My Best Tips to Thrift Home Goods on Facebook Marketplace

I humbly offer this blog post in lieu of product links to things in our home, because as you’ll know if you follow me on social media, I make no secret of the fact that 1) pretty much our entire house has so far been furnished/decorated with thrift finds, and 2) the majority of said thrift finds are sourced from Facebook Marketplace.

vintage henredon custom folio dining set ($400) thrifted on facebook marketplace

Our first home ownership experience has also been our first real home set-up experience, and we arrived at a few core decisions pretty quickly after starting out. First, it was important for us to extend our low-waste conscious consumption approach to include home purchases. Second, while settling on a design style that would integrate the traditional Indian arts that would reflect our heritage & culture, we organically gravitated towards a vintage/antique aesthetic that would lend itself to an eclectic, intercultural vibe. And as is established fact, thrifting is a great way to source vintage and antique pieces. Thirdly, we recognized that we had to operate within a slim budget- as only recent academics in the country’s most expensive housing market during an unusually unfriendly time for buyers in early 2021, the purchase of the home was a tall hill to climb already! For all three reasons, it was to nobody’s surprise that I attempted to apply my years of sartorial thrifting experience to benefit our home. Blame it on the convenience of app-based shopping during a pandemic- Facebook Marketplace very quickly became our most productive source, and that’s despite frequenting local thrift and antique stores as often as possible!

All Modern coffee table ($75), vintage record player stand ($25): thrifted on facebook marketplace

As I’ve gone about sharing our progress on making a home of our house on social media, I’ve been so happily overwhelmed with the positive responses! Turns out that the hybrid design aesthetic that, for lack of better terms, has been christened by me as Mid-century Modern Maharani 👸🏽, articulates the vibe in a lot of fellow global citizens’ homes.❤️ Which brings me back to my non-apology for never having a ready link to provide for almost anything that a lovely DM enquires about. So without further ado, here are my top tips to thrift all of the home thingz on the otherwise infuriating-to-me app called Facebook. I hope it helps you in your own quest for a thoughtfully decorated home!

antique mirror ($100) thrifted on facebook marketplace

PS. Before jumping in, I’ll just preface by saying that the most impactful approach to a low-waste lifestyle is not to shop more sustainably but to minimize consumption, period. This means that being super thoughtful about shopping, even secondhand, is a prerequisite. Feeling the itch to change up a space? See if you can rearrange the furniture and/or shop your own home before buying something new. Eyeing something at Target that feels like a forever-piece? The purchase of even something mass-produced, if it will stay with you longer, is better than buying multiple thrifted things with a limited shelf life. Less is always more when it comes to the stuff in our lives, you know?

Okay, let’s move on.

office chair ($70), Golden Pothos ($15): thrifted on facebook marketplace

• Know what you’re looking for.

I’m not one to judge an aimless scroll on a Sunday in bed, you’ll find me happy as a clam doing this very thing occasionally. But for the sake of your poor carpal tunnel thumb, I would recommend having a list. Not to mention that it makes for productive shopping. When I first started spending time on the app, I made the mistake of browsing for everything all the time because well, we had our first entire adult home to set up and I thought that I was being an efficient multi-tasker. Not the case. We’ve since settled on a plan and a spreadsheet, complete with a monthly budget and the list of things to fund with it. This month, I’m looking for a bench for the master bedroom, ottomans for the living room and a lamp/light fixture for the guest bedroom. Manageable, see?

vintage cane console ($275) thrifted on facebook marketplace

• Train the algorithm.

This is a somewhat common sense suggestion, but as we’re all aware, it’s both a blessing and a curse that Facebook learns super fast from the user’s behavior on it. It’s why it sucks as a social media platform in the hands of flawed humans, and it’s why it excels as a shopping platform in the hands of list-touting thrifters. Run a few specific searches on it so it knows your mind, then sit back and watch as it finds you your heart’s desires. Pro tip- Make sure to click on things you like even if you have no intention of actually purchasing, just to encourage similar listings showing up.

vintage armchair ($10), world market side table ($90), vintage black cabinet with a built-in secretary desk ($200), antique candle sconce ($10), several plants: thrifted on facebook marketplace

• Browse often.

