Selling Homeware? Here Are the Pros and Cons of Each Platform

Selling homeware online is a great side hustle or a way to send your previously loved items to a new home! 

With the invention of selling apps and online marketplaces, there are more options than ever for exchanging homewares. Check out our short list of online marketplaces and selling platforms!

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook is the most popular social networking platform worldwide. As a result, Facebook Marketplace is one of the more popular online marketplaces to sell homewares. This platform is easy to use because you only need a Facebook account and time to surf the internet. You can search for specific items or broad terms and find plenty of listings near you! 

One con to using Facebook Marketplace is that you always run the risk of unsafe or unreliable meet-ups because most of the selling and buying happens in person. You can only communicate with the seller or buyer through their chatting platform. Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no buyer protection with Facebook Marketplace.

OfferUp

OfferUp is similar to Facebook Marketplace in that it is an online platform with a large number of users, and many items are available locally. No matter what you are selling, there is a chance someone out there is looking for your item. It is free to use, and you set your price on each item. 

One thing to remember is that it seems that unappealing pictures do not sell items. Be sure you invest in quality photos of your items to be sure they will sell.

A con of this website is that plenty of scammers use it, so you should be careful when buying and selling. However, there are more success stories than scams, so it should not deter you from using the site.

 

Craigslist 

Craigslist is one of the original online selling platforms, and it works much like the classified ads section in a newspaper. As such, it has a reputation for being a website where scam artists or people trying to rip others off go. However, there are a lot of reliable buyers on Craigslist, so these stories should not put you off the platform entirely. 

Craigslist has made improvements that make it difficult for prospective scammers to obtain your personal information before you agree to the sale. It is also a site where people go for homewares and other knick-knacks, so there is a market for selling homewares!

Mercari 

Mercari is an app where you sell everything exclusively through the mail. There are no in-person meet-ups, which broadens your potential buyer pool and creates more security. 

Popular categories of items like Rae Dunn are often sold on Mercari. Other homewares commonly sold on Mercari are dish towels, coasters, and other small items that add to your home. 

One con of Mercari is the inconvenience of going through the trouble of shipping the items out of a UPS store. You can drop them off in bulk, but each item sold is on a timetable for shipping it out, so batching your drops might be difficult depending on when the items sell.

Bonanza

Bonanza is an online platform where sellers can sell almost anything, especially unique items, including homewares. It is similar to eBay and is often used as an eBay alternative. Millions of people use the website, so many eyes will be on your items! 

If you sell your homewares and unique creations on other sites, you can integrate your website into the Bonanza listing site to sell on two platforms. 

The main con to Bonanza is that while it is free to list the items, the service takes a small percentage of your final sale price after you sell the item.

What Is the Best Platform? 

There is no single platform that is better or worse than others. If you notice a trend on one website, like Mercari where many people sell many Rae Dunn items, you might want to jump on that app because the market is there. 

Conversely, if you see a gap in the homewares market on a certain platform, but there is a lot of traffic, upload the items you see are missing from the app and make a name for yourself! 

There is no one right way to sell on online platforms, but if you can figure out a niche and a platform that works for you in terms of the listing, communication, selling, and buying, you will be pleased.

Are Certain Apps and Platforms Better for Certain Items?

Doing your research online about what items sell quickly and often is important to decide which platform is good for you. 

In general, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are great for bigger items that require in-person meet-ups. Mercari and Bonanza are better for items small enough to send in the mail. OfferUp is great for either option since people list big and small items often. 


Related: Spring Cleaning on a Budget: Tips for Saving Money While Tidying Up