Don't Overlook Facebook Marketplace for Top-Tier Decor Deals. Here's What to Know. -- WSJ

By Nina Molina

I FANCIED myself quite the savvy design shopper when I bagged a $75 red wingback chair from Facebook Marketplace. But after poking around social media, I found strangers posting far more gloat-worthy decor from the behemoth site, and I realized they'd spent fewer hours scrolling than I'd put in. "Facebook Marketplace is a treasure trove, no matter what your style is -- midcentury modern, traditional, boho," said Alisa Bovino, who works in medical marketing. The design blogger has decorated her Roxbury, N.J., home with her spoils from the service. Here, a few Marketplace savants' methods.

Focus your search

Bovino concocted a three-part keyword formula:

   1. A general descriptor of the item's style or era (e.g., antique, modern) 
 
   2. One or two more-detailed adjectives (e.g., specifying brand, color, 
      material) 
 
   3. Item name (e.g., bedframe, mirror) 

Examples: "Vintage Mitchell Gold red love seat" or "Modern Artemide brass lamp."

Save as you browse

If you save listings while you search, the algorithm learns your taste, says Bovino. While hunting for an English roll-arm sofa, she spent a few weeks saving traditional couches. She ultimately landed a George Smith mohair-velvet roll-arm sofa for $350 (about $6,000 on 1stDibs) in Greenwich, Conn.

Then revert to broad terms

"Some people don't know what they have, and that's how you find the best and cheapest stuff," said Chyelle Milgrom, a Brooklyn UX/UI designer. Once her algorithm caught up to her taste, she found a vintage Luna Sling chair for $90 under the search term "chair" after scrolling for half an hour. (The midcentury modern icon retails from $1,200 on Chairish.)

Entice the seller

Milgrom knows that if she's found a treasure, dozens of buyers are also coveting it. Many sellers want their furniture gone ASAP, says Milgrom, so she negotiates a lower price and promises to get the item off their hands quickly. "You can say 'Will you sell it for $80 if I pick it up today?' " she said.

Make an offer

Sometimes, however, paying more helps you land a steal that might slip away, says Bovino. She clicks the Make an Offer button and will pay a few bucks more than the list price. "Chances are other people are not using that button," said Bovino. "That has sealed the deal for me 100% of the time." Using the button, she proposed a payment of $200 for a tiered bamboo end table listed for $175. Twenty-five dollars made the difference. The seller, who was chatting with many other buyers, sold it to Bovino.

Haul your find cheaply

On the left-hand side of the Marketplace page, you'll find location ranges -- from 1 mile to 500 miles from your location. To collect petite design finds that aren't far away, Milgrom uses Uber Package, a delivery system launched in October. In her experience, Package is "50% to 70% cheaper than a [regular] Uber passenger ride." To keep costs low for decor farther afield, Bovino uses uShip, a long-haul transport service. She had a 75-pound, 3-foot wide burl wood chest from the Hamptons delivered to her New Jersey home via uShip for $175. And it only took one day.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 03, 2024 15:17 ET (19:17 GMT)

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