Are you searching for a gently used Bugaboo stroller or perhaps a brand-new Hess Truck? Maybe you’re looking for just one more Waterford glass to complete your wedding registry? Forget rummaging through yard sales and thrift stores to find what you need. If you have a Facebook account, you’ve got a veritable global marketplace right at your fingertips. Online swap/sell sites are huge business in New Jersey…read on to learn how to turn your trash into cash!
Thrifty NJ residents are flocking to Facebook groups dedicated to the buying and selling of previously owned items. Think of these sites as virtual garage sales–you can forage through listings from the comfort of your own home to find exactly what you need. The goods available come from every imaginable category, including baby clothes, children’s toys, designer handbags, furniture and other household items.
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Curious about how these pages work? I consulted a few local experts who run groups in Union County to get the scoop. A successful Berkeley Heights group with over 3,000 members was started by Beth Hughes Feldman, a transplanted New Yorker who was reorganizing her closet to fit her new suburban lifestyle. She, like many other swappers, had buyer’s remorse that only resale could take away. After the birth of her third child, she was left with bins full of clothing, some still sporting price tags. “I wanted to find a way to pass these along to someone who could use them,” she says. The online group quickly caught on with local parents looking for bargains. For busy moms, the convenience of browsing online and picking up locally can’t be beat.
In Cranford, Diane Fiorenza’s furniture and home goods site boasts over 6,000 members. It not only offers spectacular items, but also allows members to post local home-related businesses and ask design questions. This is the group where I once saw a posting for a Sarcophagus, but also more practical items like a Fender guitar, sub-zero freezer and a drafting table. Diane developed this page to make it easier to shop for home goods and runs the group according to strict guidelines, which she details in the membership rules. Members can list goods for sale as NWT (new with tags), NWOT (new without tags) or EUC (excellent used condition) for example.
It is just as easy to buy online as it is to sell. Just ask veteran swappers Russell and Kirsten Luedecker of Gillette, who can often be found bantering in the Union County swap groups. After Kirsten posted an item for sale on a group page in which both are members, her husband Russell commented, “Please stop selling my stuff.” So while the pages are a great way to purge, you might want to check with your spouse first.
Swapping is, of course, not a new idea. The classic garage sale was likely the gateway to more serious flipping like eBay or Craigslist, then perhaps a dalliance with consignment shops. And while all are good options for resale, the online swap sites offer the most convenience and profit. The idea of putting your unwanted items out on your porch and having someone slide money under your doormat is addictive. And since the group members are all part of the same town, there is an unwritten sense of honor that comes with selling locally. As Beth Hughes Feldman noted, “the mission of our page was to serve our community, a place where moms help moms and neighbors help neighbors.”
Hero (Top) Feature Image: Africa Studio/Dollar Photo Club
Additional images (in order) courtesy:
Alicia Fettes
Jennifer Battista
Mary Carlomagno