Selling on Facebook is easy. You upload your items and if someone is interested then they arrange to come and collect it from you. Remember that these groups are run by general members of the public and not Facebook. There is no seller or buyer protection like on eBay and you should treat your purchases and sales as “sold as seen”. Here are a few simple steps to get you started.

1. Find groups to join. Simply log into Facebook and to find a group, type in the name of the town, city of county that you live in, and try a variation of “for sale”, “selling”, “bay” (as in eBay) etc to find suitable groups.  Before joining, check the rules out as they vary between groups.

2. Make an album on your Facebook profile, being sure to make it public so that people who aren’t on your friends list can see it.

3. Take photos of your items and upload them to your selling album. Add descriptions of your items and include your location and price that you’re asking. 

4. Go ahead and “share” these on the Facebook selling groups that you’ve joined. Be sure to copy over the text from the photos onto the group.

5. Each group will have a different rule about “bumping” you post. Every time your post gets a comment it gets bumped up to the top of the group. You can usually bump your own post up after 24 hours.

6. Make sure you check your “others” message folder, as messages from people who aren’t on your friend list are sent to the “others” folder.

Pros:

• No fees.
• Ability to share an entire album.
• Great for selling anything from small items to bulky furniture.
• Ability to “bump” your items to increase exposure.

Cons:

• The Facebook search facility is rubbish, making it difficult to find your post again.
• No buyer or seller protection.
• Buyers often let you down – either by not turning up or not replying to your messages.

• If you’re listing somewhere that requires photos, then make every use of them. You don’t need to spend hours staging your items perfectly, but simple things like photographing clothes on a hanger, mannequin or even a model. If you want to add a few extra photos for free then sign up to Photobucket and link to them in your listings. 
• Don’t start buying things to sell until you’ve really grasped your market. I’m not talking about buying something for 50p at a car boot sale you know will sell for £10+, I mean don’t start buying wholesale lots on eBay or spending big bucks until you’ve done your research and costings.
• Always get proof of postage for everything you post out. Yes, those little pieces of paper build up, but if you need to refund a buyer then you’re covered for up to £41 compensation from Royal Mail for your item. If your item sold for more then add insurance as necessary. 
• Invest in some digital kitchen scales (around £10) and print off the PDF of Royal Mail postage charges. This ensures that you charge correct postage so you aren’t left out of pocket. 
• Buy your packaging material before your listings end, so you aren’t left having to buy it from the Post Office for ridiculous prices. Better yet, recycle packaging. You know those brown bags you get at Primark and Lush? Cut them out, turn them over and there you have brown paper. As a personal rule, I like to use new packaging for eBay and my jewellery website and recycled anywhere else. Jiffy bags or mailing bags are so cheap on eBay, so buy them in lots to keep you going. Stock up on cellotape too. If you really don’t want to buy lots of 50 jiffy bags on eBay then £1 shops are the next best offer.

I suppose boot sales have to be the first place to start. If you aren’t confident enough to start listing online, or want to get rid of those things that aren’t shifting online/aren’t quite what you want to put on eBay, then boot sales are for you. The idea is simple. You load a car up with tons of stuff you want to sell, pop them on some tables and make some money. To find your local car boot sales, head to Google, your local newspaper or even ask your friends on Facebook. Pitches are generally £5-£10. If you need to buy a table these cost around £10 – the folding ones are known as wallpaper pasting tables and you can get them from hardware shops, Wilkinsons, etc.


General car boot sale tips:

• People visiting car boot sales are generally after something for very little. Be prepared to walk away with a little bit of profit after you’ve paid for everything. Someone will always haggle you down so you need to know when you’ll agree to a lower price. 
• Arrive early. I know this sucks, especially if the boot sale opens to buyers at 7am, but you want to get a good pitch.
• Take someone with you. Boot sales can be very boring, and at least with someone with you you’re able to wander off to the toilet/snack van/to look at other stalls, never mind having someone to chat to, moan about how early it is, etc.
• Take sandwiches with you. I absolutely detest sandwiches, and the whole point of going to a boot sale for me is to raid the burger van. Which can then cost £10 between two people, added to the petrol and pitch fee, I could have stayed in bed longer. 
• Price your items. People will want to haggle any way, but having items priced means that people can make a snap decision about whether they want something without giving them time to talk themselves out of asking you for the price because you look busy/like you don’t care/popped off to the loo. Prices don’t always have to be sticky labels – some cardboard will work too.
• Take lots of spare change – don’t lose a sale because you haven’t got enough, chances are that they won’t be coming back later! 
• Take plenty of carrier bags.
• Items I’ve found sell well at car boot sales include clothing, toiletries (both new and used…yes I don’t quite understand it either), toys, baby clothes, comics, craft items, CDs, DVDs, games, small electronics and general bric-a-brac
• Items I’ve found that don’t sell include general books (unless you’re offering something quite niche, don’t go there). You’re also prohibited from selling counterfeit goods such as pirated DVDs, CDs, etc.