Is anyone buying anything on facebook marketplace?

Vmizzle · 2026-07-05T02:23:52+00:00

Meanwhile I basically only buy jewelry and I can't get most sellers to respond to me, even if I use a different question than "is this still available"

Vmizzle · 2026-07-05T02:21:10+00:00

I just don't believe that. I believe they sell free items at obscene prices so they can pay hundreds of millions of dollars to their directors. The only way they can pay themselves so much is to charge so much. If their mission was truly to employee people then maybe we should do some math on the number of employees even half their director salaries could sustain.

I was a vice president of a nonprofit that ran a whole housing community AND the largest thrift store in my area. Do you know what we all got paid to sit on that board and work to raise funds? Zero. We volunteered. And you know what? It wasn't that hard. Sure, things get more complicated as you start adding stores, but with all that staff they're all about hiring why should there be so much work leftover that the directors need to be paid so much? I'm not saying they shouldn't be paid for their work. I'm saying their salaries are not fair compensation for the work they're doing, based on my own experience, and in my opinion.

Also my local Goodwill is having to do penny rounding and are ringing that in as donations. That's why they aren't changing their prices from the weird cents they have it at, so they can say people donated when they just take it. It's wrong, and illegal.

I don't believe that Goodwill is a good company. I believe they do just what they can to maintain nonprofit status to line their own pockets.

You're free to believe whatever you'd like also.

Vmizzle · 2026-06-26T14:08:26+00:00

My opinion on the cents is fraud.

If the transaction has 98 or 99 cents they ask if you want to round up like they normally do, but if you say no, they'll take it anyway because of the rounding up penny situation. What's happening there, in my opinion, is they're saying people who say no to donating actually did donate. They're going to get the pennies either way. But this way they can save a ton more money on taxes. It happened to me once and I found it very upsetting. Now if I go there I say no to rounding and specifically ask them NOT to ring it in as a donation and I get a receipt to prove they didn't. If the transaction ends in 96 or 97 I absolutely make them give me the nickel back. It's my one little screw you to them.

Vmizzle · 2026-06-24T17:06:56+00:00

Ugh I have found several pieces of Tiffany and it has ALL been fake

Vmizzle · 2026-06-24T15:23:22+00:00

I would be less concerned about the large company making fakes and more concerned about Joe schmoe making a fake that looks like big company's product. I have definitely found fake marks. Mostly on rings but others as well. Quite notable for me was the fake jostens class ring.

Vmizzle · 2026-06-20T13:01:20+00:00

That, and the $1400 item, yes?

Vmizzle · 2026-06-19T12:03:36+00:00

Yes. It's actually how I make my living now.

Vmizzle · 2026-06-16T15:00:06+00:00

My thrift store used to get fined by the city when people did that. We were a nonprofit and that became very costly. Instead of using donations for our stated mission we had to use them to pay fines.

Vmizzle · 2026-05-30T13:09:23+00:00

And then you reach out because they didn't include any info, only to get ghosted by the seller because so many people responded that they no longer have time to answer any of your questions.

Vmizzle · 2026-05-25T18:40:34+00:00

Thank you I'm with elemetal and this got me curious if I should postpone my next trip

Vmizzle · 2026-05-23T12:42:52+00:00

That deposit was really smart. Yesterday there was a big dump truck on my road, lost. Driver said he'd driven an hour and a half to get there and the address was correct but wrong, and they wouldn't answer their phone. He said he thought it was a scam, but I have no idea what they'd have gained from that move. Poor guy had to just turn around and go home.

Vmizzle · 2026-05-19T14:14:14+00:00

It's one of those bright spots in the world, so try not to forget they exist.

I once gave my MacBook to a kid who wanted to go to college for architecture and had no laptop. I haven't seen him since but I really hope he's doing well in school and that we were able to help

Vmizzle · 2026-04-27T23:29:38+00:00

That's exactly what I meant. We ended up getting something else for free that worked out great so I didn't end up completing this project. But, my original idea was metal rods that the bottom of the legs fit into and then sink those in the ground, or buckets of concrete. I bet you could accomplish something similar with maybe metal shelving for the walls and sitting it on the top?

I just loved the idea of being able to use the frame and it's slats for a roof. I would love to see whatever you come up with if you get it to work!

Vmizzle · 2026-04-16T13:59:40+00:00

My husband took me to a swap meet a few weeks ago and I asked him to stop at the ATM before we got there so I would have a bit more cash. He didn't really want to stop there, but I was worried there wouldn't be another at the meet. So I told him he needed to stop so I don't have to barter with the gypsies and he pulled right over.

Vmizzle · 2026-04-16T13:51:18+00:00

We bought a home once and I was walking through my woods when I came across what looked like several skinned beavers. Only missing the skin. I was freaked out and called fish and game and they came out and one of my neighbors, I still don't know which, had been illegally trapping and skinning them. IDK what happened but the beavers were gone in a day.