My foremost tip to scoring the best things is to quickly but frequently check in on the app along the day. Good deals go quickly and it helps to have reached out early, especially if there’s about to be competition. When savvy collectors, refurbishers/refinishers and the like are permanently prowling the ethernet with hawkish eyes for antique and vintage pieces, I like having promptness in my corner.

Pottery barn four poster bed frame ($500) thrifted on facebook marketplace

• Know what you’re paying for.

One rule of thumb I adhere to is to see my listings of interest in person before purchasing. This is simply a personal preference; so many beautiful homes have quality pre-loved pieces from popular online sources like Etsy, Chairish, 1stdibs, etc. and I admire them endlessly for it, but I myself need a visual confirmation of what I’m paying for. It’s why I always have my app set to a local search, barring the occasional search for shippable wall art or other smaller decor items. One trick I use often to buy myself the time to visit the seller in person is to offer a small deposit right away to hold. Given its added benefit of demonstrating serious commitment to the seller, it’s frequently been successful at getting me time until, say, the upcoming weekend.

Weeping Fig Tree ($25) thrifted on facebook marketplace

• Become a skilled buyer.

And what I mean by that is- 1) personalize the conversation immediately, 2) practice persistence, and 3) know when to negotiate. You know how the automated prompt on the app is ‘Hi, is this available?’? If you see something you love, ignore the prompt and use your own words. The first message I send is usually a concise but personalized note on why I feel a genuine connection to the item being sold. Then, if I’m really interested (and as long as the listing is still active ofc), I will give it the important work email treatment- follow up once or twice a day until I get a response. Especially with big ticket items like furniture, sellers will prefer an invested buyer with a genuine connection to the product.

The third point comes in after you’ve established a promising channel of communication with the seller- negotiate yourself to an advantage if the situation permits. This can go two ways. If you’re looking to pay less than asking price, examine if the product has some cosmetic wear or if the description is over promising. One recent example that comes to mind is when we found this antique Broyhill dresser of my dreams (picture below) for one of the guest bedrooms, and realized upon seeing in person that it had one slightly faulty drawer. I was then able to successfully negotiate to a discounted price based on this. Most often when you make a lower offer (unless you’re really lowballing it- best not to be that person), the seller meets you somewhere along the way.

On the other hand, also consider making a decisive offer slightly above asking price if you’re able, to edge out the competition on popular listings. Just as some are emotional sellers, some are not. 🤷🏽‍♀️

antique broyhill dresser ($220), Dracaena plant ($15): thrifted on facebook marketplace

• Be patient.

This is not a tactical but rather a general tip- like most good things in life, making a home of a house takes time. Even more so if its a considered & organic curation of things that spark joy and bring meaning to your spaces. One of the reasons I’ve been enjoying home decor is it’s akin to telling a story, one that traverses the backgrounds, history, interests and dreams of the people that live in it. It may be tempting to favor efficiency when watching the many reels or tiktoks of vignettes built entirely out of Amazon or Target hauls, but in our own humble abode, the feeling of walking among things that speak to us is a treasured one.

vintage mirror ($25), Pothos ($10) and String of hearts ($10): thrifted on facebook marketplace

And these are all of my top tips to thrift like a pro for your home on Facebook Marketplace! Whatever your design style, budget, practical preferences and purchasing philosophies may be, I hope that your main takeaway is that thrifting can be an effective way to source things for your home. Shameless plug- if you’re interested in similar experiential advice on thrifting for your closet, I wrote it all out here.

Fellow thrifters, do you have a favorite pre-loved find in your home? 😊

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful week ahead!
XO Sushmitha :)