How To Hold A Virtual Yard Sale On Facebook: Sell Stuff With Little Fuss

Do you desire a simple way to resell your items? Hold a virtual yard sale on Facebook. Bless your friends with great prices on things they might need, earn cash, and get rid of clutter– it’s win-win-win.

How I Created A Virtual Yard Sale On Facebook

I don’t know how many times in my life I have heard my friends say after I tell them what I sold at my yard sale, or on eBay, “Oh, I wish I would have known you were going to sell that, I would have bought it.”

So one day when I was getting ready for an upcoming Craigslist clear out, I decided to first take all the photos I had taken of the items and create virtual yard sale on Facebook.

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Steps To Creating A Virtual Yard Sale Using Facebook

1. Clean Your Items And Take Great Photos

This step is crucial for selling items fast and for top dollar. Make sure you take the photos in good light, with little in the background of the photo and from various angles (I was doing this for craigslist anyways).

For more tips that will help you get top dollar for items you want to sell, check out this post

2. Create An Album On Facebook And Upload Your Photos

The first time I did this I created an album labeled “Things Headed to Craigslist”. I later re-labeled the album “Virtual Yard Sale” and found I got more response–probably because it shouts “I am selling these items!” and you can get in on the deals better than the first title. You might want to be even more obvious and label the album “Items for Sale”.

I have seen some people create a group or event instead of an album but I think an album gets seen by more people. Those who are not interested in my items can simply scroll on by.

A new album can be made on both the desktop and the app versions of Facebook. They keep changing where it is offered so it might take a bit of hunting to find it. Currently, it is under the photo tab on your home page on desktop and in the app you will find it by clicking on the area where you would make a status update and then clicking the “album” tab in the top corner.

3. Describe Each Item In Great Detail

In the description area of each photo I added as many details about the items as I could think of including condition, measurements, age, brand, size, and price.

4. Share The Album More Than Once

I shared the album just once a day, at various times of the day, for an entire week. This way the album had a better chance of being seen by more people including the early risers, the afternoon “baby is napping time for a break” readers, and the night owls.

Each day I showed a different picture as its album cover. Each time I posted it I talked about the item on the cover in the text box above the shared post.

5. Keep The Album Current

When someone asks a question on your listing try as soon as you can to answer them. If something sells, take time to change the description to SOLD (and yes, do use all capitals) instead of taking it down right away so that it might catch the attention of more friends who might then look at what is left for sale.

The more comments and attention the album gets the more Facebook will show it in the Facebook feed, thus giving your items more chances of selling.

6. Set A Time Limit

If you shop “in-person” yard sales like I do you probably know about the awful perpetual yard sales. These are either sales where people put out the same stuff year after year or week after week if their subdivision will allow it.

Don’t be a perpetual virtual yard sale. Put in the album description on Facebook an end date for all sales. I usually let mine go on for a week, sometimes two, and usually by that time I have at least half my items sold if not more. I then give what is left a chance on Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or in an in-person yard sale and after that it’s off to the thrift store they go.

For Tips On How To Sell Items On Other Selling Platforms Visit These Posts:

The Benefits Of Selling Items To Facebook Friends

You know these people in real life so there are no worries about stranger danger.

There is a greater chance that you cross paths with these people in real life throughout your week, which makes arranging an exchange of the item for cash easier.

The Drawbacks Of Selling To Facebook Friends

Some people on Facebook do get irritated by selling posts. To avoid ruffling feathers of friends who dislike sales, keep your selling photos to one album and don’t share it more than once a day. Also, don’t create a different album every week of the year. I would suggest creating a virtual yard sale album no more than twice a year.

Another drawback is that haggling with friends can be awkward. I tend to price my items a little lower for Facebook friends than I would on eBay or Craigslist because they are saving me the hassle of listing and shipping or arranging meetups. In the description area of the item, I write firm after the price, which eliminates awkward haggling with friends.

Prefer to sell on Facebook Marketplace? Read this article

3 More Posts That Will Help You Earn Money:

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Comments

Jessica says

June 29, 2020 at 12:49 pm

Thanks for all the helpful ideas! I like the concept of an album and then changing the cover photo each time you share it! Do you have any ideas for baby and kids clothing? Is it best to sell in one big lot according to size?

- Victoria says
  
  July 1, 2020 at 4:36 pm
  
  Yes, selling in a lot according to size and season is the best way to go with kids’ clothing when selling them on Facebook. I have also done well selling them according to size and type, for example “3 pairs of size 12 girls jeans”.