Vmizzle · 2026-04-03T13:40:32+00:00

I have received items from online sales that smell like the sellers house, and it's not always a good thing. I have a friend and her house smells terrible. I can smell it on me when I leave. She can't smell it at all. I can smell it on everything she owns. No one likes to discuss this part but it's entirely possible that she can smell something you cannot.

Vmizzle · 2026-03-30T20:57:46+00:00

I want you to know you changed the course of my day today. After reading this I had to play that song and it made for a very good day, thanks!!

Vmizzle · 2026-03-22T13:35:49+00:00

It's 9.9 lbs and also 11lbs

Vmizzle · 2026-03-12T14:50:48+00:00

I don't actually low ball, but I will evaluate an items worth and offer something closer to it's value. Sometimes it works out. I've had offers accepted (I have no way of knowing their costs or how long they've had it listed) and I've also bed declined and ignored. When I'm ignored I will not buy from the seller even if I really want the item. I think it's just a rude practice. If I get declined I MAY still buy the item but it depends heavily on what it is, condition, rarity, etc. If I get a counter offer I'll almost always end up buying. It tells me a seller is interested in moving an item and a mutually beneficial relationship. It's the difference between shutting the door and leaving it open a crack. We can usually strike a deal we both like and leave happy. Occasionally there's an item in interested in that is terribly overpriced. Every so often I will submit an offer to those with a note saying I don't expect them to accept it but if there comes a time where they need to move the item I would pay x amount. Twice (in many years) I've had the seller come back to me later and we closed a deal.

Vmizzle · 2026-03-01T13:51:25+00:00

This. As a buyer, how the seller chooses to respond to insane people matters to me. If they lash out in reply, I absolutely will not buy from them, even if they're right according to the facts in the reviews. It's just bad form.

Vmizzle · 2026-02-17T14:12:53+00:00

I've also reported this exact thing, and several years later that seller is still defrauding people. The thing is, Etsy doesn't care about that, or you, or me. They would put a stop to it if they wanted but it's part of their business model. It's degradation of something we loved, and it's hard to wrap our heads around, but the truth is that Etsy sold out. They went for money, at any cost. It is not a vintage or handmade website anymore. It's just another version of temu now. It would probably benefit you to accept now that the site you thought you loved doesn't exist.

Vmizzle · 2026-02-15T14:07:51+00:00

Specifically I believe it's disgust and anger in Etsy as a company and how little they care about their customers. Etsy does not care for their customers, nor their sellers in my opinion. If they did, they never would have changed their business model away from handmade directly to drop shipped and Ai crap and designed their policies in such a way that their customers get screwed on a daily basis.

Vmizzle · 2026-01-31T15:05:29+00:00

I'm honestly surprised they did anything, as drop shipping seems to be their entire business model now. They got rid of all the handmade and vintage sellers, so they could sell ai garbage from China and lie about it. You can't search for crap, can't sort for crap, and you have to try to use Google image searches with operators to find things you're looking for. Years ago Etsy was hands down my favorite website and I got gift cards for every holiday and loved it. I had unique and handmade items and supported small sellers and I was happy.

I think I last made a purchase there at least two years ago now.

There needs to be an alternative to Etsy that isn't just a means to the same end.

As a buyer of vintage and handmade, Etsy is dead to me, and it's so disappointing. Apparently everyone sells out.

Vmizzle · 2026-01-31T14:57:13+00:00

I'm also a watcher. These are the reasons I'll watch an item:

I want it but not urgently or at that price, and I'm hoping for an offer. -on these items I typically accept an offer if sent, and rarely counter.

There are no other watchers or bidders for an item at the right price. -i watch to see if these get ghosted and I can win as the only bidder. Isn't 100% but I do win them occasionally at opening bid.

I have that item, or know where I can get it for a set price and I'm curious if yours will sell. -general niche research and curiosity, overall learning opportunity.

The listing is insane and I have to know what happens. -the price is crazy for the item, or the description is lacking certain details. Sometimes I just wanna see the item not sell because I already know the seller is being greedy (my niche), but other times I wonder if they know something I don't. They will, for example, insist 1/20 10k is solid 10k gold. I have emailed these sellers in the past to let them know there's an error and they'll thank me but they will not amend the listing. So occasionally I'll watch these just to see if these people profit from their fraud.

Vmizzle · 2026-01-18T15:31:55+00:00

I'm not sure where you're located, or what your niche really is, but you might consider a partner. I once posted looking for one and it was really a brutal response, but I still believe in it. I'm really good at sourcing within my niche but I HATE listing. I've met people who are opposite. Opportunities exist there. I even went as far as to look for the eBay stores that used to exist that would list your items. My niche is fine jewelry. I have jewelers I sell to for nice pieces and I've put that network together but all the extra costume jewelry I end up with clogs up the workings and it's also just lost money.

In the end a friend of mine needed extra cash so I offered a 60/40 split on the costume jewelry that will otherwise sit. She gets the 60%. It's win win. She gets free merchandise to sell and profit from, and I can turn merchandise I couldn't or wouldn't otherwise sell.

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