific name of a producer of a piece I’m looking for, I have found that my Facebook algorithm starts working for me to find that piece.

Here are some specific producer names I have used:

Henry Link, Milo Baughman, Restoration Hardware, Frontgate

Save Products You Like

Saving products, even if you don’t plan on buying them, seems to help the Facebook Marketplace algorithm. I find that if I start to save products similar to what I am looking for, Facebook will start showing me more items like that. It’s amazing how many selections of a particular item are out there, and by saving similar items, you might just get the pick of the litter.

Be Consistent

Consistency is key when shopping on Facebook Marketplace. Just like you would search through antique or outlet stores on a regular basis, you should do the same on the Marketplace.

If I am on the hunt for something specific, I check the marketplace every single day - even multiple times a day!

I have also noticed more products are posted on the weekends when people have the time to search through their things, so it wouldn’t hurt to refresh your feed multiple times throughout the day (if you have the time). You never know when the perfect item will present itself. 

Look Outside Your Zip Code

If you're willing and your schedule allows for it, you will be surprised at how many more products you can find 1-2 hours away from you. The majority of the pieces I have found have just so happened to be about an hour away from me.

To see these items, go to your Marketplace profile and expand the radius of the location you are interested in. You never know - the perfect piece may just be 60 miles away.

Follow Great Profiles

Certain individuals have a treasure trove of products. The woman that I purchased my Chippendale mirror from has an entire storage unit of products she is slowly selling (and I am eagerly awaiting). Chances are if you like their taste once, you will like it again.

To follow someone, click on their name in the marketplace and it will take you to their marketplace profile. Scroll down and click "Follow Jane Doe". It's as simple as that! Every time they post a new listing, you will be one of the first people to see it.

Facebook Marketplace opens up a world of opportunities to save money and find one-of-a-kind pieces to complete any room. It takes time and patience, but it pays off in the end. I hope these tips help you in your future searches. Happy hunting!