What if there’s a way to make the holiday shopping season more economical, meaningful and sustainable?
Enter secondhand shopping! In fact, with the popularity and ease of shopping from your Facebook Marketplace app, there are more people utilizing it as a “don’t miss” shopping resource for the holidays.
The Perks of Facebook Marketplace Shopping
Other than the excitement of the chase (anyone else love finding that super exciting deal you’ve been hunting for?), shopping from Facebook Marketplace can help you maximize your budget while minimizing your environmental impact. Thrifting and shopping second hand helps reduce waste, energy consumption and helps avoid adding to our already overwhelmed landfills. Additionally, you can find name brand items and unique products at a fraction of the cost you would from a store or website selling it new.
Kicking the “New is Better” Narrative
There is this notion, especially in America, that gifts need to be brand new to be appreciated. The traditional expectation of “new” when it comes to gifting deserves to be challenged. The personal value of a gift is the thought that goes into it and, sometimes, the story behind it. When you embrace secondhand items as gifts, you’re prioritizing meaningful exchanges and normalizing giving items new life to impact others.
Know Your Budget and Your Gift Needs
Holiday shopping can be a major stressor! Try to have a goal to have your list of gift recipients early on, so you know exactly who you’re shopping for and list out ideas for what you’d like to look for for each person. Maybe some are new items and gift cards while others are perfect secondhand ideas! Look at your finances and set a budget for your gift shopping this year. A total amount is helpful, but dive into the nitty gritty and have individual ranges assigned for each person you’re shopping for so you don’t go over.
Set Up Alerts and Personalize Search Radius
Did you know that Facebook Marketplace offers a super valuable tool for those secondhand shoppers on a mission? You can create custom alerts! If you’re on the hunt for specific items like a bicycle, name brand clothing or specific book series for instance, you can set up keyword alerts that notify you when something within that category becomes available. You can even change your search radius to be just within your zip code or within a specific radius that’s a convenient distance for pickup, such as five to 10 miles. These features are incredibly helpful to increase the likelihood of scoring exactly what you want!
Plan Safe Pickups and Payments
Always make sure you feel comfortable picking up your online find when meeting a seller in person. Arrange for contactless porch pickup when possible or have meetups in well-lit public spaces like a grocery store parking lot, library or other easy access area with which you’re familiar. You can check to see if you have any friends in common on Facebook by clicking the seller profile, as this often gives us an added dose of comfort. Bring only the cash you need or use secure payment methods like Venmo or PayPal, which can often provide purchase protection. Let a friend or family member know your plans, or better yet, bring someone along with you, if possible. While the vast majority of online sellers are wonderful community members just like you, it’s important to always be safe.
Make Your Marketplace Magic Gift-Ready
Probably the best part of coming home with your awesome find is getting it ready to be gifted to your loved one. Take time to clean it up, removing any labels or tags, and polish or wipe down with some cleaner if needed. Have fun picking out or making your own holiday gift tags and wrap your item up to make it even more meaningful with a personal touch. If you’re going to be shipping the gift to someone, get some protective wrapping to make sure nothing breaks in transit.
When they open your gift and ask where you got it, you can share your incredible secondhand shopping skills or keep it your little secret! The choice is yours! Let this holiday season be an opportunity to make thoughtful, budget conscious, sustainable gifting a new tradition in your family!
