THRIFT YOUR WAY
Marketplace and classifieds
People list single things for sale near them on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay. You message, agree a price and pick it up.
Before you go
- Good for
- Furniture, lighting, rugs, bigger pieces
- When to go
- Check daily: good things go within hours
- Paying
- Usually cash or a payment app at pickup
How to do well
- Save searches for what you’re after, with alerts on, so you hear first.
- Search plain words and misspellings too: “mid century”, “old frame”, “moving sale”.
- Message politely with a time you can come. Sellers pick the buyer who’s easiest.
- Ask for measurements and a photo of any damage before you drive over.
- Meet somewhere public for small things, bring someone for pickups at a home, and pay once you’ve seen it.
What to bring
Where to find them
Facebook Marketplace
The biggest local listings. Set your distance. Asks you to log in.
Go to Facebook Marketplace (opens in a new tab)Craigslist
Local classifieds with no account needed. Try “antiques” and “furniture”.
Go to Craigslist (opens in a new tab)eBay, local pickup
Search for one thing, then keep only sellers near you who offer pickup.
Go to eBay, local pickup (opens in a new tab)
How Thriftcraft helps
Your assistant
Is the asking price fair? Ask your assistant before you message.
- Open the find and tap ChatGPT, Claude or Muse under Ask about this find. It opens with a question about the find already written.
- Send a detail photo of any mark when it asks. Ask it to save the answer and its sources with the find.
- Saved research keeps its own words and sources. It changes the find’s details only when you approve the change.
More ways Thriftcraft can help
Places
Check the spot it’s for in Places before you drive over.
- Use Places to keep the room, wall or shelf and the finds that belong there together.
- Open New place or Edit place to save its width, height and, where relevant, depth. Add the find to that place and use its Outside size control when measurements are missing.
- Places organizes where things belong; it does not automatically prove that furniture fits through a doorway.
Scan
Save the listing’s photo as a find while you decide.
- Open Scan and take a photo of the find.
- Open the find to keep its price and notes together. Keep extra photos of marks and damage with it.
- If a snap is waiting offline, leave Thriftcraft open when you reconnect and check that it uploads before signing out.
The sites here belong to other companies. None of them pays to be listed.